Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
“Happy are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy.” — Matthew 5:7 Whenever I turn on my laptop, a beautiful nature scene greets me. It can be from any place around the world, such as a waterfall in Africa or a medieval castle in Ireland. Whatever the setting, it elicits my inner voice: …
Look at the birds in the sky. — Matthew 6:26a This was one of those days when someone should have said, “Don’t read today’s headlines.” Those days, unfortunately, seem to be coming around more often. Another mass shooting. Dire predictions about the economy. Racist acts of violence. Missiles in Ukraine. And you know additional headlines that …
God saw everything he had made: it was supremely good. — Genesis 1:31a The first creation story simply ends with God calling everything supremely good. I used to read it from the perspective of the second creation story, with Adam/Eve/The Fall. It’s like things were perfect, then we messed it up. That’s not right. It …
There’s a genius in the complex, miraculous beauty that frames this world. Unfortunately, there’s also a genius behind the force that seems hell-bent on destroying that beauty. Its most insidious expression is when it convinces people to do evil while thinking they’re doing good. Jesus summarized it well in his final conversation with his disciples: …
Standing behind him at his feet and crying, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured the oil on them. — Luke 7:38 I’m writing this having just awakened. For some reason this was the question that was knocking at the door of my brain …
What are human beings that you think about them; what are human beings that you pay attention to them?You’ve made them only slightly less than divine, crowning them with glory and grandeur. — Psalm 8:4-5 The “original sin” idea is found in the mythic tale of Adam and Eve disobeying God and eating the forbidden fruit. …
But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. — Romans 5:8 (NRSV) Have you ever had the moment when you look back on something you said or did earlier in life and asked yourself, “What was I thinking?” Unfortunately, I can think of several instances. There were careless words and actions of …
You know about Jesus of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and endowed with power. Jesus traveled around doing good and healing everyone oppressed by the devil because God was with him. — Acts 10:38 Have you ever noticed that, regardless of human hostilities, there’s one thing that transcends and heals? It’s simply being kind to …
Remind them of these things and warn them in the sight of God not to engage in battles over words that aren’t helpful and only destroy those who hear them. – 2 Timothy 2:14 Not only can the Bible be confusing, but it can be used to justify things that are truly cringe-worthy. When you give people a book that’s called …
John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone throwing demons out in your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.” — Mark 9:38 Why did John say that to Jesus? Did he assume that, because Jesus had chosen him, other people weren’t chosen? Did he think that he had a …