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A memorable remembrance
It took me a while to find my poppy and peace button this year. I couldn’t remember where I’d stored them last November. “I guess I don’t have very good ‘remembrance,’ ” I joked to myself. “Remembrance” is an unusual word. There are only two occasions I hear it used. The first involves two minutes…
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You’re getting worked up over nothing
Jesus and his disciples were invited to Martha’s house for dinner. Martha was toiling away in the kitchen by herself while everyone else, including her sister Mary, was in the living room huddled around a fascinating rabbi named Jesus, a man some were calling the Son of God. Stressed out and frustrated, Martha finally marched…
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Focussing our fear
I have a nagging thought as I sit down to write this article. It’s this: I have no idea what state our world will be in when you read this in a few weeks. Who knows what will happen between now and then? It’s unsettling to be aware of not only the possibility—but the probability—something…
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Wisdom, where art thou? (Pt. 10)
Someone once said to me, “The problem with Christians is they are all mental!” As I reflected on his disparaging comment, I realized he had a point. Not the point he was trying to make, implying all Christians suffer from “a psychiatric disorder,” which is the second definition of the word “mental.” My epiphany came…
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Wisdom, where art thou? (Pt. 9)
For centuries, people who questioned the church and its dogma were silenced and at times persecuted. The church coerced the masses to acquiesce to its doctrine by shaming sceptics and denouncing doubters. To say this was wrong would be a colossal understatement. The truth is, the church needs doubters and sceptics for its own good.…
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Wisdom, where art thou? (Pt. 8)
Doubt has a good public relations manager these days. The world seems awash with books, articles, sermons, even a few TED talks, praising its beneficial goodness. I too have tried to redeem the sullied reputation of doubt in the church with my preaching and writing. Over the past year I’ve started to wonder if the…
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Wisdom, where art thou? (Pt. 7)
So how does one enrol as an apprentice in the School of Divine Wisdom? The Bible tells us there are a few prerequisites. The first one is found in Proverbs 4:7: “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.” The first time I really paid attention to this verse,…
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Wisdom, where art thou? (Pt. 6)
Fourteen years ago, I asked my handy friend, Carm, if I could hire him to do a flooring renovation. He said, “No. But I’ll teach you how to do it for free.” I laughed. The idea was absurd. The only tools I owned at the time were books and guitars. The extent of my…
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Wisdom, where art thou? (Pt. 5)
The king was looking for someone possessing great wisdom to join his council of advisors. So he contacted the elders of the 12 regions of his kingdom and asked them to send their wisest man or woman to his palace to participate in a challenge. The winner would then be invited to join his council.…
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Wisdom, where art thou? (Pt. 4)
How does one define wisdom? It’s difficult to put into words. Herman Hesse, in his classic novel, Siddhartha, writes: “Wisdom is not communicable. The wisdom which a wise man tries to communicate always sounds foolish. . . . Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it,…
