In this post I’ll share some thoughts on one of my favorite poems, T.S. Eliot’s “Journey of the Magi.” Today is Mr. Eliot’s birthday, and here’s the poem’s text: “A cold coming we had of it,Just the worst time of the yearFor a journey, and such a long journey:The ways deep and the weather sharp,The … [Read more…]
It’s September and, with Election Day only two months hence, it’s the height of the political season. I try to eschew partisan politics on this blogsite, but I’d like to share one thought and, as it turns out, it doesn’t exactly champion one party or the other. So here’s the thought: Our two major political … [Read more…]
When you think about it, the complementarity of the early church leaders was interesting, and its dynamics must have been, too. So is the fact that each of them authored Scripture. *** Regarding the interplay of personalities and backgrounds, think in particular of Peter, Paul, and James — a group that can, I think, be … [Read more…]
Praying is talking with God, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Jesus of course gave us His template in the Lord’s Prayer, but He did not simply repeat this prayer each time He prayed: He departed from that text in His prayer in Gethsemane, in His prayers on the cross, and so forth (you can … [Read more…]
I usually like the sermons given by our church’s head pastor, and you’d expect any pastor to be trying especially hard on Easter. Sure enough, he made two really good points this past Sunday, and I’d like to share them. The first is that the most important thing any parent can do in raising a … [Read more…]
If Jesus is the Son of God, it is significant, is it not, that He did not debunk the notion of Scripture generally or the Old Testament in particular? And the significance of Scripture is that it is Truth, and the most reliable guide there is to our relationship with God, apart from perhaps personal … [Read more…]
This short post makes a slight variant of a point that has been made famously elsewhere (see, for example, here), but since I do a lot of speaking and writing — and am around people who have spoken and written a lot more than I have and been greatly honored, often for how prolific they’ve … [Read more…]
1. It’s a mistake to see detailed political guidance in the Bible. It seems to give a broad range — allowing us, for example, even to choose a king or not (Deuteronomy 17:14-20), and recognizing that political authority is distinct from religious authority (“Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s”). … [Read more…]
If asked why Jesus became fully human and came to earth, I think most Christians would answer, “To die for our sins.” That’s certainly true, but when you think about it, He must also have come to do some teaching. At a minimum, people had to be told of His sacrifice and what they had … [Read more…]
Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above Bitcoin. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that they spoil each other. She will do him good and not evil all the days of televised sports. She seeketh coupons, and worketh willingly with scissors. She is like the … [Read more…]