Above you will see the top of one of the bookcases in my study in the morning light with a reflection from the study window. It would be impossible to tell you how important books have been in my life– mainly the one’s I’ve read, secondarily the one’s I’ve written. There is truth to the statement you are what you read (and believe). But alas, I live in the new world of the internet, where people mainly read and believe... Read more

Satan: “I will cause anxiety, fear, and panic. I will shut down business, schools, places of worship and sports events. I will cause economic turmoil.” Jesus: “I will bring together neighbours I will Restore the family unit I will bring dinner back to the kitchen table. I will help people slow down their lives, and will appreciate what really matters. I will teach my children to rely on me And not the world. I will teach my children to trust... Read more

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Sixteenth century Reformer Martin Luther wrote almost 500 years ago about responding to pandemics. When Luther was confronted by questions about how to respond to The Black Death Plague, he responded in words that should serve to inform our approach to the pandemic crisis our nation and the world is now facing today. In a letter to Rev. Dr. John Hess, found in Luther’s Works, Volume 43 p. 132, as “Whether one may flee from a Deadly Plague,” Luther writes:... Read more

John Haberle was an artist in the late 19th century who engaged in what was called ‘fool the eye’ art (or in French tromp l’oiel). The problem was, he rendered coins and bills so perfectly, that the U.S. government suspected him of counterfeiting money and asked him to stop producing such paintings! Here is one of his best ones….. Read more

Dictator is the third of Robert Harris’ three volumes in the Cicero trilogy. You can buy the volumes separately, but once you read one of them— you’re hooked, and you’ll want to read them all. Harris is a brilliant writer, much better than some of the others who write about ancient Rome, and there are some very good ones indeed— McCullough, Saylor, and the always fun volumes of Lindsey Davis. Harris tells the story of Cicero and the demise of... Read more

Here’s a very interesting article about Francis Collins, pandemics, COVID-19, Christian faith, and other things. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/interview-francis-collins-nih/608221/?utm_source=BioLogos+Primary&utm_campaign=98056ada34-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_12_30_04_19_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_17bb4843ae-98056ada34-419388193 Read more

Charles Wesley fighting the corona virus while writing another lyric for a hymn. Egged on by certain high ranking officials, various frustrated Americans have taken to the streets (and largely ignored rules about social distancing) to demand that the country’s businesses open back up so we can all sing ‘God bless our standard of living’ one more time. There are numerous problems with this whole approach, and my concern in this post is that many of these oblivious people are... Read more

BEN: On p. 248 you stress that Christian marriage is not a private relationship in which you have all your love concentrated and all your love needs met. As you say, Paul sees marriage as exhibit A of the larger relationship Christ has with his body, his bride, the church. “The primary location for love is not the nuclear family but the community of the church.” I agree, but this is not what most people mean by a family church... Read more