My professional life exists at the intersection of creativity, God, and the church; which means my career has been made by trying to describe the indescribable. I work with words–whether with songs or prose–that are patently inadequate to the task I’ve been given. When I was young, I thought my job was to help people see God. Now I think my job is to help people let go of the God they mistakenly think they see. I cannot tell you... Read more
Is there anything more powerful in the world than forgiveness? Maybe the only thing that is nearly as powerful as forgiveness, is unforgiveness. Forgiveness releases incredible generative power into the world. Unforgiveness releases the power of enslavement and death. Forgiveness is another name for mercy: the forbearance of one’s right to punish another; to have vengeance. Unforgiveness is the pressing of those rights … to hold to an offense, and so to achieve retribution. Often, forgiveness isn’t really fair or just, but... Read more
We live in a time of massive disorientation: the loss of unifying narratives, loss of faith in institutions, a renegotiation around truth (what is true and who decides), a clash between the religious nationalism of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, and a host of new technologies that are transforming virtually all of our relationships in a short time. We’re going on decades of this kind of disorientation building up steam within our culture. Most people react to the disorientation in one... Read more
“And the moon is a sliver of silver, like a shaving that fell on the floor of a Carpenter’s shop; and every house must have it’s builder; and I awoke in the house of God.” – Rich Mullins This has to be one of the near perfect opening lines to a song I’ve ever heard. He was right about the moon, and about the fact that we all just woke up here one day, in the house of God, in... Read more
“So, I refuse to rage with our nation. I will get on with the hard work of loving my neighbor, loving my enemy, loving the poor and marginalized. I will not hate these poor, pathetic, and powerful white men. Their world is passing away. I will not hate my friends and family and neighbors who continue to be deceived. I will only pray for them and continue to pursue love. At least that’s what I’m going to try and do.... Read more
When I listen to Rich Mullins’ music (and I still listen), he makes me want to go camping. It’s weird, I know, but it always seems like I could more easily imagine the world he imagined if I were off in the woods somewhere … and I really want to imagine the world that he imagined. During his concerts Rich used to joke that his fans really think he lived on the edge of rivers lighting campfires (the cover of... Read more
Walter Brueggemann knows a thing or two about Sabbath keeping. As one of the preeminent Old Testament scholars of the last 50 years, he’s forgotten more about Sabbath, and how the practice functioned in the life of Israel, than I’ll ever know. I don’t think I could name a single biblical scholar who has had a more profound impact on my life than Walter Brueggemann. But I’ve always wondered: how was it that he became Walter Brueggemann? What’s the personal... Read more
One of my best friends has a hook-up for a free stay at a cabin in Colorado. So, the two of us trekked out here Sunday after church for a week’s stay in the mountains. Since then, I’ve been retreating on a hill overlooking the Great Sand Dunes just outside Mosca, CO. When I retreat – usually three times a year – it always feels like a pilgrimage; a quest for sacred time and sacred space. The drive out was... Read more
Corruption is what we call it when someone surrenders their integrity–their sense of wholeness and moral character, their basic humanity–for the sake of money, sex, or power. Corruption is a dehumanizing force that renders human beings less than fully human. Corruption is the basic failure to keep faith with the human family by abusing one’s privilege, power, or position for personal gain — all at the cost of the group. That’s the overarching reason corruption matters. There are more: Corruption... Read more
I have been wondering lately about how things are going to go down in our society. When I see how divided we are, how much hatred is passed between fellow human beings, it can be easy to despair. I wear the feeling like a weight on my chest. Last night I saw this video clip taken by CNN reporter Jim Acosta at the Trump Rally in Florida. People filed by his position flipping him the bird, yelling, F-you! You... Read more
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