Christian & Pagan Holidays: Beltane & May Day

Last updated on: April 29, 2024 at 2:48 pm By Gregory T. Smith

I remember May Day celebrations as a child—a festooned pole in the schoolyard, with children dancing around it. How did this get started? As Christianity expanded from the Roman Empire into Celtic lands, it encountered religious practices it did not understand. This earth-based spirituality predated Roman Catholicism by hundreds, if not thousands, of years. When missionaries strategized to convert the “heathen” inhabitants, they determined the best way was to adopt and adapt indigenous practices into the Church. This series, “Christian... Read more

Pain is Inevitable; Suffering is Optional

Last updated on: April 26, 2024 at 7:08 am By Gregory T. Smith

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“Pain is inevitable,” said a friend in A.A., “but suffering is optional.” Pain is sensation. Suffering is your attitude towards pain. I work with people who struggle with addiction. I have family and friends in recovery. So, I’ve learned that many of the slogans I took for granted come from twelve-step programs. “One day at a time.” “Easy does it.” “Live and let live.” “First things first.” But this new one haunted me… “Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.” ... Read more

Jesus and Lao Tzu: Does God Take Sides?

Last updated on: April 26, 2024 at 9:06 am By Gregory T. Smith

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While armies rage, news platforms and influencers draw battle lines. But does God take sides? Here’s what Jesus and Lao Tzu say… Everyone likes to believe that God is on their side. In any conflict, faithful people in both camps claim that theirs is the side of right and righteousness. But Jesus and Lao Tzu agree—God (Chinese philosophy’s Tao, or “The Way”) does not take sides. In verse five of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu writes: Tao Te... Read more

It’s a Small World—We’re More Connected Than We Know

Last updated on: April 14, 2024 at 5:59 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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The worst song in the world is “It’s a Small World After All.” Yet, as horrible as the song is, the sentiment is true. We’re all connected. “It’s a small world.” We all say it when we bump into someone and discover a coincidental connection. However, that phrase is mildly triggering for me. When I was a kid, my family vacationed at Disney World. We had a fantastic time—except on the Small World ride. Something on the track malfunctioned, and... Read more

Jesus and Lao Tzu Practice Do-Nothing Leadership

Last updated on: May 26, 2024 at 3:40 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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If Jesus and Lao Tzu endorsed a candidate, they would be humble, kind, and without rapacity. Someone who leads by doing nothing at all. Jesus and Lao Tzu’s leadership style looks quite different from the power-hungry brand that the world values. Religious, political, business, social, and other kinds of front-runners would do well to follow the leadership style of these two masters of the Way of humility. Tao Te Ching, Verse 3, J.H. McDonald Translation If you overly... Read more

What’s in a Name? Deadnaming, Misgendering & Other Rudeness

Last updated on: March 23, 2024 at 8:02 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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What should you do when your coworker or loved one asks you to call them by a new name or gender? Is there a proper Christian response? The sweet old lady whom I called Grandma had known me for over twenty years. Again, she called me by the wrong name, as she had done for decades. When I corrected her, she answered the same way she’d done every time: “My goodness, honey—I know your name is Greg, but I... Read more

Jesus & Lao Tzu’s Judgement-Free Zone

Last updated on: April 9, 2024 at 6:30 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Ever gone to a gym or school that declared itself a “Judgment-Free Zone?” Jesus and Lao Tzu call this therapeutic space “Wu-Wei.” The Tao Te Ching begins its second verse with a few short lines cautioning the reader not to judge. The world is not divided into dualistic categories like beautiful and ugly, good and bad, being and non-being, difficult and easy, long and short, high and low, before and after. In fact, the spiritual person recognizes that these are... Read more

Is the Biblical Canon a Dangerous Weapon?

Last updated on: March 24, 2024 at 7:19 am By Gregory T. Smith

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A weaponized Bible is a dangerous thing. The biblical canon is a weapon of mass carnage, lopping heads and cutting people off at the knees. The Church has ordained its biblical canon as ordnance throughout its history, leaving bloody corpses and lost souls in its wake. In the guise of “spiritual warfare,” Christians commit spiritual abuse when they use the Bible to beat people up. Presuming that God authored a book called The Holy Bible, they instruct people how they... Read more

Is God Really Knowable? Here’s What Jesus and Lao Tzu Say…

Last updated on: April 21, 2024 at 7:19 am By Gregory T. Smith

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How do you describe Ultimate Reality? Judaism called it YHWH. Jesus translated this as “Ego Eimi.” Lao Tzu called it the Tao, or “The Way.” Christians often view God incorrectly as an old grandfather in the sky. It’s no wonder—throughout Church history, artists depicted God in this way. When pressed, believers often admit that God is ultimately indescribable. But an indescribable God is hard to wrap your head around. Jews, Christians, and Taoists Jesus and the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu... Read more

Tipping Your Church’s Sacred Cows While Avoiding Cow Pies

Last updated on: March 24, 2024 at 7:19 am By Gregory T. Smith

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Cow tipping at church can be fun. Here’s how to tip sacred cows while avoiding the messy repercussions of stepping in cow pies. “Sacred cow” is a fascinating term appropriated from Hindu custom. If you travel to India, you will find places where cattle roam freely in the streets. Because many Hindus consider cows to be holy, of course, they abstain from eating beef. But in some places, cows wander at will, obstruct traffic, and leave their excrement everywhere. The... Read more