Justice and joy are intertwined, not unlike the link between joy and pain. To love is to suffer, as the mystics remind us. Deeply acquainted with the recesses of the human heart, C. S. Lewis wrote: “Joy is distinct not…
The light shines in the darkness
By Alan Bean This sermon was recently preached at a memorial service for those who have lost loved ones in the past calendar year. Before preaching, I sang an old country gospel song by Merle Travis, I am a Pilgrim…
Between heaven and hell
By Leroy Seat Americans remember Nov. 22, 1963, as the date of the assassination of President Kennedy. And the public media has widely publicized today’s 50th anniversary of that tragic event. Some Christians will remember that Nov. 22, 1963, was…
C.S. Lewis ‘claimed by everyone’
By Jeff Brumley C.S. Lewis did it during his lifetime and he’s continued to do it in the 50 years since his death on Nov. 22, 1963: inspire Christians from theologically diverse traditions through his theological and fictional work. Box…
Rejecting an ‘unexamined’ faith
By Molly T. Marshall I regularly read The Chronicle of Higher Education, which for over 40 years has offered news and commentary on issues that shape the varied practices of colleges and universities. It is sort of a form of…
Redefining what it means to be great
Pride is essentially competitive; it’s competitive by its very nature. We are not prideful because we are rich, clever, or good-looking. We are prideful because we think we are richer, clever-er, and better-looking. It’s the comparison that makes us proud….
Saying good-bye to old friends
OK, I will readily admit that I have too many books. My wife and I are both book lovers (bibliophiles, for those who desire a classier word). Our home is packed with books. We have passed this love onto children,…