One of the long-standing arguments against God is the lack of Divine intervention in the many terrible tragedies in the world. We shake our fists at the sky and yell. “Why aren’t You doing something?” Shane Claiborne suggests God’s answer: “When we throw our hands up and say God why don’t you do something? He […]
Quote – Faithful, not Successful
Mother Theresa, the well-known founder of the Sisters of Charity, and a long-time servant of the poorest of the poor in India, was well-known for her focus. These words are a challenge: “I am not called to be successful. I am called to be faithful.” Everything in our culture is aimed at encouraging us to […]
Quote – Bob Goff says God plants seed, not sod.
We so badly want to look good, especially church people. God’s not particularly interested in how we look, or what our reputation is like. Bob Goff gets at our tendency to focus on the visible externals and the short-term solution. Both of those are antithetical to real spiritual growth. “We plant sod where God wants […]
Quote – Our most Genuinely Christian Actions
One of the greatest obstacles to real discipleship where people apply the life of Jesus in their whole world is our tendency to compartmentalize. We think we’re OK because in the “religious department” of our lives we’re on track. But if what we learn from Jesus isn’t shaping every other aspect of our lives, we’re […]
Quote – Don’t Conceal Wounds
Roman poet and philosopher Horace on one of our greater stupidities: “It is the false shame of fools to try to conceal wounds that have not healed.” This is a human problem, for sure. But it’s an epidemic in the church. We want to look strong, OK, faithful, right. That mediates toward not telling the […]
Quote – All life is about loving people.
Donald Miller, with this mic drop: “Right before you die, you’ll realize this whole life was about loving people. And you watched too much television.” Welp… It’s harder to get much closer to profound truth than this. Don took off with Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality. Scary Close, is also amazing. Disclosure […]
Quote – When you are sorrowful look into your heart.
I was introduced to Kalil Gibran, a Lebanese poet from the last century, in high school. His book, The Prophet, really moved me. “When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that you are weeping for that which has been your delight.” This evocative sentence points to how the deep truth of our […]
Quote – How Offendable Are We?
Pete Scazzero is a pastor who has focused deeply on the importance of emotional maturity as a part of our faith. Emotional growth and spiritual growth are closely linked. As we mature in the image of Christ, we will also grow emotionally. This insight of his is crucial for the social-media soaked reactive culture in […]
Quote – What a Man Loves
We get caught up on determining (judging?) who is good and who isn’t. It can get tangled and complicated. Augustine gave a very clear pointer with this observation: “When there is a question as to whether a man is good, one does not ask what he believes…but what he loves.” What is our heart oriented […]
Quote – How to Unchristian the Faith.
Jesus’ teachings are clear. Feel uncomfortable about it if you wish. Suggest that this might be unpatriotic or naive if you want. But you cannot be fully committed to Jesus’ teachings and disagree. So Miroslav Volf makes this difficult observation. “If you take the love of the enemy out of the Christian faith, you have […]
Quote – Serve God… in an advisory role.
A truism. I don’t think it’s original with me, but I have no idea what the source is. (Feel free to let me know if you have an original source for this quote. I’d love to be able to reference it.) We want so much to be in charge. That’s the heart of idolatry and […]
Quote – The Opportunity of Reconciliation
I found this quote on Twitter. “Christ invited you to be the conduit through which he reconciles the world. This isn’t a burden but an opportunity.” The user has disappeared and I can’s find him on the internet anywhere. Don’t know what’s up with that, but his statement is still a strong one. If you […]
Quote – The greatest enemy of holiness is apathy.
John Eldredge and I see the world differently in many ways. But more than any other Christian writer I’ve read, he gets the power and importance of desire in the life of a follower of Jesus. His words: “The greatest enemy of holiness is not passion; it is apathy.” This is an incredible corrective to the […]
Quote – The person who has learned to let go.
Consider this: For the person who has learned to let go and let be, nothing can ever get in the way again. – Meister Eckhart. Meister Eckhart was a German Christian theologian, deep thinker and (yes, even) mystic in the 13th century. Some people love him. Some people think he was a heretic. I find […]
Quote – Can’t listen to your brother?
Listen up, reactive and divisive Christians: “He who can no longer listen to his brother will soon no longer be listening to God.” – Bonhoeffer Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of the theologians who has influenced me most profoundly. His thoughts on Biblical community, his understanding of the Sermon on the Mount, and his own sacrificial […]