Over the past few weeks, while we've been working through Paul's vision of Christian life and community in Romans 12-13, the Sunday lectionary has simultaneously been working through another story of the confrontation between God's people and Empire, that great paradigmatic story at the heart of both Judaism and Christianity: the Exodus. The part of … Continue reading The God of the Hebrews: A Reflection on Exodus 14.19-31
I go for walks or runs every morning, and I'm blessed that my routes take me through a beautiful ravine system that snakes its way through my part of the city. One of the great things about this daily practice is that it helps me to notice the subtle changes in this little ecosystem as … Continue reading Wake Up Call: A reflection on Romans 13.8-14
'Who am I?' It's one of the most fundamental questions of the human experience. As children we learn to differentiate ourselves from our parents, families, and friend groups. Through trial and error, we figure out what we're good at (and where we struggle), what we value, what we believe, and who and how we want … Continue reading A Question of Identity: A Reflection on Matthew 16.13-20 and Romans 12.1-8
The reading today from Genesis recounts what is for my money one of the most powerful stories in all of Western religion: Joseph's reconciliation with his brothers. While I have never done a deep-dive on this passage here, I have commented before on Joseph's remarkable, gracious reframing of his brothers' betrayal in terms of God's … Continue reading A Tale of Two Brothers
Poor Peter. Poor much-praised, much-maligned, brilliant, bull-headed, courageous, and fearful Peter. It's no surprise that of all the disciples in the boat in today's Gospel reading (in which Jesus walks on water during a storm), it's Peter who tests the ghostly apparition's identity. It's Peter who has the guts to get out of the boat … Continue reading It’s not the waves, it’s the wind
