Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture
In reading the “new” atheists, I see confirmation of the Apostle Paul’s assertion that their unbelief is not due to the lack of evidence but the suppression of it. There is a large difference between those who are truly seeking answers to difficult questions and those who are unwilling to believe no matter what the … Read more
This story illustrates that miscommunication carries a cost. Four Euros will be little missed in the grand scheme of things. But what about the cost associated with miscommunication, through words or actions, of the Gospel of Jesus?
Yesterday I read Psalm 1:1. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.” (ESV) Growing up, I was taught that this verse is speaking about choosing friends and situations to avoid: those who are wicked, those … Read more
In recent years, the business world has coined the phrase “elevator speech.” Sellers are encouraged to be able to explain their product offering to someone in the elevator in the 20 seconds or so it takes to get to their floor. Most people who have been in the church for a while have been taught … Read more
There are many places in Scripture where the phrase “how long, oh Lord” is expressed. This phrase exhibits a longing for change and protection. As I listen to news of the day I connect with this sentiment. There is much in our world that appears out of control and evil seems to win the day … Read more
I’m re-reading Dorothy Sayers’ book Creed or Chaos? and have to share another quote with you: “It is not true at all that dogma is ‘hopelessly irrelevant’ to the life and thought of the average man. What is true is that ministers of the Christian religion often assert that it is, present it for consideration … Read more
Deuteronomy 14:1b-2 You shall not cut yourselves or make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. … Read more
In the Confessions, Saint Augustine describes a depraved soul as “falling away from security in you to destruction in itself.” I like the way that Augustine puts this. When I make moral choices, I am choosing between God or self, light or darkness, building or destruction. There is no middle ground. Yet there is hope. … Read more