In the powerful movie Lincoln, there is a scene in which the president and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton join other colleagues to discuss war strategies. Suddenly, Lincoln starts recalling a folksy story from his days as an Illinois lawyer,…
Three stories from Jesus about the danger of hierarchy and gratitude
Remember the parable where Jesus warned against thankfulness in corporate worship? It’s a well-known parable in Luke 18, the first in a trilogy of scenes that question our assumptions about status and blessing in relationship with others. In the third…
The myth of the Good Shepherd
“The Good Shepherd” is a mosaic dating back to 425 AD that sits over the entrance to the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy. I have often wondered what Christianity would look like if the parables of Jesus found…
The kingdom of heaven is like the opening ceremony of the Olympics
One of Jesus’ most common didactic formulas was the phrase “the kingdom of God is like … .” Jesus told stories or parables of common illustrations that related to the experiences of his hearers and have served as timeless word…
A Holy Week reflection on justice and the Cross
On Palm Sunday in my Bible study class at First Baptist Church of Decatur, Ga., I was slated to teach this parable of Jesus. It is one of my favorites. Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to…
Let’s stop appealing to Magic Jesus and get busy doing Jesus’ work
I don’t believe in Magic Jesus. If I go lie down on the interstate and pray to Jesus for protection, even if we pray a hedge of protection around myself, even if I name it and claim it, no divine…
The U.S. Postal Service is near bankruptcy: why Christians should care
The parable of “The Friend at Midnight” offers insight into the importance of a postal service now under threat. People of faith should weigh in on this important political and moral issue.
Reflections of Easter
I sit in expectation of the horror of good Friday and in hopeful expectation of the work of Easter Sunday. This time of year is always the most contemplative for me, perhaps because it offers the fullest range of emotion…
The hardest job in the world
A pastor has one of the hardest jobs in the world. When I was a pastor, I was not willing to say that sentence. It seemed self-serving and whiny. I heard other people say how hard a pastor’s work is,…