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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

It seems lately that Christians are struggling to make sense of the wideness of God’s love… particularly in how to apply it to the people around them. The full quote is “The reach of God’s love is the scope of our respect. If God’s love is indiscriminate, our respect must be too.”   Miroslav Volf […]

East of Eden by John Steinbeck is one of my favorite books. It’s long, but there were moments in the story that I was moved to tears. It’s a Cain & Abel story, and salvation is at the heart of it.   In one conversation, one of the characters is having a significant realization and […]

Our American celebrity culture where we are all driven to accomplish and be seen as important runs so deeply counter to the teaching of Jesus. This short sentence captures a vital warning: “It’s difficult to stand on a pedestal and wash the feet of those below.” For a culture that is enthralled with the idea […]

Consider this: “What is given to God is always returned transformed.” What a profound statement on what God does in our lives! Richard Rohr is probably the spiritual thinker from outside my own tradition that has influenced me the most. I grew up in a  church that was very negative about anyone and anything Catholic. […]

Think about this. What clarity this provides. “Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire. – Thomas Merton Some religions suggest that the path to healing, salvation or nirvana is to deny desire. A thorough biblical Christianity sees that desire is a part […]