The Cross from Jesus’ Perspective: A Reflection on Matthew 21.33-46 (REPOST)

[Today's reading is the wonderful Parable of the Tenants, which to my mind offers us Jesus' clearest picture of how he understood his ministry. Since I'm still transitioning between series, I thought I'd share these words from 2023 about it. (I've also since done an Integral Reading on it as part of my series on … Continue reading The Cross from Jesus’ Perspective: A Reflection on Matthew 21.33-46 (REPOST)

Wisdom IN Literature: The Novice of Holloway Hall and The Winter Witch on Religious Abuse

One of the books I reference most often here is Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It tells the story of a Nigerian girl whose abusive father uses their Christian faith as a weapon to control her. This is an all-too-common theme in literature — not because literature has it out for Christianity or faith … Continue reading Wisdom IN Literature: The Novice of Holloway Hall and The Winter Witch on Religious Abuse

The Joy of Humility: A Reflection on Philippians 2.1-13

There are few passages more relevant to Christian life than the so-called Hymn of Humility in Philippians 2. So imagine my surprise when I discovered this week that, while I have cited it no fewer than seventeen times in the almost nine years of this blog, I’ve never dedicated a post to the passage in … Continue reading The Joy of Humility: A Reflection on Philippians 2.1-13

Wisdom IN Literature: Sun House on Sitting with Sadness

One of the most valuable things I’ve learned over the years as I’ve grappled with being human is the importance of taking perspective. This is a varied concept, including zooming out to better see one’s circumstances in the bigger context, putting oneself in others’ shoes, or zooming in to sit in one’s feelings about one’s … Continue reading Wisdom IN Literature: Sun House on Sitting with Sadness

Wisdom IN Literature: Sun House on Dumpster Faith

Over the past couple years as I’ve been grappling with both the Kingdom teachings of Jesus and the vocal move of many Christians towards their exact opposite, I’ve taken to calling the gospel “the anti-religion of Jesus.” What I mean by this is that it seems there’s a generalized ‘spirit of religion’ within humanity that … Continue reading Wisdom IN Literature: Sun House on Dumpster Faith