It is a terrible thing, the burden of living in time, that every action we take is ultimately irrevocable. We cannot undo that which we have done. As Omar Khayyam put it in his poem the Rubaiyat: The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit. Shall lure it back to … Continue reading Irrevocable
The solution to loneliness is not connection. Or to put it more correctly, deep social connection is not, by itself, the complete answer to our predicament. This is partly because loneliness is not simply a problem to be solved. As one reads more and more about the ‘epidemic‘, it is worth considering whether the problem … Continue reading Loneliness, Integrity, and the Limits of the Created Person
[He] was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). The priesthood of Christ not only presents us with a sympathetic mediator, with a minister of mercy, but makes possible a new sort of holiness, a different kind of sanctification then we might imagine. In approaching this Great High Priest, I come nearer to … Continue reading On the Priesthood of the Wounded
Occasionally, I tell certain students that they can be right or they can be happy. They have usually been eristic, more clever than kind, critical or corrective of their peers in ways which are not fruitful. More in love with their own rightness than is meet. In other words, they are like me, writing checks … Continue reading Would You Rather be Right or Happy?
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:29) Paul nests this verse between one which declares that God shall use not only hardship, but all things to the Good of those who love God … Continue reading That He might be the Firstborn among many Brothers and Sisters.
My friend Hannah Eagleson put me in touch with them. the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN). ESN is a ministry of InterVarsity geared toward graduate students and those in academics. I was asked to write a short piece for thanksgiving and here it is: http://blog.emergingscholars.org/2016/11/thanksgiving-for-domestic-hospitality-scholars-compass/ Continue reading Thanksgiving & Hospitality with the Emerging Scholars Network
Social conditioning in A Brave New World (coupled with genetic and pharmacological engineering) succeeds in eliminating nearly all conflict, but it also undermines certain fundamental elements of a truly human polis. Ironically, in this highly uniform society, it is unity which is undermined most of all. This is because social unity, understood as a communion of persons, cannot be achieved merely … Continue reading Unity vs. Uniformity (The Second of Three Meditations on A Brave New World)
To be a disciple is fundamentally to be a learner. But while a geometry student submits his mind to a proof or theorem, a learner of Christ is called to submit his whole being to God. And while the student may come to internalize a truth, the disciple can come to embody God’s presence. This is because both Learning and discipleship happen through a process of poetic formation. In … Continue reading The Poetics of Faith and Learning, Part 4
When Nathan confronts David concerning his sin with Bathsheba, the Scriptures present us with a model of divine restoration. God mercifully restores the fallen king through His prophet, Nathan. Nathan does this by re-contextualizing the law within a framework of affections and relationships. He does this in order to help David reestablish himself within such a framework. In this scriptural … Continue reading Logocentric Restoration: The Cosmic Gift of Repentance
When the Hairy Hooligans are ambushed aboard their ship, their captors announce a plan to execute Stoick, the head of the viking tribe as well as his heir. It is at this moment in Cressida Cowell’s How to be a Pirate (from her How to Train a Dragon Series) that Hiccup steps forth in heroic loyalty to his father. … Continue reading On the Power of Asking Questions
Same & Other 