“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1) In C.S. Lewis’s Voyage of the Dawn Treader, we are told the story of Eustace. Eustace’s attitude is all wrong. He complains about minor ailments and inconveniences, he shirks the ship’s chore routine, and he threatens to have crew members locked up as soon as they return to England – just... Read more
In First Peter we are told to “Be sober and vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) In today’s world, what does it mean to be sober and vigilant in the way that this verse urges? One way in which this verse is interpretable is as an injunction to eliminate sinful or pseudo-sinful influences from our lives. A lot of Christians, with good reason, have focused in... Read more
Today the greatest Christian evangelism movement ever to occur in any country in the world is taking place in China. It’s one of the most exciting developments to be happening on the world stage right now and most American and western Christians do not seem to be aware of it. In part I think that the reason why we are not is because the media that surrounds us in our electronically saturated culture is focused so much on other things. ... Read more
I appreciate this article by Dr. Russell Moore, which highlights what I think is probably the most serious threat to the Christian church in America. As he hints, “it isn’t a shifting culture, political decisions or a lack of popularity.” The Most Dangerous Threat to the Christian Church Read more
I am going just to come out and say it, to get it over with. You cannot hope to live a successful Christian life if you do not learn to be quiet. Spiritual sustenance is mainlined into us through moments of silence and meditation, and not through the bustle of a life of media devices. When was the last time you tried to be silent, to do nothing, to calm your mind and, in the absence of any external media... Read more
A lot of people are fixated on Donald Trump going into the first Republican Presidential debate. I’m actually more interested in another candidate – Ted Cruz – because I think he’s going to make a more intriguing debater. Flannery O’Connor, a conservative Catholic, explained in “The Fiction Writer and His Country” why she wrote such grotesque stories: “When you can assume that your audience holds the same beliefs you do, you can relax a little and use more normal... Read more
At the center of my evangelical faith is the conviction that God is a living, active presence in the world. God is not a being who is distanced from the world and who no longer cares for it (if He ever did). By no means! Rather, God is integrally involved in its day-to-day affairs. On the basis of this conviction that God is a living and active presence, I seek to live out my own faith in humble obedience... Read more
No one likes to be on the losing side. In the case of same-sex marriage, it is likely to go especially badly for the losers – hostility, reprisals, social ostracism, and a loss of career prospects are just a few of the possible consequences. It might seem easiest for sexual traditionalists at this point just to slink away and hide, hoping that a same-sex marriage side that is flush with victory will not be vengeful to the losers. Life is... Read more
Right now, even as I write this, the next mass shooter is noticing the media attention being given to Dylann Roof. The wheels are turning in his mind as he sees how everyone is dissecting Dylann Roof’s motives and wondering how a crime so terrible could have happened. He is thinking to himself: “Huh. This kid sure got worldwide attention by killing nine people. He brought attention to his cause too. And the kid was stupid – he showed his... Read more
One of my favorite hymns in the Christian tradition is the Horatio Spafford hymn “It is Well with my Soul.” The first verse is especially poignant. When peace like a river attendeth my way When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say “It is well, it is well with my soul.” The story behind this hymn is well-known, but it deserves re-telling. Spafford was a successful Chicago lawyer in the 1870s.... Read more
Everyday Ethics
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