No, Love Does Not Require Unity.

Published October 11, 2023

I’ve not experienced a time that felt more divided. Pick the area of discourse, and people are forming camps, drawing lines of who is in and who is out, and naming the folks on the other side of the line as enemies. The emotional temperature seems to ping-pong between frustration and rage. In this environment, […]

“Biblical Womanhood is Christian Patriarchy.” We can do better.

Published September 3, 2023

I’ll start with the conclusion: Followers of Jesus are called to join him in his mission. In case we get confused, he defined his mission for us in Luke’s gospel. . If our message and actions don’t bring good news to the poor, freedom to prisoners, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed, […]

Starting over sucks. Starting over gives life.

Published August 3, 2023

This summer, I’ve been playing a video game with my son. This is his territory; he gets to be the expert. I get to spend time with him. The game we’re playing is called Valheim. It’s a Viking-themed survival game where you gather resources, craft new technology, and try to stay alive when the monsters […]

When the Garden runs wild.

Published May 23, 2023

I’ve been working to remove unhelpful metaphors from my thinking these days. In our accomplishment-focused, hustle-paced world, many of our central metaphors are mechanistic. We’re thinking of our hearts and our minds like machines, or assembly lines, or computers. These metaphors, however, do us harm because we are not machines.

Consider Your (Inner Life) Gardening Tools

Published February 23, 2023

Hustle culture surrounds us. Coaches and motivational speakers offer the secrets to productivity. We’re motivated (or maybe warned) that we all have the same 24 hours! The implied question is, “Why aren’t you making the most of yours?” Even pastors and spiritual coaches, who you’d think would know better, add to the noise. Do more. […]

Your Heart is a Garden

Published February 3, 2023

Increasingly, the passage of time seems a blur. We’re already a month into 2023! These midwinter months push us inward. Blankets, sweaters, and hot beverages are tangible evidence of our desire for sanctuary and peace. Yet, instead of going into hibernation, this inward drive can provide a natural time for reflecting on who we are. […]

What is a spiritual life? Do I have one?

Published September 12, 2022

Few words are quite as squishy as “spiritual.” Some avoid using it because it’s open to so many interpretations. After all, the term is used by all sorts of people, probably even people who disagree with you! Yet, I think spiritual is a worthy and helpful word.  Note: This post is an edited version of an essay […]

Do Christians Hate Forgiveness? (Are we Jonah?)

Published September 1, 2022

Not long ago, the president announced an initiative to relieve some of the pressure of escalating student loan costs and predatory practices with a small loan forgiveness program. The response among many Christians has been deeply fascinating. Social media posts on the subject have mile-long threads of replies. Strident articles are being published. People have […]

The Lamb is the Key: Why So Many Christians Read Revelation Wrong

Published May 23, 2022

John’s Apocalypse has been a troublesome book since the beginning. Many interpreters, taking their cue from the Revelator’s promise to “show what must soon take place,” have seen in Revelation a coded sequence of end-time events. The only work remaining is to decode the symbols to reveal the book’s one true meaning. Or is it?