Human nature hungers for heroes. The discovery and promotion of special talent is multi-billion dollar business. The church too is tempted to follow people for similar reasons. We love those who evoke the verbs and adjectives of stardom: he’s dynamic, she’s great, he’s such fun, they’re hilarious, that worship band rocks, everyone’s following him these […]

Not all of us have a dark past with a made-for-movies conversion story; plenty of Christians have a history they could be proud of. Paul was an accomplished man. He so shone in his early career as a Pharisee that even as a follower of Jesus he pointed to his early confidence. However, Paul considered […]

According to the world, who we become in life depends on our DNA and environment. People are like plastic parts on an assembly line, cooked according to the genetic recipe and injected into the world’s mold. Not much purpose or destiny in that! Although it is mistaken, it is the prevailing worldview and affects how […]

If you ever find a modern two-headed coin, it’s a fake. Coin presses are set up in such a way that this is an impossible error. There are always two sides to the coin of our Christian identity too. On one side is what Jesus (the head) did for us; on the other is the […]

Driving home one day, there was a loud bang and my car was suddenly shunted to the left. A woman had turned into my lane too soon. One side panel looked like a kicked coke can; the rear door molded to her bumper and would not open. Thank goodness for body shops. They will pull […]

When you meet a new person, I’ll bet your conversation goes something like this: “Hi, I’m John. What’s your name?” “Pleased to meet you. I’m Fred.” Well Fred, what do you do for a living?” So long as Fred is not an undertaker, the conversation proceeds. However, asking about work is a lazy attempt to […]

Wouldn’t it be convenient to have a transporter like the one on the Starship Enterprise? It might be the ultimate time saving device, beaming your dematerialized self almost instantaneously to wherever you need to be, and then rematerializing you just in time for your appointment. It could whiz you past rush hour traffic or save […]