(The articles below do not necessarily reflect my opinions. I offer them as food for thought. Diner beware.)
What we lose when we prayer-shame politicians after a mass shooting
Hashtag activism has become, in many ways, our new secularized form of praying. The expressing of one’s opinion is a way to say, “I’m the sort of person who wants to restrict guns” or “I’m the sort of person who wants to racially profile Muslims” or “I’m the sort of person who wants more resources for police.”
But let’s be clear: that’s not “doing something.” It is one more indication that politics has become more than just politics. It’s become a kind of secularized religion — with its own sets of orthodoxies, denominational distinctives, and rigorous forms of excommunication (the “block” button on Twitter).
Christmas means that God IS fixing this
And that is why “God is not fixing this” is fundamentally at odds with advent season. God is fixing this. The new world order has already begun through the coming of Christ, and we are awaiting its consummation when He returns. In the meantime, we live between two worlds—between what the world is and what it can and will be. And we weep and grieve and labor and strive in patient hope.
Muslim Strangers Who Remind My Family to Love People Well
Below, I have written about people who showed me how to be a good neighbor, how to love well. When I was a stranger, an outsider living in a foreign land, these people, all of them Muslims and all of them people I have never met before or since, served me and my family. I am forever grateful…
Trump’s opponents fail to recognize that his apparent vulnerabilities — his hubris, his narcissism, his bullying, his boisterousness — have been strengths in a primary campaign premised on defiance of political correctness, left and right.
Regardless of the outcome, the somewhat brutish tenor of the Trump campaign will leave a significant legacy, a legacy implicit in the question posed by Karen Tumulty of The Washington Post, “Will Trump eventually cross a line — or do the lines no longer exist?”
Donald Trump’s surge is all about less-educated Americans
In a nutshell, the people pushing Trump to the head of the polling pack in the very crowded Republican field, the people who have assured Trump a position on the debate stage next month and the people fueling Trump’s candidacy are — overwhelmingly but not limited to — white, Republicans with limited education. They have their reasons.
A Complementarian Manifesto Against Domestic Abuse
If we set our sights on avoiding abuse, we’re setting the bar far too low. Complementarians ought to be the most outspoken people against abuse. And we ought to keep watch most closely over our own churches to prevent it. Those in leadership must protect the vulnerable and go after the abuser with the full force of legal action and biblical zeal.
Egalitarians and complementarians have many differences to debate. Domestic abuse shouldn’t be one of them.
Two Major But Under the Radar Changes in American Churches
I never would have predicted these changes to take place so rapidly.
Indeed I am surprised to be writing about them today as major changes. But they are a growing reality.
The two major changes have a similar theme: decentralization. The first is a decentralization of facilities. The second is a decentralization of leadership.
The World’s Most Popular Bible Verses, According to 200 Million YouVersion Users
YouVersion also broke out which verses were shared the most over email, text, and social media.
The top five:
- Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
- Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
- Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
- Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
- Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
There Is Now an Airbnb for the Fictional Star Wars Universe
The parody site includes room listings for popular locations in the Star Wars universe, like the Wampa cave on Hoth, a private room with “excellent security” aboard the Death Star, and a luxury apartment in Cloud City. The website is also filled with references that fans of the films will find comical. For example, the listing for a night inside a Tauntaun is advertised as having “limited availability” and the space is described as being “pretty tight, but is sure to keep you snug as a bug in a … larger, dead bug.”