Thank God I’m Not Like Them
Some of the people I enjoy following on social media are former students of mine who write passionately and eloquently about the theological and ethical issues at the heart of our country’s divisions over abortion, same-sex marriage, and racism, among other things. I am frequently in awe of the beauty and clarity of their writing, […]
Do Not Lose Heart – Oct. 15, 2022
October is the traditional time in the Church of the Saviour for annual membership recommitment. It is an unusual church practice, perhaps unique, joining and re-joining the same faith community year after year. Or not. When I first made this commitment, a long-time member told me it gets harder every year, just the opposite of what I […]
Deliver Me from Faint-heartedness – Oct. 12, 2022
O Holy Spirit, Give me faith that will protect me from despair, from passions, and from vice; Give me such love for God and men as will blot out all hatred and bitterness; Give me hope that will deliver me from fear and faint-heartedness. -Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison, p. 140
The Courage of Reaching Out
“Your faith has made you well.”* Like many things Jesus says, these words make me uncomfortable. I am instantly transported back to my high school logic class: if it is true that having faith makes you well, then the logical implication is that being unwell must mean you do not have faith. And the idea […]