The other day I was meeting with a friend and we were just chatting about how it seems as if everyone we come across is exhausted or pretending to not be exhausted. And, by “exhausted” what I really mean is depleted. Being one of these people that feel depleted to the point of exhaustion, my m.o. is to find a solution. Part of what’s so exhausting these days is the constant dodging of never ending negativity; seemingly, it’s coming from... Read more
To Separate the Institutionalized American Church From White Nationalism is… …like removing the beating heart of raging bigot. …like removing the bride from her groom. …like taking Batman out of the Jokers equation. …like having a Michael Jordan without his drive. “White Nationalism is a type of nationalism or pan-nationalism which holds the belief that white people are a race[1] and seeks to develop and maintain a white national identity.” What reason does the American Church have to continue on... Read more
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” – Jesus (Matthew 17:20, NIV) As a kid I remember during bible camp trying to move a mountain with my newfound faith that was presumably (so I was told) the size of a mustard seed. It was... Read more
“As we all know-or should know-we can’t aim straight for happiness; rather, happiness is an accompaniment to engaging in valuable projects and developing meaningful connections with others.” There’s a guy in Philadelphia who dresses up as Hulk Hogan; full out costume; doesn’t cut any corners; yellow mustache, bandana, and even an authentic WWF Championship belt. The first time I saw him, he came barreling through Starbucks front doors, pausing, and then slowly raising his belt in the air with one hand,... Read more
Part 2: Why a White Jesus is So Incredibly Damaging Have you ever heard of a guy named Pete Holmes? It’s okay if you haven’t; he’s a comedian that has podcast; but his podcast isn’t comedic so much as it’s just him having two hour conversations (as opposed to interviews) with various guests. He recently brought on a priest named Richard Rohr (you can listen to the full podcast here). But, within this conversation Rohr broke down the biblical narrative... Read more
I follow this guy on Twitter who goes by the name of “Irish Atheist” and it is so incredibly painful to read the replies, from fellow Christians, to his tweets. I’ve noticed over the years that Christians love throwing at him the notion that “he just has yet to find the right church home…” Here’s the thing… One of the most annoying things friends and/or family members say to me [that still remain in the Church] is, “You must have... Read more
Joy is not the absence of pain; it’s the presence of meaning and intimacy [regardless of pain or sufferings presence]. Suffering, far too many times, I think, is the result of inaction; that is, doing nothing in face of pain or unexpected hardships. It’s when we can’t find or don’t have a reason to push forward that we tend to give up and allow hardship to win. Taking this on from a different perspective: Joy is a constant choice in... Read more
Just keepin’ it real, but, the past two years, life has just completely and utterly beat shit out of me. It was like being trapped underneath a seemingly never ending set of waves; one bad thing after another; feeling a sense of panic from the uncertainty that you’re going to make it. But, in the same way you don’t try and stop the waves from coming, it’s fruitless to exert your energy on any attempts at stopping this series of... Read more
Quick Question (answer without stopping to think): Who’s thought to be the most influential Christian today? N.T. Wright, Chris Tomlin, Joel Osteen…? While I don’t have the research to prove it’s any one person, I can say with confidence that it’s none of the guys listed above. What I can say with confidence is that it can be whittled down to being either Kanye West, Justin Bieber, or one of the Kardashians. “We consider accolades across numerous fields, global impact... Read more
But, as time as gone by, I’ve randomly thought of various questions I’ve had in the past, yet have never taken the time to dig into… One of which is in regards to biblical prophecies. And, before I go on, I want to make it clear that I am all about the bible. This isn’t one of those, “anti-bible/I’m turning atheist” posts (that’s next week… only kidding). I greatly value the bible; I think within our context we should all... Read more
Andy Gill
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