violence
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Is Jesus cool with MMA? Self-defense and the gospel.
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5 min read
I’m not sure what Jesus would think of modern sports, but I know the Prince of Peace doesn’t dig on violence. And considering his critiques of Rome, I’m guessing mixed martial arts isn’t his bag. Any fights in cages where people come to watch people pummel each other would probably be too Roman and not enough…
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We Politicized Tragedy Long Before Now
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7 min read
If I had looked at the news Sunday morning, I would have rewritten my sermon. I’ve done that before, but I was being patient. I liked it already. I take the time in the morning, to review and reflect. I don’t look at email or listen to messages. I don’t read the news and I…
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Insane Consequences
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3 min read
INSANE CONSEQUENCES When did we justify brutality? A desk flipped with a student still in it, grabbed, hair pulled and thrown against the floor because apparently refusing to listen is enough of a reason to bring violence into the classroom. A shoplifter shot at in the parking lot. A police call to a Target a…
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Violence Doesn’t Teach What You Think
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1 min read
Violence doesn’t teach them to respect you. It teaches them the lengths you will go to have your way. We expect violence to communicate the complex thoughts, the most sophisticated of desires, the very contents of our minds, but it doesn’t make them mind readers. It doesn’t communicate what we want to communicate.…
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Of the World
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4 min read
Of the World (Day 3 of A Simple Lent) “They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.” One of the temptations for the Christian is to develop an “Us vs. Them” mindset. We have seen this during those fights over so-called religious freedom. We see this when we…
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Want
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3 min read
WANT As a supporter of gun control, I’m often asked “If a man breaks in and has your wife at gunpoint, wouldn’t you want a gun?” Want? For what? To kill? What I would want is a howitzer. Or Jason Bourne. Or to have Blade’s sword and his powers. Or the police. Or maybe just…