“The most significant challenge before us is to recapture in our own particular contexts the radicalness of Jesus’ teaching on children. Children are not only subordinate but sharers with adults in the life of faith; they are not only to be formed but to be imitated; they are not only ignorant but capable of receiving spiritual insight; they are not ‘just’ children but representatives of Christ. What makes that challenge so difficult is that it would entail changing not only... Read more
“God loves you and has a perfect plan for your life.” This was the alluring evangelical promise dangled before my generation. It is appealing, especially for a child, who enjoys the anticipation of a life not-yet-lived. It almost sounds like “God loves you and you will have a perfect life.” Someone, somewhere along the evangelical establishment, forgot the memo, p.s. there is no such thing. The sentiment is solid. The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news after all. We... Read more
“It’s really cool how all of a sudden there’s all of these black movies and stuff out now,” my 13 year old said to me recently. I didn’t really know how to respond. That’s not exactly what I wanted him to learn from our modified viewing habits. But I knew what he meant. It was Black History Month, and we were taking in new items of pop culture, and had been for awhile – The Black Panthers documentary, the... Read more
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. (Matt: 19:14) As followers of Christ it’s clear that Jesus wants us to create environments that are welcoming, accepting, and safe for children. But while we may agree with this sentiment theologically, it’s much harder to do on a practical level. Christ-followers should pursue this ideal no matter how absurd or illogical it may seem,... Read more
The Lord accepted Abel and his gift. But he did not accept Cain and his offering. Cain was sad because of this, and he became very angry. The Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry? Why does your face look sad? You know that if you do what is right, I will accept you. But if you don’t, sin is ready to attack you. That sin will want to control you, but you must control it.” Cain said to his... Read more
“I have Jesus in my heart. Do you?” My three-year-old daughter Georgie and a friend had been making a den of play-dough snakes when her friend blurted the question. I whipped my head around to watch the exchange–I’d never seen a toddler evangelize to another toddler. Georgie looked up and twisted her face in confusion. “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?” she shouted. I was waiting for her friend to launch into a dissertation of the Romans Road, but instead she... Read more
I was a morbidly fearful child. I was also a highly literate child, having learned to read before school years. My mother tongue is Mandarin, and the storybooks I consumed were Chinese folk stories. Some of them were harmless tales of developing moral character, but many recounted ancient Chinese myths of hell. In Chinese folk religion, hell consisted of eighteen levels, each containing a specific type of torture reserved for corresponding sins. It is not a stretch to say that... Read more
*Spoiler Warning* To really discuss the movie, there’s going to be an assumption that you’ve seen it, or don’t mind knowing what it’s about. I saw the movie on Monday and knew the plot and the ultimate villain going in, but that did nothing to reduce my enjoyment of the movie and story. So, read on, or go see the movie and then come back to read and discuss! ***** We were crouching under the big picture window in our... Read more
What does it mean to raise children in a “Christian way?” For generations, it’s been assumed that factors such as going to church, being baptized, reading scripture, praying, and other religious traits were prominent signs of Christian parenting while not doing these things were considered “secular.” The religious practices of parents and their children certainly reflect various values and beliefs, but at the core of parenting, both secular and faith-based parents have deeply shared similarities, and regardless of spiritual beliefs,... Read more
Tamar was wearing a long robe with many colors. The king’s virgin daughters wore robes like this. Tamar tore her robe of many colors and put ashes on her head. Then she put her hand on her head and began crying. Then Tamar’s brother Absalom said to her, “Have you been with your brother Amnon? Did he hurt you? Now, calm down sister. Amnon is your brother, so we will take care of this. Don’t let it upset you too... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In