How He loves

Many of us have heard of the Christian obsession with insisting that God loves us. I suspect for many, like me, that’s not an easy idea to buy. Life is full of heartbreak and hurt; disappointment and unfulfilled potential; tragedy and horror. At least that’s how it often feels to those of us who have […]

Our love story

You and I live according to a story. Actually, we live according to several kinds of small stories, but there is some form of an overarching story we believe in that gives meaning to our lives. That’s one of the valuable critiques postmodernism has contributed to philosophy in general. Events don’t happen to us in a […]

Sanctification – the theory

I struggle living as a Christian. I mean really struggle. I’m a hypocrit. I’m filled with anger (I wish I knew why). I don’t really live as if I have much hope. I’m very demanding of myself and often give myself very little grace, which unfortunately can sometimes extend to other people. It’s easy to diagnose […]

Living loved?

I had an “Aha!” moment the other day while listening to my bishop’s sermon. It was one of those times when something you’ve heard several times before suddenly hits you in a different light. The realization was that there actually are moments and experiences in life we can’t force into being (who’da thunk it?). I’m […]

Christianity in brief, Part III

How does the cross make one a Christian? Just as the Jewish priests had to use the blood of sacrificed animals in order to be ritually pure, one has to use the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Submitting to Christ means following His teaching and His commands, and that requires the participation of an […]

Christianity in brief, Part II

The concept of sacrifice – as taboo as it is – seems to be at the heart of human experience. Having children, for almost all animals, involves a high level of sacrifice – of time, energy, resources, and emotion. From a survival standpoint, raising offspring doesn’t make a whole lot of sense as they are […]

Why in the world am I a Christian?

It’s weird that people choose to be Christian, isn’t it? To follow the teachings of a guy who lived 2,000 years ago among a marginalized, minority cultural group. To associate with a religion that has several sects that are synonymous with modern-day American zealotry. Why would anyone, myself included, drink that Kool Aid? I was […]