The Groan of the Godly “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) “There is a time… to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…” (Ecclesiastes 3:4) Jesus’ ancestors and contemporaries knew how to face their sufferings in such a way as to …
How Jesus Comported Himself Politically
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “People say that it is utopian to regard the Sermon on the Mount as a basis for historical-political action . . . However, it is not difficult to prove that this view is in conflict with reality . . .” Though I risk being voted off the island by good sisters and …
Better Rules≠Better Lives
"I recently visited an old friend who lives way out at the end of a Northern California country road. As I got out of my car and approached his house I noticed an enormous Saint Bernard sitting in the shade of a great old oak tree. More importantly, I noticed him noticing me. As they …
Blessed are the Merciful
I've been doing brief devotionals this week from my book: What on Earth? for Red Letter Christians Wake Up. BTW, if you've read the book, I'd sure appreciate you writing a review on Amazon. It's quick and easy. Be honest. If it’s not your cup of tea or you disagree with its theme, feel free …
Changed Hearts Change the World
“Changing the human heart and changing human society are not separate tasks, but are as interconnected as the two beams of the cross.” Henri Nouwen Social radicalism apart from faith “has been like a cut flower without nourishment, without any sanctions deeper than human courage and good intentions.” Walter Brueggemann[i] For the first three hundred …