Life is permeated with suffering. This is not to say we have no joy, no happiness in our lives, for we certainly do. But it is important to remember that along with all the good, along with all the things which help make life worthwhile, we experience all the bad things of life. We get sick. Relationships break down. Loved ones die in front of us. Even if such things happen outside our control, much of what we suffer comes,... Read more
The COVID19 pandemic has required us to reconsider the way we live in the world and how we interact with each other. We have learned that we cannot just think about ourselves, but rather, what we do can and will affect others. If we do not take precautions, such as getting a COVID19 vaccine, wear masks and socially distance ourselves, we not only find ourselves more likely to become infected with COVID19, we also risk infecting others through our carelessness.... Read more
Justice is important. God desires us to seek after and promote it. Those who promote the dictates of justice, do God’s work. However, what we promote is not proper if all we seek after is legalistic forms of justice which know nothing of mercy and grace. Thus, those who act justly, those who promote social reforms and the restitution needed to reestablish justice in a society which has abandoned it, find that mercy is necessary for those reforms to be... Read more
Judas was an Apostle. He walked with Jesus. He listened to Jesus. He saw Jesus perform miracles. Indeed, he was sent out to the people of Israel as a preacher who proclaimed the coming of the kingdom of God and revealed the reality of that kingdom by performing miracles: These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.... Read more
Due to our own mental disposition and biases, we find ourselves subtly, or not so subtly, misunderstanding who Jesus is. This is because we try to classify him in accordance to our own limited understanding of reality. Certainly, this is not an issue for ourselves alone. It is a common problem. Thus, Scripture tells us a time when Jesus, before his death and resurrection, was thought of being a ghost: And in the fourth watch of the night he came... Read more
If you are going to make a argument as to why you should do or not do something based upon religious liberty, you should make sure your religion obligates you to do as you claim. If it does not, then it is not truly an issue of religious liberty and you are abusing religion and religious liberty for the sake of personal preference. This is especially problematic, and immoral, if you are promoting some agenda which can and will harm... Read more
The Sabbath is made for us; we were not made for the Sabbath (cf. Mk. 2:27). The Sabbath, in all of its forms, was established so that we can rest. It was never meant to be used to prevent us from doing what was necessary to survive. Our rest makes sure we do not burn out from excessive labor. When we are exhausted, rest helps us regain our energy, and when it is replenished, we find our emotional well-being is... Read more
When we are told that humanity is made in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen. 1:27; Wis. 2:23), we should not think that this means only humanity is made in the image and likeness of God. To think this is an exclusive claim is a mistake so many make. Granted, it is not heresy to think this, and so Christians can believe this if they wish, but they would be wrong to do so. Everything was made, in... Read more
We find the incarnation is at the heart of the Christian faith. We are taught that God, the creator of all things, took on human nature and became one of us. God did this, not only to save us, but to deify us. We are called to be partakers of the divine nature. The incarnation is a great mystery. When we reflect upon it, all kinds of paradoxes develop, not because the incarnation is false, but because it transcends what... Read more
The COVID19 pandemic is not over. We might have had some victories thanks to the development of vaccines and diligent social distancing, but we must not treat such successes as meaning the virus is no longer a threat. Yes, we got some relief, we got a little respite, but now we must look at what is happening and accept the fact that COVID19 is once again surging around the around the world. Forty six states in the United States experiencing... Read more
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