Advent is about learning to wait even when nothing seems to be happening. Over the years I have buried many faithful men and women who spent a lifetime helping God give birth to a new world governed by love. I have often wondered how they felt at the end, especially if their last years were spent in a time of social unrest and turmoil.
Read MoreThe upcoming season of Advent will bear witness to the God of tenacious solidarity once again. The story of Advent is that in a dark time, God pursued us. God sent the prophets, John the Baptist, and finally Jesus to bring us home to where we belong.
Read MoreWhen we thank others for what a blessing they have been to us, I believe we are telling them how grateful God is for their lives. When we thank someone else, we are the voice of the Holy Spirit saying, “You are my son/my daughter, with whom I am well pleased” (Matt. 3.17).
Read MoreWe are all sustained by daily gifts of love. How could we make this a practice during Advent?
Read MoreLittle children take in everything. If we want our children and grandchildren to give their allegiance to God’s ways, we are going to have to “whisper” God’s words into their hearts daily. If we don’t whisper these words, they will listen to other words.
Read MoreFor Martin Luther King the beloved community was a society with economic and social justice for all. It was a society in which the color of your skin, your ethnic background, or your religious affiliation were not your fundamental identity. Every person was a beloved child of God, made in the image of God, deserving of love and respect. The beloved community was God’s vision for society.
Read MoreIn an election season, or any other for that matter, the prophetic role of the church is not primarily to advocate for particular policies (although it is that too), it is primarily to announce the larger issues at hand. Are we advocating for policies that enhance a just society? Are we supporting leaders who will work for the common good, giving special attention to those most at risk? And do we realize the dire consequences that come when we enact unjust policies?
Read MoreJesus was deeply committed to helping God shape the politics of this world to be consistent with God’s ways. Followers of Jesus should do the same.
Read MoreI have a hunch that most of us have “one thing”—one main thing—that prevents us from receiving a deeper experience of life. We all have some “possession” that we need to give away.
Read MoreLiving a faithful life doesn’t mean that we don’t lose our health, our jobs and our friends. Accepting that is tough enough, but what really galls us is this: While we often suffer misfortune in spite of our faithfulness, we are aware that many people prosper who are selfish and narcissistic….What sustains us in a world like this?
Read More