Passover and Easter Belong Together
Wishing peace, love, and renewal to all those celebrating Easter and Passover this year.
The Four Horses of the Apocalypse . . . and a Fifth
I recently came across a cartoon that portrays the famed horsemen of Revelation aside a fifth horse and rider named “Misinformation,” which illustrates the pandemic.
Tetelestai—It Is Finished! The Cry That Carries the Future
to give us eternal life instead of eternal condemnation. American revivalist Johnathan Edwards summed this idea well in his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” If we see the cross as an angry God and Jesus as satisfying His tyrannical wrath, however, we’ve confused God with the devil and thus miss the beautiful truths that took place on Calvary.
Living for Healing & Justice
In the messy landscape of human perplexity, we are called to bring that kind of love into the world. May we relinquish our self-focus and pursue the only effective way to live together in healing and justice. This is the only way to follow Jesus.
Transformed Faith, Transformed World: God, Judgment, Gospel
The common theories and methods for describing the process of justification had become a puzzle for me. I was not a terrified sinner plagued by guilt and seeking justification before a cosmic judge.
Love Like Dynamite
According to Paul, gospel is the “power of God” to salvation (Romans 1:16). The word for “power” in Greek is the word from which we get…
The Incarnation and Temple: The Story That Explains It All
I am struck with the wonder of God’s self-disclosure and incredible abiding grace by which He dwells among His people. Discovering God’s intimate desire to dwell with me and His longing to incorporate humanity into His loving communion touches me at the deepest level of my being.
A Word from Bethlehem
The Christmas story must respond to the tears and pain of those who have walked through the valley of broken humanity. If God is so peaceful, why does such brutality, war, and murder happen to a child from Bethlehem?
Lies About God We’re Tempted to Believe
The temptations of Jesus are our temptations too. We are tempted to see God not as His true character but as one who meets our every need and softens our every landing. When we ignore the darkness, pretending that the devil is not lurking in the shadows, the tempter drives a wedge between us and our view of God. He tempts us with physical gratifications that bring temporary comfort, with a pride that appeals to our intellect, and with things that can be possessed (1 John 2:16). Jesus lives by listening to the voice of His loving Father over all the other voices competing for His attention. His example shows us how to live.
On Edge with Paul: Learning from African-American Readings
Despite their horrible circumstances and the prevailing misinterpretations of Scripture, many slaves clung tenaciously to hope, refusing to let go of a God who loved them. Instead of rejecting Paul because proponents of slavery used the letters of Paul to defend their oppression, they chose to read it well and faithfully.
Theological InTents 