President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan certainly has gotten people talking, especially on social media. Among this chatter many are using the Bible both to defend and to decry this policy, but I do not think this is the right approach. Let me begin by saying I am in favor of some form of student... Continue Reading →
Baptizing Political Beliefs
I saw recently Russell Moore wrote two pieces for Christianity Today on the relationship between evangelicalism and conservative politics, both are must reads (here & here). In these articles Moore provides evidence that the current wave of conservative faith-based is not in fact rooted in churches, but in those who have given up the much... Continue Reading →
Rejecting Scripture for the Spirit?
Twice in the last few weeks I have seen posts that pitted Scripture against the Holy Spirit. In both cases the statement was worded in such a way as to say that the individual was going to trust the moving of the Spirit over (and in one contrary to Scripture). These were posts I did... Continue Reading →
Saying No to a Ring of Power
“All this stuff is mainly concerned with Fall, Mortality, and the Machine.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, describing his book, the Silmarillion. I am about to do a very dangerous thing. I am going to recommend a TV show I haven’t yet seen. You see, Amazon is spending about a billion dollars on a TV series telling... Continue Reading →
Text for the Week: on Being Puffed Up
1 Corinthians 4:6-9 I have applied all this to Apollos and myself for your benefit, brothers and sisters, so that you may learn through us what “Not beyond what is written” means, so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of one against another. For who sees anything different in you? What... Continue Reading →
Focusing on the World
One thing I have been concerned about recently is the number of people who are talking about being unlike the world. I understand that scripture tells us to be separate from the world and to live lives that are different from those around us. There is a frequent refrain within the New Testament of being... Continue Reading →
Text for the Week: Love Does Not Burn with Envy
1 Corinthians 3:1-9 And so, brothers and sisters,a I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the... Continue Reading →
What is at Stake in Our View of David
In my last post (here) I wrote a brief exegesis of 2 Samuel 11:2-5 in response to a debate circling about the nature of David’s relationship with Bathsheba. In this post I want to tackle why I think so many are upset by those identifying this incident as rape. I should say there are a... Continue Reading →
What was David’s Sin?
Warning: this week I am taking on what I consider to be a sensitive issue which requires discussing assault. Recently I have seen a controversy brewing on Twitter around the nature of David’s sin with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. There are any number of people who are extremely upset about the idea that some... Continue Reading →
The Hidden Treasures and Perils of the Stars
I am very excited by the fact that NASA released the first image from the James Webb Space Telescope (here) this week. I have been fascinated by the explanations of the photo that I have seen and particularly about how the light is warped through space. I also found it fascinating the theological conversations this... Continue Reading →