Listen, reflect, engage: voices for justice

Listen, reflect, engage: voices for justice

I am hesitant to add my voice to all of the other voices speaking at this time in history. Do I have anything new or original to add? I do not. Yet I choose to add my voice for the simple reasons of solidarity and of the potential dangers of silence. As Dietrich...

When the unjust win

Sometimes the unjust win. It can make you both mad and sad, but the wicked do seem to prosper and the system is set in their favor. That can be very distressing. Our friend Asaph faced that in his prayer recorded in Psalm 73.  This is just a brief excerpt: I encourage...

Church under a bridge?

Here’s a new solution to the church building problem—meet under an interstate bridge. I don’t know this church or its pastor personally, but a friend of mine mentioned it to me because she knows I’m always interested in unique approaches to doing church. This church...

Getting angry at what angers God

I read John 2 recently, about the clearing of the temple. This passage is often cited for the idea of “righteous anger”—it’s okay to get angry if it’s for a good reason. I think that’s true. But take it one step further—what did Jesus get angry about? I think at the...

Leaving our neighborhoods better than we found them

In Guatemala, 50% of the population self-identifies as evangelical, but the communities have not been transformed. That’s a bunch of people who say they’re following Jesus. Yet there is still rampant corruption and injustice in the country. If 50% of the people were...

The good news of the Kingdom of God

What comes to mind when we hear the phrase “the good news”? Generally we think the gospel, yes.  But what gospel? A set of beliefs including the virgin birth, incarnation, death, atonement, resurrection, repentance and salvation? Yes. What else? As I looked to the...