Billy Napier and the danger of self-deception

In the 12 years I’ve been writing in this space, I don’t think I’ve ever written about sports. But sometimes sports can provide metaphors for us to learn about much larger issues in life, and I think such is the case with my alma mater’s head football coach, the University of Florida’s Billy Napier. Terribly […]

The crisis of Western and Christian culture: Christian Idolatry, Part IV

There are many reasons why American Christians have been reacting the way they have when it comes to their political and social behavior and responses, but I think one reason stands out from the rest: Christians (more broadly, conservative Americans in general) feel like their way of life is under attack. I’d say that, based […]

When you only see despair

The problems often seem too big. The pain can be too intense, squeezing your chest so tight you fear your heart may burst. You can’t see a way forward, and you don’t know how things can be fixed. How can there be any hope at all? I’ve struggled with depression my entire life, riding the […]

The crisis of American Christianity: Christian Idolatry, Part III

This is the third post in a series on the connected crises of American society, culture, and Christianity – please read the first post here and second here if you haven’t already. The American Christian crisis is connected with both culture and politics, and what I mean when using the word “politics” is: the way […]

The sin of self-deception: Christian Idolatry, Part II

Before tackling the three crises in America I talked about in my last post here, there is a little-recognized sin we need to discuss. Whenever Christians debate about what sin is the one from which all other human problems emerge, pride is usually named. And that’s probably true – the root of the Fall as […]

The three American crises of Christianity, culture, and government: Christian Idolatry, Part I

I have been struggling to write anything for the last several months. The thoughts in my head I’ve wanted to share have been noisily rattling around, but I’ve been wrestling with despair and concern that whatever I write is going to be misunderstood. We are living in a wild and dangerous time in America for […]

A Christian voting reminder

I have some thoughts to share as a Christian as we in America brace for the results of another presidential election. First, while it’s true that the writers of the New Testament had no direct familiarity with voting as a way of running a civil government (and therefore Paul’s admonition in Romans 13 to be […]