As I observe dozens of Christians pondering what to do this weekend, I can’t help but ask: What would Jesus do? My guess is that Jesus would be out picking grain and delivering it to the needy — just like David took temple bread to feed the hungry. Both knew that life mattered more than tradition. The Sabbath, … Read More
Humility that Helps
Bear with me on this one, as it’s an imagined scenario within an imagined scenario… For years now, starting when I was in college, I’ve tried to understand Jesus’ teaching on foot washing. As you may know, the actual practice of foot washing is a distinctive feature of some churches (e.g., Church of God), which I had experienced back … Read More
House Bill 2495 – Illinois’ Reproductive Health Act
Illinois is currently attempting to pass expansive changes to reproductive law (House Bill 2495) — considered to be more extreme than what New York recently passed. Without delving into political talking points, there are several reasons for both Democrats and Republicans to be concerned: The new law states that the unborn do “not have independent rights under the … Read More
How to Choose a Bible Commentary (Tips to Select the Best Commentaries)
I was recently asked some good questions about commentaries — basically, which ones are the best? To answer that, here are a few thoughts about which commentaries to use, as well as some practical advice to save you some money. Most scholars would advise not to buy a complete commentary set. This is because some volumes will be strong (even … Read More
The Purpose of Acts
The overall purpose of Acts is not to explain the Holy Spirt — i.e., as if Acts were a treatise on a single person of the Trinity. Yes, we could say the Spirit is the central character, and we can gather some theology of the Spirit from these narratives, but there is a much broader intent. After all, Acts is a … Read More
Promise in our Labor
Some of my favorite moments are when kids tell Bible stories. Today, I learned that Noah’s family had to cut down a lot of trees and that alligators are an in-between case, but probably made it onto the ark. And then there was a rainbow to show that God would not do that again, and Noah’s family had lots … Read More
Protesting & Mullets
“Patriotism takes many forms, including teaching, transforming, and even protesting.” – Bob Costas To state Bob Costas’ point another way: Seeking change (e.g., a wife protesting her husband’s appearance and requesting he cut his hair) is not equivalent to disowning what needs to be changed (the husband). Although the man might *feel* rejected, she remains by his side — even … Read More
Women in The Book of Esther
We live in an exciting era of women’s rights. In the past century, women have fought for the right to vote, to be heard, and to be respected. We see this in a wide variety of expressions from marches to the #MeToo movement and beyond. Sometimes we take this for granted, but in comparison to how women how have been … Read More
Reasons to Welcome, Not Ban
25 Reasons Why Christians Should Welcome (Not Ban) Immigrants & Refugees God cares for all people, not just those inside a particular national border. As Christians, global citizenship trumps national citizenship. Christianity affirms that all people have the same value, regardless of their current religion, since all of creation comes from God. The Good Samaritan story includes ethnic dimensions: … Read More
