When I read my friend Neil's blog post, The Christian Finish, I couldn't help but think of "Christian Instagram culture" -- the types of posts that feature open Bibles next to mugs of coffee (guilty), with a story of hardship and how God came through in the end. As you know, being an Episcopalian and… Continue reading Inspiration for wealthy evangelicals (and no one else)
I once had a high school English teacher who told the class we could argue in our term papers that Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is about a cheese sandwich, and get full credit...if we could make a credible case for it, using textual and historical evidence. As far as I'm aware, no one wrote a… Continue reading On having a “flexible faith”
Harold Kushner's book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, is a beloved classic for people of all religious backgrounds. For those who haven't read it -- or read it a long time ago and need a refresher, since the book is nearly 40 years old -- did you know Kushner asserts that God wants… Continue reading Two theologies of suffering
Ever since the kerfuffle at the March for Life last week between a group of Catholic school boys in MAGA hats and a Native American veteran, I've been thinking a lot about symbols -- how they get their meaning, and how the same object or slogan can mean different things to different people. I know… Continue reading MAGA hats and the importance of symbols
It's one thing to protest for a cause -- and another to do it in the nation's capital. I'd done the former a few times, but when my mom told me she would pay for my plane ticket to Cleveland so we could drive down to DC together, it was an offer I couldn't refuse.… Continue reading Why I marched
There are a lot of articles out there for Christians whose testimonies are too "bland." For the person who grew up in a Christian home and answered an altar call at the age of four, who can't remember a time in their lives when they weren't Christian, they often wonder: how can I make an… Continue reading For the Christian whose testimony is “different”
Instead of specific New Year's resolutions, I try to stick to general, non-specific goals for the year (ie: increase my freelance business vs. increase my salary by at least $10k). One such goal that's been on my mind for a while is to make lifestyle changes so I produce less waste, and consume less as… Continue reading A few lifestyle changes for 2019
"Christian influencers" are everywhere on social media -- I even follow a few of them, hoping to find posts that address the same spiritual struggles I deal with, or kindred spirits whose backgrounds are similar to mine. In a recent Instagram story critiquing the popular self-help book, Girl, Wash Your Face, one such "influencer" I… Continue reading What does a “Christian influencer” do?
See also: Why the Episcopal Church? Part 1 Episcopalians are just one denomination in the liturgical strands of Christianity that recite the Nicene Creed every week during their Sunday services. This creed, if you're unfamiliar with it, is basically a summation of the central doctrines of the Christian faith. It was composed in the 4th… Continue reading Why the Episcopal Church? Part 2
I was sitting in a coffee shop a few months ago, working on a book review for a company I was freelancing for at the time. The book was about whether or not the Apostle Paul was bigoted, misogynistic, and homophobic, given what he wrote about slaves, women, and other groups. The book was lying… Continue reading John Allen Chau and misplaced evangelical zeal
