Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist, agnostic, Jew, Christian—“the whole world [is] held accountable to God” (3:19). It’s God’s world. Christians aren’t the only ones living on God’s earth nor the only…
As we find out elsewhere in the New Testament, not every Roman soldier was from Italy. The centurion—like a captain in the army, over around one hundred soldiers—the centurion may…
Some can get so hung up on the horrible, deplorable misogynist patriarchy that they lose sight of the fact that Scripture doesn’t exactly paint the noblest picture of men to…
My phone buzzes at odd, unpredictable hours, especially around the big holidays: amber alerts—child abductions. Often at those times of the year, it seems one parent is taking a child…
There’s just enough distance between Jesus and his followers as they walk along that, though their words aren’t distinct to him, Jesus can tell they’re arguing. The church continues to…
Jesus is mean. We don’t like mean Jesus. Mean Jesus is too much for us. Can you imagine Jesus insulting someone or treating anyone like a second-class person? You don’t…
While my residence for many years was elsewhere, my hometown was Portland, Oregon. Should I say my hometown is Portland? I prefer was. The novelist wrote you can’t go home…
Child of the ‘70s that I am, Star Wars was a big event in my young life, especially the spectacular climax: how could those big, bright torpedoes go down those…
It must have been around 1980 or so. I was sitting in a theater watching a movie and eating Jujyfruits—turns out they’re still making those. I noticed an ad on…