Jesus appointed twelve apostles. Did he really need to? As the Son of God, he surely could have just gone about his mission on his own, right? In today’s culture we tend to idolize those who are strong solitary characters that appear to not need anyone else. People who take on the evils of the […]
Tag: Society
On Satan
While writing my last blog post, I realized that it was the first time on here I discussed Satan and I struggled with the concept of writing about our Adversary. (I even wondered if I should capitalize the word Satan or not. Was he worthy of such font treatment?) Of course, as is natural for […]
On Rebuke and Affirmation
Naturally I’m a slow reader, often going at a mental cadence akin to a pony ride. When I read the Bible this is usually the case as well. Sometimes, though, I listen to an audio recording of Scripture and that experience is as if I am suddenly galloping on a horse and experiencing a familiar […]
On Our Saviors
Alongside examining what is sacred in our society and social circles, we must also reflect on who we elevate as our saviors—or, as we often soften the reality: our heroes, role-models, stars, icons, idols. These saviors we turn to come in all forms: respected historical figures, talented pop artists, savvy politicians, fair arbiters of justice, […]
On Context
It is impossible to meditate on the topic of “faith and politics” without considering church history and the seemingly endless involvement the Christian church (arguably all denominations) have had with (or against) political systems for the last 2,000+ years. It is viewed by many nowadays that there should be a separation between church and state. […]
By Way of (Re)Introduction
During the autumn 2017, I wrote a series of daily reflections leading up to the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. One writing a day for roughly 40 days. When the writing exercise was coming to a close, I thought I would continue writing a reflection every few weeks. That did not happen. Lately though, […]
On Peace on Earth
During this past Christmas season, I found myself meditating on the concept of “peace on earth”. Peace between nations, peace between people, peace from war, and peace within. As cards of the season’s greetings came in the mail, as church services were attended, and as all the festive lights shown around me, I found myself […]
On The Saints
The work of the Reformation does not end with the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation by any means. Today is All Saints’ Day, and on this day we remember all those who have gone before us, glorifying God through their lives on earth, for the sake of Jesus Christ and the Eternal Kingdom. We are […]
On Reflection
Yes, a reflection on reflection. After all, if people like Martin Luther did not reflect on their faith, the Reformation would not have happened. We too must reflect on our faith. And I think there is merit to doing this both privately and publicly. In fact, I believe that is a hallmark of Luther and […]
On Strangers and Enemies
Strangers are not always our enemies and our enemies are not always strangers, but we often treat strangers like our enemies and our enemies like strangers. And that’s because strangers and enemies are both often simply the result of human-made barriers and conflict. Some barriers are so systemically ingrained in our world that we forget […]