Learning to love others the way Jesus loves us
War, Job, and the presence of God Along with much of the West, I was horrified by the attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7. After being there more than 30 years ago, Israel captured my heart in a way few places can. The holiness of the place is unmistakable with so much of… Continue reading The Limits of Human Wisdom
Lamentations 3:25-28 The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is… Continue reading 4’33
Random thoughts from a thinker Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking… Continue reading Speaking clearly
Psalm 27: 4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. When Trouble Comes King David was adept at finding… Continue reading Come.
Community Read Hebrews 10: 19-25 and Acts 2, especially verses 42-47 Pray that the Lord will open your mind and heart to hear His voice. How do we love Jesus through community? There's a Greek word, κοινωνία (koinōnia) that brings together multiple aspects of fellowship. While "fellowship" is a delightful word, American English cannot fully… Continue reading Beloved: Reflection 5
Loyalty Read 3 John and Deuteronomy 7:6-10 Pray that the Lord will open your mind and heart to hear His voice. How do we stand with and for our brothers and sisters in the Lord? We step up. The concept of loyalty runs throughout the Bible, from the Hebrew אָמַן ( 'āman), meaning to be… Continue reading Beloved: Reflection 4
Care Read Luke 10:25-37 Pray that the Lord will open your mind and heart to hear His voice. What does it mean to care for one another as an act of love? It's important to consider what had just happened to visualize the setting of this parable fully. A crowd had gathered to hear about… Continue reading Beloved: Reflection 3
Affection Read Romans 12:3-18 Pray that the Lord will open your mind and heart to hear His voice. How can we show affection to one another in a culture that thrives on division? No one will argue that the last three years have made people unified, bonded, and more committed to loving when the contrary… Continue reading Beloved: Reflection 2
What does it mean to be beloved? How do we respond to being beloved? Love Read 1 John 4:7-21 Pray that the Lord will open your mind and heart to hear His voice. What does it mean to be loved by God and how does that love affect the way we treat others? The old… Continue reading Beloved: a five-part reflection, Reflection one
I've been thinking lately about the parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke's Gospel (10:25-37). At the same time, I've been reading the newspapers (usually the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times) and listening to podcasts like Honestly with Bari Weiss and Truth Over Tribe. Can I just say this? The world is… Continue reading American politics, neighbors, and enemies
Defaulting to Grace 