[Another random selection from the memoir I'm finishing up...] We ignore the ambiguity that accompanies our finitude, and thus we claim to know what we can't know. We reduce the unfathomable complexity of the cosmos to the capacity of our finite minds. When we do this, we invariably end up blaming God or indicting victims. …
Is It OK to feel this way? (part two)
You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul… I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. I have become like …
The Day I Got My “Whatever” Back (part one)
Have you ever had a teenager (or an adult acting like one) say to you with a sort of sneer, “Whatever!”? In case you didn’t already know, this is not really an expression of respect. It’s right up there with, “Yeah, well…” or “And I’m supposed to care?” I banned the word from use in …
Continue reading "The Day I Got My “Whatever” Back (part one)"
Making Adjustments (part four)
Does it seem to you that some Christians expect God, like a personal assistant, to keep everything on schedule and on an even keel? They might not express it that way, but their rush to hold him in contempt when Plan A is upset, delayed, or becomes altogether defunct, is pretty telling. To be disappointed …
Treating Timidity (part two)
Lion-slaying in snowy pits “Dad,” my son asked proudly, “do you want to see my new tattoo?” “Umm,” I’m not really into tattoos, especially the ones that cover whole limbs or trunks, but in order to be supportive – at least not combative – I feigned approval, “yeah, Luke, sure." He pushed his sleeve over …
