When it comes to Israel, Gaza, Russia, and Iran many Christians are decidedly in favor of Israel. There is a sense in which this is fine. After all, Christians’ support for Israelis could be considered an example of loving our neighbor. In my last post, I laid a foundation arguing that the mission of God’s people is to make Christ known and that we do so by loving our enemies with a Christlike, self-denying, cross-bearing love. My question is, “Why... Read more
We need to push the envelope. So here goes. Amidst the noise of global conflicts and geopolitical strife, one resounding question reverberates: Where does our allegiance truly lie as Christians? Many Christians proclaim a love for Israel as God’s chosen people. I wonder if we have conflated the love for a people with the love for a nation. I’ll come back to this point in my next post. Yet, amidst the tumult of Gaza and Israel, and now Iran and... Read more
The title might be confusing but it makes sense. What happens when injustice is viewed in such a way that it isn’t considered an injustice? And what are we to do when what is deemed “justice” is actually “injustice”? I dare say, “Houston, we have a problem.” As the church, we are called to cry out against injustice. We are to weep with those who suffer injustices. We are to condemn those who commit injustice. And we are to demand... Read more
I really enjoyed listening to Mike Cosper’s (Christianity Today) podcast series, “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill.” I appreciated the way he handled the discussions related to Mark Driscoll’s misconduct at Mars Hill. Cosper’s approach had a pastoral touch, almost as though he understood the experiences of individuals like myself, who have been hurt by mega churches. For this, I am deeply grateful. However, I have recently begun to lose confidence in Christianity Today. Following the tragic events of... Read more
Do you let your shower run until the water is hot—sometimes too long? How much of your monthly income is spent on water? I bet most Americans would have to think for a few minutes before they could answer these questions. What if you spent 33% of your income on water? And even then you didn’t have enough? Would you suddenly think about how often you shower and how long your showers might last? What if I were to say... Read more
“I’m scared. I swear, I’m scared. I just want to leave.” These are the tear-filled words of a child walking away from the rubble in Gaza. Another viral YouTube video shows a child climbing an electrical pole. When the father asks what he is doing up there, the boy responds, “I want to die.” I posted on my Facebook page a few days ago a brief video of two young children (ages 2-3?) sitting in a hospital room in Gaza.... Read more
Let me make this clear: War is bad! If you need proof, please read this article titled, “People are hoping that Israel nukes us so we can get rid of this pain” (if you don’t need proof, read the article anyway). Now, I am amazed that as soon as I make such an assertion, I have to immediately follow it up with something like, “No, I am not a pacifist.” And “Yes, I believe that self-defense and defending the oppressed... Read more
This week Determinetruth will begin a series of livestream events over the next 8 months to discuss the Church and politics. In this series, we will address a wide variety of issues. My conviction is that Jesus’ kingdom radically undermines the whole system. Yep, Jesus was neither a Democrat nor a Republican. Now, I am confident that I could say this in most churches or Christian communities and find little/no objections. The irony is that most American Christians’ understanding of... Read more
In the past few weeks, we have seen two worlds collide. And I’m not sure that most people noticed. Ironically, they both took place in Russia. Now, I must preface this post by reminding us that despite our most noble intentions our thoughts and opinions are not as objective as we would like to think. Consequently, our convictions regarding these two worlds are colored by a variety of factors. What I hope to do, within my limited capacities, is to... Read more
Several years ago, I was in the home of Roni Keidar. Roni is an Israeli who lives less than one mile from the border of Gaza. As we indulged in Roni’s hospitality, we sat in her living room and listened. NB: See this YouTube video made by Roni a few weeks ago. Roni spoke of her experiences living so close to Gaza. She noted that rockets fired from Gaza had landed in her front yard. She told us that on... Read more
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