Forgiveness is such a little B****. I mean, saying it more eloquently, forgiveness, it’s a double edged sword. If you forgive, then you feel as if they win; if you choose not to forgive, you then feel and find the truth within the platitude saying, “Not forgiving is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” Many times as a pastor, I’d be constantly asked by congregants “How do you forgive…?” And I’d tell them, “The same way you... Read more
I meet up with a ton of pastors for lunch or coffee. It’s not a means of “networking” as it’s mostly just a means of connecting with like-minded men and women. These groups of people consist of mega-church leaders, musicians, youth pastors, lay-leaders, and everyone else in between. But, the other day I met up with a pastor of a larger Church, as he was guest speaking/preaching here in Philadelphia. Never thinking about it before, today really, I realized that... Read more
Growing up in the white evangelical church I always found there to be a disconnect. No matter how hard I tried to fit in I couldn’t seem to find any connection with my surroundings. I didn’t understand and neither could I fully comprehend why. I grew up in the same neighborhood(s), wore the same clothes, and there were more than enough kids that were my age, shoot, my parents were even white (I’m adopted). So then what was it? Experience.... Read more
We’re more than half way through Lent and I’m just starting it today. But, here’s the thing, I want to admit upfront that Lent, Ash Wednesday, Easter, this entire season, is by far my least favorite of them all. They don’t remind me of rebirth, redemption, or sacrifice, but instead they always come with a stale stench of death. As if it’s that time of year in which we annually reopen a casket with nothing but dead dry bones in... Read more
This morning I felt as if I was Tom Hanks character from the Cast Away the morning after being rescued. Obviously, I haven’t been stranded on a remote island bordering dementia while using a bloodstained volleyball for emotional connection. But, I did have the “norovirus” (a.k.a. the stomach flu). Which is basically the same thing. Either way, I’ve noticed a trend, a sort of pattern in my life, if you will, in the last 3-5 years or so. Around the... Read more
Have you ever taken a step back and asked the question, “Why do I believe what I believe?” Many of us when asked this question, reply immediately, “Because of the bible.” Growing up in Churches this is just what we’ve been taught in Sunday school and youth group, from child hood on, singing aloud without thinking: “Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so…” We find ourselves believing and dedicating the entirety of our lives, the... Read more
So, here’s the thing, as much as my theology over the course of the past few years has changed, I still believe in “eternal life.” I know, it’s weird. I can already sense the eyes rolling into the back of my progressive friend’s heads. But, hear me out, then, you may fully judge… The type of eternal life I’m speaking of is more so immortality than it is our elusive and over popularized American evangelical understanding of heaven; you know, the... Read more
Who Would Jesus Bomb? I’m rarely on Facebook these days, but, recently, I hopped on and did something I rarely if ever do (on my personal feed): I engaged. Irked by a random post, I reacted, I engaged, and then, I reposted. Honestly, it wasn’t anything bad, and, it felt like a healthy engagement. In short, I reacted to a post from a guy I went to high school with; he was feeling joy over the inflicted violence towards a very... Read more
With all the fake news, supposed conspiracy theories, and “alternative facts,” it’s tough to determine what’s fact and what’s fiction. By now you all probably know, and are well aware of Trump’s “#MuslimBan.” Twitter lit up, Uber temporarily shut down, Lyft showed themselves as opportunist, and protestors came out in droves taking over airports. And, for many, the two questions still remain: Was this actually a ban on muslims? Did Obama Select These Seven Countries? Well, let’s review in order... Read more
Okay, so, lets talk a little bit about Wednesday’s discussion between Trevor Noah and Tomi Lahren over on the Daily Show. Noah, a South African comedian who replaced Jon Stewart as the host of “The Daily Show” and Tomi Lahren who’s a conservative commentator who writes for The Blaze. It feels like Comedy Central (CC) et al. pit Tomi as this stereotypical “blonde, white, privileged bigot.” And, maybe she is just that, but, in the first few minutes of the (longer) interview... Read more
Andy Gill
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