Can Misunderstanding Be a Good Thing?
The spiritual universe is full of oddities. This one is odder than many. It begins with a Bible passage but can apply to ideas well beyond. While reading the Bible the other day (part of [...]
The Bible’s Hidden Gems: When God Collaborates With Us
An obscure verse from the Christian Bible has brought one of my longest-held beliefs into question. Ever since my days as an evangelical Christian 40 years ago, my working model of God’s will has remained [...]
5 Possibly Clear Truths in the COVID-19 Age
Have you had trouble thinking clearly in the midst of the pandemic? You and me both. Clarity seems scarce in a crisis, especially now, and the signal-to-noise ratio in the public square is pretty low. [...]
The Bible’s Hidden Gems (or, One Reason Why Change Is So Hard)
Last week I spent three mornings on one short Bible chapter—about meat offered to idols, no less (1 Corinthians 8*). Waste of time? Not so fast. Let’s take a look. In the evangelical circles of [...]
How Do We Live Through the Coming Disinformation War?
Note: This post is a bit more interactive than usual. At the end there are no answers or insights, just an exercise that may help you ponder this question more deeply, from a spiritual perspective. [...]
Lessons from Impeachment for My Deepest Self
I’ve learned a great deal in the past few weeks, much of it arising from the recently concluded impeachment trial of Donald Trump. You may find it useful, so here goes: I have discovered my [...]
The Bible’s Hidden Gems (or, Asking for Help in the Midst of Conflict)
I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in [...]
How Do You Respond When You Hear Something New?
Please receive her, and she will tell you some new things. Let her tell her story without interrupting her, and give close attention, and you will see she has got the lever of truth, that [...]
The Purposeless-Driven Life
A few months ago, I told my spiritual director I couldn’t see any clear purpose to my life. He responded with “Who says life has to have a purpose?” Well. Ever since my writing took [...]
The Bible’s Hidden Gems (or, Planning a Trip to Philippi?)
The Bible is hard to read. Really, really hard. A good friend reminded me of this over dinner last week. We’ve never discussed religion in more than 20 years of acquaintance, so she surprised me [...]