Is It the Church’s Mission to Do Social Work?

Last updated on: September 11, 2024 at 6:19 pm By Gregory T. Smith

Should your church offer resources for mental & sexual health, & addiction recovery? I respond to objections to the Church doing social work. Harm Reduction Two recent articles I wrote about harm reduction generated an interesting comment. What is harm reduction? In my article, “Substance Use Harm Reduction: What Would Jesus Do?” I define harm reduction as “mitigating potential harms caused by risky behaviors.” HealthLink BC explains it further: Harm reduction is a public health approach to substance use (including... Read more

Trumpsters’ Trauma Response: Fight, Flight, Freeze, & Fawn

Last updated on: September 2, 2024 at 7:29 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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You’ve heard of the fight, flight, freeze, and fawn fear responses. Trump supporters demonstrate each of these. But what are they afraid of? It’s easy for liberals to become frustrated with conservatives. Especially when that conservatism turns to White Christian Nationalism and Trumpism. While you may disagree with their politics, it’s important to recognize that anger is fear turned outward. At its core, Trumpism utilizes fear as its greatest tool. Trump followers show signs of the fight, flight, freeze,... Read more

What is the Prayer of the Weaned Child?

Last updated on: September 15, 2024 at 7:56 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Shootings, elections, wars, and other unrest can lead to anxiety and fear. The Prayer of the Weaned Child can help you find peace. Many people I work with struggle with restless hearts and anxious minds. At times, we can collaborate and solve problems together. But on other occasions, those difficulties are more than we can solve. In those cases, what they need more than answers is peace. If I were a doctor, I could prescribe medication. But as a behavioral... Read more

Jesus, Lao Tzu, and the Holy Trinity of the Unfathomable

Last updated on: September 8, 2024 at 8:17 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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It’s hard to trust in what you can’t see, hear, or grasp. Jesus and Lao Tzu demonstrate confidence in the divine mystery. Jesus and Lao Tzu knew that people want to rely on sure things. They also knew that the divine mystery isn’t exactly a sure thing to most people. The author of the New Testament’s book of Hebrews says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” How can you be... Read more

When God’s People Traumatize Each Other, Is There Any Hope?

Last updated on: August 30, 2024 at 12:45 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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God’s people have become experts at traumatizing one another. But two men I met after a trauma conference gave me hope for peace. I’m writing this from a hotel room in La Jolla, California. With a team from work, I have spent the past few days at IVAT’s 29th San Diego Summit on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma Over the Course of a Lifetime. I’ve just learned that Israel has moved its attacks beyond Gaza, to the West Bank. Because of... Read more

Overdose Awareness Day: How Can Your Church Save Lives?

Last updated on: September 6, 2024 at 8:25 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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August is Overdose Awareness Month, and August 31 is Overdose Awareness Day. How can your church end the stigma and save lives? Image by Лечение Наркомании from Pixabay I am uniquely qualified to write this article. Having pastored multiple churches over twenty-six years, I can appreciate the church’s aversion to addiction. Many devout Christians see addiction as sin. Now, in my second career as a behavioral health specialist, I work primarily with individuals experiencing homelessness. Many of these... Read more

Substance Use Harm Reduction: What Would Jesus Do?

Last updated on: September 6, 2024 at 8:26 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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During an opioid epidemic with so many dying of overdose, would Jesus promote harm reduction practices and products? As a professional harm reductionist, I regularly give out harm reduction products like fentanyl test strips, condoms, Narcan, and meth cookers. I counsel people about safer use techniques like using with a friend or smoking versus injecting. And, as a Christian, I’m okay with that. What is Harm Reduction? Simply put, harm reduction is mitigating potential harms caused by risky... Read more

What is Jesus’s Goldilocks Prayer?

Last updated on: August 23, 2024 at 2:01 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Jesus taught us how to pray like Goldilocks. It’s about seeking balance—not too hard or soft, hot or cold, but a life that’s just right. You might call the Lord’s Prayer Jesus’s “Goldilocks Prayer.” In the story of Goldilocks, the titular character tries out one chair and declares it too big. Then she tests another seat and finds it to be too small. Finally, she settles into a third and says it’s just right. Next, she tries some... Read more

Jesus & Lao Tzu: Success is as Dangerous as Failure

Last updated on: August 18, 2024 at 3:18 pm By Gregory T. Smith

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Sometimes you can be your own worst enemy. When you allow ego to get in the way, success can be as dangerous as failure. Jesus and Lao Tzu warn against the danger of letting ego run the show. But they don’t just give a warning—they also offer a solution. In the thirteenth verse of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu shows that selfless love overcomes the pitfalls of pride. Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, Verse 13 JH McDonald... Read more

Don’t Kill the Messenger: Lessons in Listening

Last updated on: August 11, 2024 at 11:38 am By Gregory T. Smith

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Those who bring the worst news into our lives can be our most valuable teachers. It’s important not to kill the messenger. We’ve all heard the expression, “Don’t kill the messenger.” Usually, you hear it from someone who is bringing you unwelcome news. They know you’ll be upset, and they don’t want you to take your anger out on them. Of course, this comes from a long tradition of kings doing just that—venting their frustration on couriers bearing difficult news.... Read more