Jesus fed 5000 but only 500 followed him after lunch. He had 12 disciples but only 3 went further in the Garden, and only 1 stood with him at the Cross. The closer you get to the Cross, the smaller the crowd gets.
To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives. The closer we come to the heartbeat of God, the more we see our need and the more we desire...
The great heresy in American popular religion is the notion that “religion is a private affair,” a secret contract between the believer and God. This individualistic heresy makes Jesus into a close, personal friend who listens, comforts, sustains, confirms, agrees,...
Immanuel means ‘God with us.’ And not in the sense that God just showed up or arrived on the scene. A thousand times no. In spite of the fact it changed everything, the birth of Jesus didn’t technically create a new reality for God or us; rather, it was simply and...
Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you.
We are closer to God when we are asking questions than when we think we have the answers.
Imagine that the world is a circle, that God is the center, and that the radii are the different ways human beings live. When those who wish to come closer to God walk towards the center of the circle, they come closer to one another at the same time as to God. The...
The closer the people of all races get to Christ and His cross, the closer they will get to one another.
Here comes Jesus, closer and closer to me. Ah, the closer he comes, the less I like it. His very existence threatens me. I’ve grown used to my way of life. I like the familiarity. I know my place in society, my reputation, my rights and privileges, all of which are...
Nevertheless it is possible, in the midst of the limits and transitoriness of human existence, to make societies which are more liberating and less oppressive, and hence closer to the kingdom. To deny this is to deny all efficacy to God in history, to make the world...