How to Have an Enemy
Loving my enemies is a hard teaching even when I’m thinking about it in the abstract, with imagined foes, or at least ones that feel sufficiently distant. But right now, in this current political moment, when I feel acutely aware of who my enemies are and the damage they continue to inflict, it feels crushing […]
A Practice for Healing and Hope
People often ask me, what is your practice? How are you getting through these days? Many encourage resistance and endurance. As I ponder the questions, their good words help. Mostly though, I feel sad and helpless. I want to be bold and creative. I remember when those wonderful words described me, at least from time […]
Going Deeper
“My calling used to be football,” says JJ Watt in a TV ad. “Knocking people down was my job. But now that I’m older and wiser, my call is to lift people up.” We then see him providing sports equipment to eager kids. I’m surprised that the language of call has moved into primetime sports. […]
After Adulation
All spoke well of Jesus, and then they were furious and tried to kill him. Lest we assume that heeding God’s plan instead of our own guarantees a blissful journey, we would do well to notice “and then.” It is in the “and then” that much of life gets lived. The people who hear Jesus read the […]