Christianity consistently teaches us that God’s justice is both proportional and merciful. “I the LORD search the mind and try the heart, to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jer. 17:10 RSV). This means, if we are to follow God, we must be fair to others. “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight” (Prov. 11:1 RSV). Similarly, we are to be merciful... Read more
Paul tells us that the Gospel of Christ is not man-made because it is God’s revelation to us. Yes, it comes to us in a form that allows us to apprehend it and discuss it with human conventions, but the truth itself, the Gospel itself, transcends those conventions. Paul did not always know this. He had to learn it like we all do. Indeed, he resisted it until he came face to face with Christ, and then, in that encounter,... Read more
Christ is born! Glorify him! Glorify him in the manger, where he lay, weak and powerless, waiting for us to come to him and nurture him with our love. Look at him, the incarnate God-man having taken on the human condition, indeed, having become a new-born infant, needing us to take care of him! Look at him having become one of us, sharing with us our needs, and in doing so, see him, the one who is God, in solidarity... Read more
Reading through various spiritual texts, such as those of ascetics like the Desert Fathers and Mothers, we are told about the gift of tears. Sometimes, someone would have such an emotional reaction during a liturgical celebration and tears will flow from their eyes. At other times, tears will emerge during some private devotion. Spiritual writings confirm that such tears should be seen as a gift, and as such, we should not try to stop them when they we have them.... Read more
Reading Jordan Duffner’s Finding Jesus Among Muslims made me think it might be interesting and worthwhile for me to look back and explore my thoughts and experiences with a variety of religious traditions. I decided that I write reflections upon how my encounters with people coming from a great variety of religions, and the studies I have done concerning those religions, exploring how they have influenced me, my faith, and my own theological speculations. This would follow and expand upon... Read more
We often find our faith is tested throughout our lives. We often have to ask ourselves what we should do in the situations we find ourselves in. We will find our faith is often challenged, and how we deal with that challenge will show whether or not we are truly faithful. The great heroes of the faith are heroes because they lived out their faith, doing things which many, if not most of us, would not do. They took the... Read more
While the creation story of Genesis, and many other stories in the book are myth and legend, meaning, we do not need to take it as literal history, we still can believe that much within the book is inspired by historical events similar to the way Homer was inspired by real events. It is nearly impossible for us to separate the historical kernel from the myth, which is why there are all kinds of debates concerning what is historical and... Read more
Materially speaking, Scripture says we come from the dust of the earth. Our bodies, our being, is connected to the earth and what happens to it. Indeed, it is possible to suggest that, in a way, the earth is our mother: The earth is table, homeland, nourisher and mother of all alike, and city and cemetery for all alike: our bodies come from it, nourishment for our bodies come from that source, our dwelling and daily life is in it,... Read more
I really should not be surprised with the responses I get when I write on social justice. While I expect some push back, what surprises me is the low-quality responses I get from many Christians. I often write on what is happening in the world today, especially in the United States with President Trump, indicating how I find much which is happening stands against the notions of justice I was given when growing up. My father was a law professor... Read more
Christ is constantly calling us, pleading for us to come and follow after him. He wants us to experience his glory, a glory which he is willing to share with us. To receive it, we must be open and receptive to it. He teaches us, telling us what we should do, so that we can find ourselves experiencing the kingdom of God. While many, if not most of us, say we want that, we want it on our own terms,... Read more
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