Through Christ's incarnation, all of humanity regains the dignity of bearing the image of God. Whoever from now attacks the least of people attacks Christ, who took on human form and who in himself has restored the image of God for all who bear a human countenance....
In the Season of Pentecost (Liturgical churches call it "Ordinary Time") -- God called Abram to leave his home to find a new one, and Jesus called Matthew, a tax-collector, to leave his job and “follow me.” In both testaments, we heard stories of moving from...
That is why Jesus criticizes hypocrisy more than anything else. Jesus is never upset with sinners, but only with people who pretend they are not sinners. Check this out, story by story, in the Gospels. This is surprising and even shocking!" from Things Hidden -Richard...
Jesus said that peacemakers would be known as the children of God. Not the fear mongers. Not the authoritarians. Not the gatekeepers. Not those who see their religion as a war against the world. He said, “blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children...
Beware systems and identities that need: 1. A Strongmanand2. A Scapegoat There will be no end of violence when these two exist. They legitimate and fuel each other. Jesus demonstrates how demonically futile the Strongman/Scapegoat mechanism is in his death and...
We miss Jesus' point entirely when we use his words as weapons against others.
Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit. Meekness is a teaching of Jesus. Humility is the way God became human. Beware of any Christian movement that advocates otherwise, especially in the political sphere. It is simply trying to justify its own power by any means...
Better is one day in the company of those bullied by Christians but loved by Jesus than thousands in the company of those wielding Scripture to harm the weak and defenseless.
God has two binary commands. 1) Love God 2) Love your neighbor as yourself. Two commands that encompass and encapsulate all. Not three, not five, not ten. Two binary commands. Yet, many Christians have added so much to these binary commands. Conditions, hate,...
We Christians paint such a fragile picture of Jesus when we act as though his will is somehow threatened by every political and cultural shift. We Christians paint such a codependent picture of Jesus when we act as though he needs a political party, a president, and a...