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They laughed behind cupped hands, grade-school whispers assessing her dress. Look! It’s as big as a tent! Peter’s face reddened as he accepted his forgotten lunch bag from his mother’s strong hand. Her face glowed, Scandinavian accent thick as she spoke love over her son in broken English. I dangled upside down from the playground bars, observing this heavyset woman adorned in a shapeless house dress swishing past her ankles. ... continue reading
One area that seems to be particularly in the crosshairs of progressive governments is schooling. The moral formation of the secular education system is designed to produce model citizens who will help us move towards a more just and equitable society. So far, so good. That’s what a Christian education system desires also. Yet their methods are at odds with each other. Christianity’s doctrine of human flourishing is now regarded as part of society’s problem, not part of its solution.... continue reading
It’s unfortunately common to hear that church is one of the hardest places to be in the midst of hardship. Maybe you have limped into church, weighed down by things like sadness, fear, or disappointment. Yet the place you hoped to find healing and refuge left you feeling hurt and alone. As the body of Christ joined together in praise, you felt dislocated in your pain.... continue reading
The moment we honestly consider that there is a day on the calendar that will indeed be our last day, suddenly 80 years of life—4,200 Sundays—feels very, very short. The Scriptures that teach us that God has numbered our days (e.g. Psalm 139:16) exhort us to do likewise.... continue reading
When it comes to thinking about the environment, there are a few ways Christians tend to respond.... continue reading
Every human pregnancy involves a mother and a father. A man and a woman contribute to conception. In most cases, a mother wants the father to take an active interest in the pregnancy and preparation for the baby's birth. Likewise, she often wants him to be a reassuring presence during labour and delivery—and an active partner in parenting. Naturally, she will want him to share the grief that miscarriage brings. Nevertheless, the father's experience with miscarriage often goes unaddressed in the contemporary church.... continue reading
Goldfish see what’s in the water, they see what’s refracted through the water, but I assume (I haven’t done the proper investigations) that goldfish don’t see the water itself. And yet there it is. It’s their environment. Universal but invisible. It shapes everything they do and everything they see. But they don’t see it.... continue reading
Queen Elizabeth II has been Britain’s queen for over 70 years, having become queen in 1926 when she was just 25 years old. During her reign she has worked with 14 British prime ministers and met every US president since Harry S. Truman (except for President Lyndon B. Johnson). She has also met chart-topping pop stars, medal-winning athletes, and knew the Bible teachers Billy Graham and John Stott. Her travels have taken her to over 110 countries across six continents, making her Britain’s best-travelled as well as longest-reigning monarch.... continue reading
What is it about grace that’s so hard to grasp? I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve asked children and young people from Christian homes why Jesus died, or what difference forgiveness makes to our lives, and they’ve come back with thoughts about how you ought to behave—no grace in sight. Or I’ve asked them what grace means and they’ve triumphantly told me it’s God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense, but without being able to explain what that means in practice. “What riches?” I say. “Ummm…” they reply.... continue reading
“You can’t take the Bible seriously—it’s so full of contradictions!” Perhaps you have heard statements like this. Perhaps you’ve made them. Maybe you’re not sure how to respond. The apparent contradictions in the Bible appear to undermine the reliability of the Christian faith.... continue reading
