People treat their enemies in one of three ways: demonically, legalistically, or christianly. Returning evil for good is demonic. Giving back good for good and evil for evil (eye for an eye) is legalistic. Many Christians practice this second way without giving it a second thought. Someone puts out your eye and you put out …
A Little Humility Goes a Long Way
Most of our friends and acquaintances in Golden Gate Park have street names – Monkey, Four-Twenty, Felony, Chaos, Animal, and the like. One day I was talking to “Sheriff,” a twenty-something park dweller with a bright red Mohawk – it looked to me like he’d cut it himself, with neither mirror nor particularly sharp scissors. …
“Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.”
Christians of good conscience have always lent their hand to those in the most need. You’re more likely to find hospitals and orphanages named after saints (St. Luke’s, St. Jude’s) than ones after even the most famous atheists or agnostics. Can you imagine a Christopher Hitchens Hospital or Bertrand Russell Home for Children? Every week …
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Just Wondering (Avoiding Superficial Spirituality Part 8)
Blessed are the MEEK for they shall inherit the earth
The meek bridle their lust for power and live to serve others. “The ‘politics’ of the Kingdom,” says Scott Bessenecker, “has more to do with meekness, submission and dying to self than it does with exercising authority to increase my share in this life (emphasis mine).”[i] Some outside observers evaluate Jesus’ words about being good …
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barney wiget 