I reject the version of Jesus who would have told the rich young ruler, “you are blessed” instead of, “give everything to the poor and follow me.” Who would have pushed women to the fringes of the narrative, instead of empowering Mary to be the first preacher of...
Now--here is my secret: I tell it to you with an openness of heart that I doubt I shall ever achieve again so I pray that you are in a quiet room as you hear these words. My secret is that I need God--that I am sick and can no longer make it alone. I need God to help...
If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive.
It's interesting to watch what happens when a child walks into a room. Does your face light up? When my children used to walk in the room when they were little, I looked at them to see if they had buckled their trousers or if their hair was combed or if their socks...
God does not love you because you are good. God loves you because God is good.
It is a big risk to love deeply, yet not to love is not to live.We need to love not just for the good stuff, but simply love for no good reason! So: Live freely. Sing your heart out. Cry until all your tears are spent. Laugh till you can't even catch your breath....
When we celebrate Christmas we are celebrating that amazing time when the Word that shouted all the the galaxies into being, limited all power, and for love of us came to us in the powerless body of a human baby. My faith is based on this incredible act of love, and...
And in this he showed me a little thing, the quantity of a hazelnut, lying in the palm of my hand, as it seemed. And it was as round as any ball. I looked upon it with the eye of my understanding, and thought, ‘What may this be?’ And it was answered generally thus,...
Missiologist Lamin Sanneh says that humility is at the heart of Christian mission because this faith--unlike "spirituality"--must be received from another. No one is born into this faith. Nobody stumbles upon it after walking in the woods or rummaging around in one's...
Henceforth, when we feel the hammers of life beating on our heads or on our hearts, we can know--we must know--that he is here with us, taking our blows. Every tear we shed becomes his tear. He may not yet wipe them away, but he makes them his. Would we rather have...