I’m continually amazed — though I really shouldn’t be at this point in my life — at how religion can be a force for good in the world, but also a force of great evil, evil made all the more powerful by being couched in the language of faithfulness. We are certainly at a moment … Continue reading Who Is Wise? A Reflection on James 3.13-4.3, 7-8a
The last century has seen an incredible shift in the world, away from a society in which most people lived and died where they were born to one in which few people do so. This has led to a world where we have many more options and opportunities, but also one in which fewer and … Continue reading Wisdom IN Literature: Hannah Coulter and Record of a Spaceborn Few on Belonging
There are few more fundamental questions for the human spirit than "What makes a life meaningful?" In big and small ways, it’s a question most pieces of art, whether literary, musical, theatrical, or visual, address. Today I’d like to talk about two novels that tackle the question head on: Robertson Davies’ 1970 masterpiece Fifth Business, … Continue reading Wisdom IN Literature: Martyr! and Fifth Business on a Meaningful Life
“Who do you say that I am?” This is the question Jesus poses in today’s Gospel reading, and it’s a question that confronts every Christian every day. The context of the question then and today is quite different, of course. Peter’s ultimate answer here, “You are the Messiah,” is obvious to those of us who … Continue reading Christs of Our Own Making: A Reflection on Mark 8.27-38
As I mentioned last week, a surprising number of the books I’ve read in the past year or so that deal with spiritual themes do so while also exploring themes of gender and sexuality. In that post, I explored that trend through the idea of the arena, at how these issues that are so controversial … Continue reading Wisdom IN Literature: All the World Beside on Flexibility and Faith
Matthew Root 