September 25, 2015

I have rarely read a book that inspired so many different reactions, in such quick succession, as Heather King’s new memoir Stripped: At the Intersection of Cancer, Culture, and Christ. On one page, I would be nodding in recognition with gratitude for such skilled descriptions of what it feels like to confront our bodily frailties, and how powerfully the Christian faith speaks to our suffering. A few pages later, I would be annoyed by preachy diatribes against people who criticize... Read more

August 4, 2015

The way forward on abortion requires seeking common ground with those on a different side of abortion debates, and paying more attention to stories of individuals (realizing that such stories rarely conform to stereotypes) than to questionable "mentalities" that make it far too easy to categorize and then dismiss the valid concerns of those for whom these debates are far from hypothetical. Read more

August 3, 2015

We must believe that it's necessary to go on with small acts of daily care even as the world seems to spin out of control. Read more

July 29, 2015

First, a confession: When I saw the first post in my Facebook news feed from a pro-life friend expressing horror at undercover videos produced by the Center for Medical Progress, showing a Planned Parenthood executive blithely discussing the harvesting of fetal body parts over wine and salad, my initial response was to jump to defensive mode. I commented on my friend’s post, noting that the video was highly edited and was also edited in such a way to imply that... Read more

July 27, 2015

Yesterday marked 25 years since President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. Articles, blog posts, and Facebook statuses celebrated the landmark legislation, pointing out where progress has been made and where work still needs to be done. I was particularly moved by two things I came across yesterday. The first was a New York Times op ed by Ben Mattlin, who uses a wheelchair due to spinal muscular atrophy. Mattlin ponders the ADA’s successes, writing: Looking back, perhaps the... Read more

July 23, 2015

On the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), I'm sharing seven of my favorite and most widely read posts on disability. Read more

July 22, 2015

Which interpretation of Matthew 25 is more likely to inspire us to love our neighbor, to do justice, to walk humbly (emphasis on “humbly”) with our God? The interpretation that draws a line between those who have the right answer to how to live a righteous life and those who don’t, and reassures us that we are only responsible for radically loving those who have the right answer, as we do? Or the interpretation that says that every time we turn our face away from someone in desperate need, we are turning away from God? Read more

July 21, 2015

While our messy attachments to people, places and things sometimes complicate and distract, they also remind us of who we are and who God is, binding us to this wild, wonderful creation and the One who made it. The Christian faith invites us to practice a radical attachment to God's great gifts of our bodies, our relationships, the natural world, the places that we call home—to the stuff of life. Read more

July 18, 2015

I’ve been on a wonderful family vacation and recovering from the whirlwind end of the school year. I’ll be back to regular blog posting next week. In the meantime, I had the opportunity to report on this bizarre news story. Enjoy.  West Suburbia, Conn.—In a shocking revelation, Lila Dougherty, who for years successfully masqueraded as a working mother of three who volunteered in numerous capacities for local schools, churches, and community organizations, admitted that she has no children, no husband, no... Read more

June 16, 2015

I’m still a Christian because the Biblical story speaks to my deepest needs, longings, pleasures, and pains. I’m still a Christian because the Biblical story communicates a world view that makes sense to me. I’m still a Christian because the Biblical story affirms five core beliefs that I see at work in my life, in humankind, and in the world. Read more


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