I’ve been trying to figure out why the events in Charleston this week have affected me as they have. Yes, it’s a tragedy. Nine good people are gone from this world. But let’s face it: this happens every day. Every day, our news cycle is filled with death. I become immune to it just like everyone else. There might be …
Preaching to the Choir
I was supposed to talk about David and Goliath this week, about how we read it as children and how we need to read it as adults. There are themes of abuse of power, the cost of a warrior culture, the providence and protection of God. It’s a great story. I would have been clever and provocative. But something happened …
Jesus is a Jerk
One of this week’s Scriptures has always troubled me. In Matthew 15.21-28 Jesus is a jerk – kind of a racist jerk. This raises a lot of questions. First, we have to wonder if it really happened. Jesus first ignores the Canaanite woman’s needs and then calls her a dog. That’s not nice. Jesus is nice. We know that from …