As regular readers here will know, I think and care a lot about the idea of story. And they will also know that the story of my life so far has had a lot of twists and turns. One of the most common reactions people have when they hear my story is to say, "Wow. … Continue reading The Stories of our Lives
In my post the other day about how "The righteous shall live by faith" is really an anti-imperial text, I made a comment in passing that the New Testament plays fast and loose in its appropriation of biblical texts. This took at least one reader by surprise, prompting her to ask me to explain what … Continue reading Completely Prophetical
The story of Israel as told in the Bible is a strange one. Whereas most of us tell stories that are carefully edited to justify our choices and responses to conflicts and minimize the impacts of our mistakes, the authors and editors of what we Christians call the Old Testament didn't do this. This story … Continue reading The Fight for Faith
Jesus' parables — analogies that explain the Kingdom of God — are one of the hallmarks of his teaching. A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say, and the pictures Jesus uses do much to open our minds to the nature of life with God. (Of course, as Jesus pointed out, if we … Continue reading Parables of the Kingdom
Today's Gospel reading is the Parable of the Sower: God's Kingdom is described as a farmer who spreads seed over his lands. He does this abundantly, even wastefully, casting it onto the rocks and roadside as much as on his fields. It's a fascinating story because it presents a unique and perhaps surprising perspective on … Continue reading Working the Land (A Reflection on the Parable of the Sower)
Matthew Root 