Those who focus only on Jesus’ life and teachings while ignoring his death never come to appreciate the cost of his faithfulness to the way and will of God. Jesus was more than just a good teacher and miraculous healer. He was a revolutionary prophet whose witness threatened the foundations of the status quo of his world. His death reveals the cost of such devotion. Continue reading
(12 minutes) Read the Scripture The Italian poet Dante is well known for his descriptions of the afterlife. His writings are of course metaphorical. They were never meant to be taken literally. But through his symbolism Dante often exposed his readers to profound truth. For example, he made ice and… Continue reading
(15 minutes) Charity is a word which historically has had many meanings and uses. At one point in history, it defined the kind of self-giving love revealed in Jesus Christ (see the KJV translation of I Corinthians 13:13). Today it can refer to the actions of generous people and worthy… Continue reading
If the eternal nature of God is love and if Jesus came to reveal that self-giving love to the world, God can never be the author of vengeance, violence, or the arrogant use of brutal power. The schizoid Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde Jesus is not found in the New Testament and certainly not in the example and words of Jesus. The perpetuation of this distorted vision of Jesus is one reason so many people in our post-modern world have rejected the church. They know better than to embrace such a contradictory image of God. Continue reading
Whether we will survive with any degree of humanity will depend on our embracing a deep spirituality which understands how everyone and everything is connected in the heart of God and in the ultimate destiny of creation. Continue reading
(19 minutes) The third dimension of shalom can be seen in the following definition (I do not know who first offered this definition, but I have seen it in several publications without reference to authorship): “Shalom is a state of being where nothing is broken and no one is missing.”… Continue reading
(8 minutes) (In Part One of this series on shalom, I gave the Hebrew background to the concept of shalom as well as presenting its economic dimension focusing on the indispensable role of justice in the Jewish faith. In Part Two, I want to consider a definition of shalom which… Continue reading
(10 minutes) The world, and especially Christianity, has been gifted with a profound religious perspective from Judaism. Anyone who compares Judaism with other religions in the ancient world will find a uniqueness, relevance, and obstinate dedication to truth. Unlike the fertility religions of its day and the cyclic religions of… Continue reading
The book Ecclesiastes is part of the wisdom tradition of Israel which was designed to teach young men how to live wisely in the world. / What in the world can we learn from such a writing? How can we make any positive use of this depressing collection of teachings? Continue reading
For every passage one may quote confirming the finality of hell for non-believers, I can quote another passage which presents a more compassionate option. In the final analysis, we must decide which is stronger—our human, puny capacity to subvert the will of God for our salvation or God’s infinite grace. Continue reading
