He searched for a safe house in Tyre with a door that would actually stay shut. In that moment of his life, Jesus was a man hunted by his own fame. He sought the silence of a foreign shore because the miles behind him were paved with the relentless noise of the crowds. His body was heavy with the need for sleep, and his mind swarmed with pleading voices that refused to soften. He crossed into the heat and dust... Read more
Tragedy Is Not a Test The sinking of the RMS Titanic was not a failure of preparation. Preparation simply reached its natural limit and proved powerless to stop the ship from sinking. The Titanic carried the full weight of modern assurance: protocols, expertise, systems designed to anticipate what had never happened before. And none of that mattered. Over two thousand people went into the cold North Atlantic Ocean without warning and without a choice, not because something went wrong, but... Read more
A Theology of Trauma, Grace, and Brokenness Whenever Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” begins playing, I don’t listen for comfort or enjoyment. The song returns to me as a searchlight, illuminating who I am and who I was before I had the words to name the dark. As it opens, something inside me fractures with it. In the autonomic spaces that exist beyond belief, language, or pity, memories surge forth: empty pews, obtuse classrooms, hallways of abuse, promises broken and kept, the... Read more
Called by Name What if a closer look at the gospel story of Zacchaeus revealed a hidden connection—one that reshapes our understanding of how Jesus sought outcasts to restore justice in a world plagued by arrogance and corruption? Jesus’s personal identification of Zacchaeus was not only a radical act of love but may also signal an association that, until now, has escaped the notice of scholars and theologians. By reexamining Zacchaeus’s narrative alongside Jesus’s parable of the tax collector and... Read more
I’m leaving the only denomination I’ve ever known. And though I’m positive I will connect with another church network, I refuse to be a part of a church that prioritizes institutional goals over loving others and making Christlike disciples. I’m done with the institutional church. I realize that this does not make me particularly unique, and that is precisely my point: there are quite a few of us—even clergy—who have broken up with the church, and we are never ever... Read more
Faith on Film is a monthly feature published the last Sunday every month. If movies were meals, Defending Your Life has enough familiar ingredients to satisfy the palette of just about anyone craving comfort food. This is a high concept film that is so farcical, every scene is filled with hilarious observations. Of course, this is no mistake: the genius of actor/director/writer Albert Brooks lies not merely in comedic timing or context, but something that’s increasingly rare in cinema these... Read more
To see the love of God tangibly in the unselfish actions and motives of churches is undoubtedly something marvelous. Previously, I have lamented in this column how many institutional churches focus their resources first on their own interests before the needs of their community. Unfortunately, this is the prolific reality myself and others have observed first hand too often in virtually every area of the United States and in every Christian denomination. But there are exceptions. And it is too... Read more
There is an exchange found in more than one gospel that in recent decades some have claimed depicts Jesus affirming same-sex intimacy. Without a doubt, many churches are divided on LGBTQ+ affirmation, and because of that, the queer community has been unfairly condemned by those who claim to love others with the love of Jesus. Could an honest examination of this story and Jesus’s words serve to lovingly inform the minds and hearts of those who have struggled and failed... Read more
Theologians Thomas Jay Oord and Tripp Fuller have just released a new book titled God After Deconstruction that offers hope and healing for anyone who has grappled with faith in the face of tragedy, or those who have questions about what they believe. As part of my in-depth review of God After Deconstruction, I had the opportunity to interview co-author Thomas Jay Oord. In our Q&A, Tom provides valuable insights into why a rising number of individuals are deconstructing their... Read more
Faith on Film is a monthly feature published the last Sunday every month. Though This Property Is Condemned is an often overlooked footnote in the highly successful careers of its cast and crew, it deserves appreciation not merely for its artistic merit, but its power to absorb and outrage. Today, though there are differences between our world and the reality presented by the film, its story has unique parallels with how our faith is understood and managed by the institutional... Read more
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