By Our Love
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35 NIV) If you grew up in the church, just reading the title has probably already put the lyrics of this old song into your head: We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord And we pray that our unity will one day be restored And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love It’s a great song and a good reminder, but recently I got to thinking, “Why is it...
Read MoreDivine Justice
“[L]et justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24 NIV) This week I served jury duty in Superior Court for the first time. Here, cases range from civil suits asking for monetary damages to criminal trials accusing of rape or murder. In our orientation video, the judicial process was described as having “slow, deliberate movement,” and I couldn’t come up with a better description myself. The court staff and lawyers I saw were all honestly trying to make life easier for the jurors, but it was still a long, dull two days....
Read MoreTrue Religion
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27 NIV) A few times in the past few weeks, I’ve noticed posts from some of my Facebook friends that are, let’s say, not very flattering toward Christians. To be honest, I can’t say I even disagree (much). These are people whom I know IRL (in real life), and I’m reasonably certain they weren’t passive-aggressively trolling me. Christians just don’t have a very...
Read MoreWhat is Truth?
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work…” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV) When I was in grade school and we were first learning about “literature,” my teacher put up posters around her classroom that illustrated different literary devices. The one entitled “Metaphor” had a picture of grey clouds and the text of Carl Sandburg’s poem “Fog,” which opens with the famous line, The fog comes on little...
Read MoreFinishing Strong
“Therefore…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2a NIV) Yet another famous Christian is in the news for an ignominious fall from grace. This time it’s Josh Duggar, eldest son of the “19 Kids & Counting” family. He was a member of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian lobbying organization, and the executive director of the FRC’s political action...
Read MoreThe Reputation of the Tribe of Jesus
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28 NIV) It’s Pride Weekend in Seattle (at the time of this writing). There will be parades, performances, events – even a few rainbow crosswalks! All of this to celebrate LGBT* rights and culture. With the Supreme Court ruling on Obergefell v. Hodges [PDF], it’s likely to be a more spirited weekend than usual. It’s also a weekend that leaves many churches unsure of what to do. Some churches, of course, have already...
Read MoreThe Difficulties of Centered-Set Living
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40 NIV) Christians have been making the news a lot lately, but sadly, it hasn’t been for how loving they are to their neighbors. It shouldn’t surprise us that even in Jesus’ day, an expert in...
Read MoreDeliver Us From Evil
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…” (Matthew 6:13 KJV) When I first read about the Germanwings flight 9525 plane crash, they didn’t have any suspects. Soon, however, they came to suspect that the copilot deliberately locked the pilot out of the cockpit and set the plane on a collision course with a mountain. Supposedly, in the black-box recording you could hear the passengers screaming and the pilot begging the co-pilot to open the door. All I could think about was the report listing the number of people aboard, including two infants. I was...
Read MoreCame to My Rescue
“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.” (Psalm 107:2a NIV) Many people react negatively to evangelism or proselytizing. They might see it as bullying, propaganda, or an attempt to convince them that they’re wrong. Yet those same people may well react favorably to a personal story. For example, one of my acquaintances from high school posted a deeply personal story of his conversion on Facebook, and I was surprised by how respectful and even thankful people were. They felt honored that he had shared something so personal and meaningful. So what’s your story?...
Read MoreBecause It’s Good For You
“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7 NIV) I’ve always been a little confused by Jesus’s assertions in John 16:7. Jesus saved weddings, healed sick people, and raised the dead! He taught his followers with great patience and told off hypocritical religious leaders with great wisdom. How could it be better for us to be without him? I am speculating, but the reason, I think, is twofold: for the mission of God and for our character. The...
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