“Each and every sin in its own unique way is a denial of what is real.” — Fr. Terrance Klein In my last post, I began to explore the ethics of truth as one finds this theme in the New Testament….
SBC will come to regret the seminary presidents’ statement on race
Disappointment. This is the only word that stuck with me as I read and re-read the recent statement from the six Southern Baptist seminary presidents rejecting Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality. On the one hand, I guess I shouldn’t have…
10 reasons we are giving a little extra to the church this year
Every year, my wife and I give a few gifts at the end of the year to nonprofits, mission centers and ministry groups with whom we have a close connection. And although we give regularly to our church throughout the…
Look for some stained glass light for the new year
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind,” wrote C.S. Lewis, long before 2020. At a time of reflection, the world is desperately seeking hope for its crushed spirits, and longing for light to find new…
Ted Lasso is the antidote for everything that’s wrong with America
At year end, as always, I am reflecting on the books, movies, music and TV that shaped me. During the week that my wife, Jeanie, and I finished watching the acclaimed 2020 Apple TV series Ted Lasso, thousands of Americans…
Dear Oscar Johnson, I’m sorry I betrayed you
Oscar, you might not remember me. It’s been many years — 1964 to 1965, to be exact. But I cannot forget you or the time I betrayed you, not meaning to in any way. Yet I did exactly that, and…
Make new paths in the new year
Outside the library at St. John’s Abbey and College is a sign on the green lawn that’s not the expected “Don’t Walk on the Grass” but instead, “Don’t Make Paths.” As long as you don’t beat the grass into paths…
Carpe Diem: Seize the day before it’s too late
As is my custom, I poured my first cup of coffee and sat down in my favorite chair to check my emails and my friends’ activities on Facebook and Instagram before settling in with the morning news. To my shock,…
Is your kind of Christianity divine or human?
The American church today needs to distinguish between what is from God and what is human and historically conditioned. We could do this by observing how people do the will of God. Matthew 7:20-21 offers a simple biblical solution —…
The best way to finish this dreadful year is with lavish generosity
Thirty-six years ago this month, I learned a lesson in generosity that inspires me to this day. I was 23 years old, had just completed a bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of New Mexico and was heading to…
Truth Decay: Walking in the truth
“I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” — 3 John 4 With this post, we make our first turn to truth as a moral issue. We will not begin with…
Hope for a new year out of the historical disunity of our United States
It’s not about Donald Trump. Nor did our current dis-unity start with him. In his excellent book, American Nations, Colin Woodard shares helpful insights into what lies at the heart of much of our current public discontent: We began this…