war
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What’s with some Christians suddenly endorsing nuclear war? The idea pisses me off. But it doesn’t surprise me. It seems like an inevitable, given our present state. Not that war is inevitable (though I fear it may be). But that some Christians are always making it harder on the rest of us. And at the…
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On June 2nd, 142 years ago, Julia Ward Howe worked to move all Mothers in support of peace, and bring an end to the viciousness and evil of war. She wrote: Arise, then, women of this day ! Arise, all women who have hearts, Whether our baptism be of water or of tears ! Say firmly :…
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Is there a true leader?
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1 min read
The first question a powerful nation must ask before going to war with another; before attempting to overthrow the leader of a sovereign nation is this: is there a truly reconciling native leader? History is full of failed leaders and failed states. Nelson Mandela and George Washington are the exceptions that prove the rule. So…
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The End of War
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5 min read
With the Iraq Conflict coming to its formal conclusion, it seems a worthy moment to reflect on war. Specifically, how our understanding of what war is has changed. The dictionary will have multiple definitions of war, but I think there are two essential understandings: A situation in which two or more entities publicly, intentionally, and…
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No Limits
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6 min read
a Sermon for Proper 19A Text: Matthew 18:21-35 Where we’ve been Ten years ago today, about this time, 4 hijacked airplanes were used as projectile missiles to cause dramatic and traumatic devastation. Three of them reached their targets and one was sent into the countryside. Many, including those aiding the victims of violence, died. Nearly…
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No Retaliation
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1 min read
My sermon for Proper 7A (yesterday) is up here. It deals with our culture of retaliation and Jesus’s encouragement to see another alternative; an alternative that we have trouble seeing because we are so committed to violence and retaliation. I thought it was a little spicy. What do you think?