When the average American hears the word "justice," I think very often--unless they have been taught otherwise--the first idea they have is punishment, and that's unfortunate. Biblical justice is always restorative. The point is never simply punitive; the point is to...
Humility is taking time to form an opinion in a reactionary world. Humility is being committed to discovering nuance and complexity even when everyone else is dealing in absolutes. Humility is refusing to reduce another person's humanity simply because you disagree...
The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children.
Let us pause to acknowledge the unseen goodness around us. We may not see it, but it is always here – a small universe of kindness and compassion – lived out around us every day, unseen but constant. People helping, people caring, people listening. The creators of...
Unless biblical literalism is challenged overtly in the Christian church itself, it will, in my opinion, kill the Christian faith. It is not just a benign nuisance that afflicts Christianity at its edges; it is a mentality that renders the Christian faith unbelievable...
In my present season of grief and regret, I am finding that there is no way through apart from gratitude, and that, in fact, thankfulness is my greatest help. Not a plaster of it applied on the wound, not some anesthetic thanks to numb or replace the sadness, but...
This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of...
The vital function that pets fulfill in this world hasn't fully been recognized. They keep millions of people sane. When you pet a dog or listen to a cat purring, thinking may subside for a moment and a space of stillness arises within you, a doorway into Being.
The church is not called to be the morality police of the world, legislators of holiness, or judges convicting people according to God's law. The church is not called to be a courtroom. It is called to be a sanctuary.
It is no use to say that we are born 2000 years too late to give room to Christ. Nor will those who live at the end of the world have been born too late. Christ is always with us, always asking for room in our hearts.