God looks like Jesus. And that changes everything.
Have you ever sat in room with a group of committed Christians and listened to them pray earnestly and passionately for something you had real doubts God wanted? Several people in my life have had this experience recently. It’s strange in a way that...
Several people have recently asked me for my thoughts on the spiritual practice of fasting. I’ve been embarrassed to admit that I don’t have many deep ones. It’s not that I’ve never fasted. It’s just that I typically spend a lot of time confused...
Early witnesses tell a story about Jesus that makes me itchy. I cannot shake the feeling that if I were there, I’d end up on the wrong side of it. It’s Saturday, the day that good Jews set aside for rest and worship. Jesus is eating with a group...
I regularly have conversations with Christians who self-describe as “Jesus-centered” types who will say something like this about the Bible: “I’m over the apostle Paul and all those over New Testament letters. I just read the gospels and stick with...
Is the problem with the world that people don’t fear God enough? The fear of God has become a hot topic in some quarters recently, stoked by claims of prominent preachers that a shortage of such fear is at the root of societal breakdown. The...
I recently reflected on an experience in which a friend led me through a ritual for surrendering burdens. I was surprised to find that the burdens weighing on me most heavily had little to do with the roles and responsibilities that I was carrying...
A few months back, a friend led me through a prayer ritual designed for releasing burdens. She invited me to write down the responsibilities and roles that I inhabit in life and then to physically carry them to a place of surrender. As I walked...
Blessed with some extra time over a sabbatical this summer, I’ve worked my way through a pile of rather extraordinary books—some entertaining, some useful, some profound. But a few lines have struck soul-deep and lingered there. One is a lament from...
I recently read a quote from a respected biblical scholar reflecting on why it’s a uniquely difficult time to be a human. We carry burdens of awareness our ancestors simply never possessed. We have discovered the perspectival nature of...
Jesus made me laugh out loud the other day. As Jesus is winding his way down the road on a God-driven mission, he is approached by some Pharisees who say, “Go! Get away from here, because Herod wants to kill you” (Lk 13:31). It’s a pretty bad day...
God looks like Jesus. And that changes everything.