The other day I was reading a book review and was sad, though, even more sadly not surprised, to see “religion” listed under its content warnings. Not “religious abuse,” not “cults,” but “religion” itself. And, being an American book, the religion in question was Christianity. What a sad and disturbing statement on the state of … Continue reading Waking Up to Love: A Reflection on Romans 13.8-14
In Tuesday’s post, I discussed the first lesson from permaculture that I think can help us build a more sustainable life of faith, the importance of observation: How, in order to build anything lasting in life, we need to understand our environment, the givens of our situation, and the nature of the problem before we … Continue reading A Faith that Lasts: Think and Act in Systems
The goal of this series is to see how the principles of permaculture, the discipline of living, working, and creating sustainably within one’s environment, might interact with Christian faith to help us, as individuals and as communities, find ways of living faithfully for the long haul, without burning out, flaming out, or getting snuffed out. … Continue reading A Faith that Lasts: Observe and Understand
Last Sunday’s Gospel reading featured the wonderful interaction in which Jesus and his disciples talk about his identity. Peter, of course, identifies him as the long-awaited Messiah, the anointed leader who would restore Israel, and the passage ends with Jesus blessing Peter for his insight. But, as is so often the case, both with Peter … Continue reading A Tale of Two Rebukes: A Reflection on Matthew 16.21-28
If we look at ‘how the world works’ right now, it’s clear that things aren’t actually working. Our economic systems are benefiting fewer and fewer people, our education systems are focused on making ‘good workers’ more than good, informed, and critical-thinking citizens, our community organizations are emptying out even in the midst of a loneliness … Continue reading A Faith that Lasts: Introduction
Matthew Root 