Stepping upon Christ’s back
Getting your theology from pop lyrics is usually a poor idea, but there are wonderful exceptions. Take Terry Taylor’s 1998 solo album, John Wayne. Known better for raucous numbers like “Hide the Beer,...
View ArticleJesus: The sweetest name
Jesus, the door Jesus, the road Jesus, the guide Jesus, the goal Jesus, the beginning Jesus, the end Jesus, maker of all worlds Jesus, babe in Mary’s womb Jesus, physician of my soul Jesus, healer of...
View ArticleGrace and the blame game
There’s a view of God’s sovereignty that can leave us with nothing to do. Since God provides for all our needs, it seems as if there is little to do but wait for him to act and accept everything that...
View ArticleThe gangster, the cardinal, and us
In You’ve got Mail, Tom Hanks’s character says that all of life’s questions can be answered by reference to The Godfather. Not quite, but close. For instance, just ask yourself why in a supposedly...
View ArticleJesus comes to us so we can go for him
On the Sunday after Easter the Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates the encounter of the Apostle Thomas with the risen Jesus. You know the story. Skeptical about his fellow disciples’ enthusiastic...
View ArticleDaddy by grace: An adoption insight
My Moses can be a fickle child. The other night he said in his singsongy, Luganda-tinged voice, “You are not my daddy.” It’s a funny thing to hear as an adoptive father. My response was funny too. It...
View ArticleThe Lord’s Prayer: God’s words, our needs
Why does the Lord’s Prayer matter? Let the context answer the question. In Luke’s account, Jesus’ disciples approach. They point to John the Baptist’s practice of teaching his disciples to pray and ask...
View ArticleWhere you go to meet with God
During the Last Supper the disciple Philip asked Jesus show him God. “Lord,” he said, as recorded by John’s gospel, “show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied” (14.8). Did Philip know what he was...
View ArticleChrist is both our goal and our way
Christ is everything to the believer. Our lives follow his. This short reflection from Augustine’s City of God shows us that Christ is the goal of human life and the way we walk toward that goal. He’s...
View ArticleIrenaeus on the purpose of Christ’s passion
As we reflect today on the events of Great and Holy Friday, observe Christ’s descent into Hades, and look forward to his paschal triumph, here’s a passage adapted from Irenaeus’ Against Heresies worth...
View Article
