So what are the various views on justice that have been developed? What intellectual and historical support do they have, and how does each align with or differ from a biblical view of justice? Remember that we have just walked through the biblical narrative asking the same question posed to Jesus by a Jewish lawyer:…
In a full biblical study of “Who is my neighbor?” there are several chapters to the Story that impact how we reason through and live out a just treatment of others. I’d like to give a brief overview of these and then a few comparisons and approaches to synthesis which might help us understand the…
Regular and effective Bible reading is a challenge for many Christians, even some who are active in ministry. There are many reasons for this, some of which are probably excuses and others may be more valid. What is clear is that neither shame nor making excuses for ourselves will actually get us reading. We need…
Throughout history, every civilization has wrestled with two fundamental questions: What is ultimate reality? and What is the place of the individual within the community? The way a people answers these questions shapes its laws, art, economics, education, and destiny. When we place civilizations along two axes: biblical vs. non-biblical (rooted in transcendent moral order…
For the last 2 plus years I have been in a men’s Bible study led by a good friend of mine. Last year was a very special year since he was away and I was challenged to continue the group and our study of Romans. Meeting once a week, we were able to cover chapters…
Some people want proof that the Christian view corresponds to reality… What type of proof would be valid? If you mean evidence from laboratory experiments, what science consistently shows is that: All known experimental evidence points in the opposite direction. If you want proof from logic, we can reason that: If you mean proof from…
I meant to post this back in May during the season of graduations… It is a joy to celebrate these accomplishments, especially when we look back at how each one has grown in many ways. But it also makes us wonder what God has next for them and where they will invest their life and…
Many of the observations in Ecclesiastes are related to work. We might even say that Solomon is investigating the significance of our work on earth. This is highlighted by the repeated phrase “under the sun”. If you want more on this topic and an interesting overview of the book, read this article. We often wonder if…
As we look more closely at Ecclesiastes, we will examine a few themes which Solomon explores. These themes also relate to our current context as we attempt to make sense of time, life, death, purpose, meaninglessness, hope, despair and the value and functions of wisdom. If you want a bit more insight into the wisdom…
What are your hopes and plans for the New Year? This is a question I often ask others and also try to take extra time with at the end of every year. The basis of this question includes a few basic assumptions which are important to understand and also help us to better respond to…
It is interesting that each community usually takes on the personality of its leadership and its leadership is also a reflection of the values of that same community. Depending on the values of the community, this could produce very different types of leaders, leaders who only serve themselves or leaders who serve others.One approach would…
After reflecting on my posts from January a bit more, here are a few other things that come to mind… 1. It is difficult to have meaningful discussions when we can’t agree on common terms or definitions of words. Words like mother, father, marriage, love and even truth are now being twisted so that reality is redefined…
