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The power of paradox
Christianity is rooted in paradox. A paradox is when two or more incompatible truths are held together to reveal a deeper hidden truth. An example of a paradox in Christianity is that the Kingdom of God is both already here and still coming in the future. Other examples include: God is three and one. The…
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Fear not
I watched in disbelief as people feverishly filled their carts with toilet paper and bolted before someone could steal their treasure. In less than a minute, the toilet paper was gone and the mob dispersed. Except for one lady standing in front of a stack of six packages of toilet paper, protecting it from the…
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The snowball effect
The snowball effect refers to a situation in which something starts off small or insignificant and increases in size or importance at an accelerating rate. Like when you roll a small snowball through wet snow and it accumulates more and more snow until it becomes so large and heavy that you can’t move it anymore.…
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Dwell in, not on
Scripture encourages us to bring our requests to God in prayer. The problem is when we get attached to our desired outcome, which we usually do, resulting in our joy, peace and contentment becoming dependent on things turning out the way we want them to. This is why we lose our peace and joy so…
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Paradoxical faith
I’ve become aware of various patterns and cycles in my life. One of them is a regular oscillation between two different “kinds” or phases of faith. Sometimes I remain in one phase for years and sometimes I alternate between the two phases multiple times a day. The first phase is what I call pragmatic faith.…
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Ten New Year’s resolutions for an unexamined life
10. Accomplish more by scheduling longer and more frequent committee meetings. 9. Make the world a better place by pointing out how everyone else needs to change. 8. Spend more time getting angry at people online. 7. Constantly download new shows, apps and games for my devices because screen time restores my soul. 6. Spend…
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Unlearning ‘Christianese’
“Christianese” is what some people call insider jargon Christians use to talk about God and faith. One of the primary problems with Christianese is that it doesn’t make sense to outsiders. Someone once compared it to legalese, which has its place and purpose, but is confusing and meaningless to people who aren’t lawyers. Christianese often…
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Credible Christians
“People are no longer interested in religion or church, but they are still interested in Jesus.” This is a statement many Christians, including myself on occasion, proclaim confidently. However, blanket statements like these are misleading. The assumption that everyone is interested in Jesus is obviously false. Think about it. Some people who regularly attend church…
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Revolutionary hospitality
When you search “hospitality” online, Google auto-fills with words like industry, services and tourism. You will find links to lodging, food and beverage establishments, entertainment and travel services, and hospitality management training institutions. What you don’t find, unfortunately, are links to Christianity or the church. Hospitality used to be the trademark of the early church.…
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The divine flame
The song “Wonderwall” by Oasis came on the radio. I was about to change the station when these lyrics hit me, “Backbeat, the word is on the street that the fire in your heart is out.” There are many fires that burn in one’s heart over a lifetime: The fire of recognition that leaps within…
