A friend of mine tells a story that has stuck with me for twenty years now. A kindly older gentleman came into the store where she worked during her summer vacations in university and asked after a certain product. Unfortunately for my friend, her customer spoke with a thick Scottish brogue and she couldn’t understand … Continue reading Two Ways of Thinking about Religion (Languages of God, Part I)
Over the past seven months, I’ve been exploring the Values in Action (VIA) character strengths through the lens of Christian faith and how they are all examples of the kind of “good fruit” our lives are called to produce. The goal of the series has been to broaden our perspective on what a good life … Continue reading Abundant Life
Last week, I concluded the series on character strengths as good spiritual fruit by talking about love. One of the questions that comes up often in talk about love is the question of self-love. If love is about transcending the barrier between two people and living for the other, then surely the love of self is … Continue reading …As Yourself
The Hebrew Bible text assigned for today presents a curious story. Moses is leading the people from slavery in Egypt through the wilderness to the land of Canaan. The journey is hard and the people are complaining. As a result of their complaints, they are beset by venomous snakes until they cry out for help. … Continue reading Deliverance (A reflection on Numbers 21.4-9)
I’m not sure whether it’s saving the best for last, or the most difficult for last, but we’ve finally come to the end of this series on character strengths as good spiritual fruit, and today’s topic is both among the best and the most difficult to talk about: Love. Love lies at the heart of … Continue reading Love
Matthew Root 