Coffee and Crucifix
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons SPOILER WARNING!!! If you haven’t already seen the film, stop reading right now and go watch it! Otherwise, read at your own discretion… (more…) Read more
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons SPOILER WARNING!!! If you haven’t already seen the film, stop reading right now and go watch it! Otherwise, read at your own discretion… (more…) Read more
Photo credit: pixabay.com “For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs.” – 1 Timothy 6:10 RSV I have very fond memories of wandering down the aisles of Christian bookstores. When I was in high school I used to head uptown and browse through the shelves of music and books during my lunch break. But as much as... Read more
Photo credit: pixabay.com **CONTENT WARNING: COARSE LANGUAGE** In what seems to be an online era of political reform and social justice, the use of language and symbolism is as powerful of a tool to build bridges as it is a means to wreak havoc. For example, the word ‘tranny‘ was originally a slang term for a vehicle’s transmission, but evolved to become a derogatory term for a transvestite or someone who suffers gender dysphoria. If one were to open a... Read more
As a teenager who had been raised Catholic, what first drew me to Evangelicalism was how laid back it seemed. Especially with the contemporary worship music and how the youth pastors prayed to Jesus like talking to a longtime BFF. These non-traditional approaches to Christian worship seemed directly in contrast to the so-called vain repetition of traditional liturgy. What also drew me to Evangelicalism was how they seemingly removed the ‘religious’ aspect from Christianity and made Jesus a more relatable... Read more
There’s an area in my city called Church Street where there are at least ten different church denominations within a span of five city blocks. What’s encouraging to know is all these denominations seem to work alongside each other in helping the homeless and at-risk individuals in the city’s downtown core. A willingness to work together to improve the quality of life of the marginalized and less fortunate is definitely a sign of a strong community. My impression is it seems these... Read more
Image credit: Flickr SPOILER WARNING!!! If you haven’t already seen the film, stop reading right now and go watch it! Otherwise, read at your own discretion… (more…) Read more
Photo credit: freeimages.com At seventeen years old, I took the dramatic step that almost every new Christian makes by accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I can honestly say experiencing the love and grace of God for the first time is difficult to describe in words, but the best I can do is to say it was emotional, exhilarating and relieving as though a massive weight was lifted from my heart. I’m sure my raging teenage hormones played a... Read more
Image credit: Flickr I remember when I was around 10 years old, my friends and I walked around town during recess one time. One of my buddies at the time led the group to a small culvert along the railway tracks where he hid a Playboy magazine to show everyone. Clearly this wasn’t the first time the guys had been sneaking away porno mags from their older siblings. As the only firstborn in the group, it was obvious to them... Read more
On September 11, 2001, I remember when I was about to catch the bus to school, and the television was on when I had heard the breaking news for the first time. It had been recently announced that one of the towers of the World Trade Center was struck by a passenger aircraft. My parents and I were confused about what was really going on. Did the pilot lose control over the plane? How does something like this happen? By... Read more
Photo credit: Alpha Stock Images “If anyone can refute me—show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective—I’ll gladly change. It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.” – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations VI: 21 In my adolescence, I used to question my reality on a regular basis. I often wondered if what I perceived with my own vision, hearing and touch was... Read more
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