There’s a popular misconception out there that the “Old Testament God” was mean and scary and that the “New Testament God” is kindly and loving. Considering this misconception, it’s ironic that throughout Christianity’s history, Christians have tended to be quite a bit more timid when it comes to prayer than our Jewish cousins in faith. … Continue reading Honesty, with God and Self
Why is the sky blue? Why can’t people fly? Why do I need to eat vegetables? Why can’t I play in the rain without a coat? Why? Why? Why? Asking why is the hallmark of childhood. Children are naturally curious, eager to learn everything they can about the world around them. Yet somewhere along the … Continue reading Curiosity
I fully admit at the outset that I don’t like this morning’s Gospel reading, the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk 16.19-31). It’s an outlier in many ways. It isn’t set up like a parable, nor does it have the markers we associate with true stories. It also seemingly presents a startling vision … Continue reading Uncomfortable Truths
While Christians aren’t exactly known for our humour, the one joke most Christians make is to say that God has a good sense of humour. It’s a sentiment that gets rolled out when we’re confronted with a range of unusual or unexpected things, from the sight of a platypus to an experience of order appearing … Continue reading Humour
Soviet dissident writer Aleksandr Solzhenitysn famously said that the line between good and evil runs not between states, ideologies, or people, but right through the middle of them. It seems to be the way of life in our fallen world, where even humanity’s greatest and most beautiful aspirations are marred by our ugliest traits. Lust … Continue reading The Unruly and Abnormal Holy Spirit
Matthew Root 