This week I had an interesting conversation with a friend as we hiked together. As I mentioned in my other article, I seem to be more of a political centrist, pulled between my majority Republican Evangelical faith community and my perusal of what “Biblical justice” actually is. This friend takes a hard left in the government policies she supports and liberal perspectives on social justice. We get along great. We still have so much in common. But what if we... Read more
I’ve been grieving that Donald Trump won after this last presidential election. This feeling is common for most of the people who didn’t vote for Trump’s administration. What I’ve found interesting, though, is that despite Christians who are thrilled, significant numbers of followers of Jesus who did vote for Trump also feel unsettled and aren’t celebrating. Why are there still so many Christians across the board who feel somber about Donald Trump’s reelection? What does that show us about our... Read more
Changemakers love to give. They give of their money, their time, and of their other resources. We take Jesus seriously when he tells us we are blessed when we give. But sometimes we forget that receiving is just as important of a blessing for us, too. The day was San Diego bright and cheerful as I pulled into a local coffee shop for a couple hours to work. To my surprise, the shop had expanded greatly since I had last... Read more
We are called to do something different than digging our feet in the sand when people have different opinions than we do. We have one tool at our disposal that God has gifted us with that impacts our relationships. So others can see a path towards peace we must leverage curiosity like Jesus did. The Airshow Last week was the annual San Diego Airshow. The Blue Angels zoomed over our house daily, artillery banged in the distance, and helicopters flew... Read more
Have you ever had to complete an employee mandated job training that taught you how to navigate relationships or social issues? Although this type of training has been the brunt of many employee complaints, they might actually be doing a decent job creating a world that better reflects the Kingdom of God. Here’s why. My Mandated Employee Training Recently I was required to complete a set of job training for a part time teaching position I have with my local... Read more
Every Christian leader I’ve learned from has eventually taught about spiritual maturity. Although the formation of doctrine is a vital part of our growing faith, church leaders rarely value the formation of Christian theology on social justice, despite the fact we live within the world, and among its people and systems. How, then, do we form a mature Christian view of social justice? Note: In this article I will be using the term social justice to refer to the ideal... Read more
Although the topic of justice might appeal to some Christians, many others avoid engaging in anything with the term “social justice” connected to it. In fact, especially in the evangelical circles I’ve spent most of my life in, these terms have been pitted against each other: Biblical justice vs. social justice, as if one is other righteous and holy while the other is inherently bad. If we want Christians to engage in the work of justice, we need to address... Read more
Why do we talk about the flourishing of all people and things when we talk about justice? As this column is called “Flourishing Faith and Justice” it seems relevant to share why we use the term flourishing and what it has to do with the Hebrew word, shalom. A Flourishing Garden As I frequently do during the first part of our prayer gathering, I had snuck off into another room of the building to write in my journal. After a... Read more
Annually, my family and I go on a road trip that we call a “Kindness Quest,” where we make our vacation kind. Even though kindness and justice aren’t typically perceived as being in the same wheelhouse, spending day-after-day practicing intentional acts of kindness has made me consider the overlap between these two values. Is it possible that kindness and justice are the same thing? The Kindness Quest On the Kindness Quest I teach my kids about loving others and how... Read more
It was a typical sunny Southern California day, but the full-leafed trees in various hues of vibrant green shaded the path along the stream. Although it was actually a horse trail, I didn’t see any of the majestic beasts as I shared with my hiking partner about my current writing projects. Flourishing Faith and Justice here at Patheos was one of these. That was when she asked the question that I knew would become the thesis of this column: “Elisa,... Read more
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