A Good Friday
Around this time of year, I’m invariably reminded of the line Tony Campolo popularized: It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming. Because Good Friday is the day we remember the Crucifixion; and Easter Sunday, the Resurrection. But this year, it occurs to me that we’ve focused on only part of the story. Easter Sunday isn’t the end […]
Living a Life of Balanced Thoughts
I think my theme for this week is: life is getting better. If you’re a Gilmore Girls fan, you might remember the episode after Rory and Dean had their affair, the one in which Dean’s wife Lindsay discovers Rory’s “heinous letter in Dean’s jacket.” Oy f***in’ vey! See, this is what happens when children grow […]
Running for God 2: Faith and Works
A couple weeks I posted a long, theological piece called “Running for God,” which I had expected would inspire controversy and boredom (though not necessarily in that order). Instead, I got some encouraging comments on it. I had originally written the piece as my final essay for a Foundation theology course at MJTI that I […]
Running for God
I was only a boy when Chariots of Fire first hit the silver screen. I remember watching it with my parents— This is long before Internet streaming or NetFlix or DVDs, and video-tape machines were even still pretty expensive, and films were not released for home viewing as they usually are today. So imagine how […]
Redefining Marriage?
My father over at his blog posted a two-part series on gay marriage. It started as an initial post called “Redefining Marriage,” which proved controversial enough among his theological colleagues that he felt a need to post part 2 to clarify. What follows is in reply to part 1. Same-sex marriage is now a fact […]
Stranger in a Strange Land
This past week, the Little One and I watched “First Contact,” the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. Not the Star Trek movie by the same name, but the series episode, which originally aired exactly 21 years ago this past Saturday. Also this past Saturday, we read as part of our Torah Parsha: “Do not […]
On the First Day of Hanukkah…
In our house, we light the traditional Hanukkah candles, as we did last night, lighting the first candle and singing the blessings of the first night of Hanukkah. And we give gifts for the kids each night; not expensive presents like they’re likely to get from their grandparents on Christmas, but small, fun gifts to […]
What a Disappointment: Crony Capitalism and the Religious Right
As you may recall, I’m a friend neither of crony capitalism nor of the religious right. I hate crony capitalism, because it corrupts honest people just trying to run honest businesses and do an honest day’s work. That’s one of the reasons, I think, why everyone loves the “free market” but despises “capitalism.” And when […]
I Can Do All Things… (on Philippians 4:13)
Apparently this week’s most favorite misunderstood bible quote, I’ve run into it multiple times recently, from multiple sources: I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13 NIV) What an empowering thought. Isn’t it great that we can accomplish anything we set our minds to, through God’s strength? Bzzt. Wrong! What Paul […]