As a high school student, I remember watching a news story with my father about a horrific murder. I was so aghast, that I blurted out, “How terrible. That’s so inhumane.” Without hesitation, my father responded, “Son, murder is not inhumane. Inhumane means not human. But humans did that.” He caught me off guard. ButContinue reading “When Murder Is Not Inhumane”
Category Archives: choices
So You Have to Make a Decision
Researchers at Cornell University estimate that we make 226.7 decisions about food in one day.1 That’s a staggering number of decisions attached to the stomach. But what about the decisions that affect our souls rather than merely our stomachs? In the daily-ness of our decisions, we tend to forget God’s good design for us asContinue reading “So You Have to Make a Decision”
This Continues to Baffle Me
Only half of U.S. pastors are “very satisfied” with their vocation, marking a steep decline in pastoral satisfaction over the past decade, according to a study released by Barna Group. The research released Wednesday is based on a survey of 584 Protestant pastors conducted from Sept. 6-16, 2022, as part of Barna’s new Resilient Pastor Initiative examiningContinue reading “This Continues to Baffle Me”
The Gestalt Shift
The run-up to Christmas in my city, like most places in the US, witnesses a wide variety of yard adornments celebrating the season. Some are gaudy inflatables of Christmas cartoony creatures. Some are simply glowing messages of “Peace” or “Seasons Greetings” (absent the needed apostrophe). And many are, appropriately, scenes representing the real “reason forContinue reading “The Gestalt Shift”
Peace in Every Confinement
Only after I got out of the hospital and went home was I hit with the cold facts of my paralysis. Doorways were too narrow. Sinks were too high. My knees hit the edge of the dining table. A plate of food was placed before me, but my hands were limp and useless. Someone else—atContinue reading “Peace in Every Confinement”
The Future Of LBGTQ
After climbing steadily for almost a decade, the percentage of Americans who identify as LGBTQ remained steady at 7.2% in 2022, according to the latest Gallup survey. While the percentage is more than double Gallup’s first measurement in 2012 (3.5%), 2022 levels remained statistically even with the previous year (7.1%). Most of those identifying asContinue reading “The Future Of LBGTQ”
Christians and Music
I was a teenager in the 1980s, and like most teens, I loved listening to music. My favorite bands were Journey, Def Leppard, The Police, Michael Jackson, and many others. I had no issues with the lyrics I heard or the style of the music. I just loved it all. But then, I wasn’t aContinue reading “Christians and Music”
When God Judges a Nation
In terms of politics, conservatives such as myself can understand why various secular left rulers seek power and get into office: they have an activist agenda to transform the West into their own radical image. They are pursuing leftist – often Marxist – ideology and they want to thoroughly remake nations into that which fitsContinue reading “When God Judges a Nation”
Falling Away
I can still recall the conversation although it took place more than three decades ago. A shocked friend asked, “Have you heard that Sarah is no longer a Christian?” What was so alarming to my friend was that Sarah had been one of the most influential, and apparently fruitful, members of her Inter-Varsity group. WhatContinue reading “Falling Away”
The Source of Your Unrest
Have you noticed that most of your unrest comes from yourself? We get stuck ruminating on the things we can’t change or control. Unforgiveness stops us from moving toward healing in our relationships. Pervasive negativity prevents us from enjoying the moment. Exhaustion keeps us functioning as only a shadow version of ourselves. Excuses keep usContinue reading “The Source of Your Unrest”