A sea of middle-school students surged through the hallway between periods. Suddenly, one seventh-grade girl lost her grip on her books and dropped them on the floor. Much to her chagrin, the boy behind her seized the opportunity and kicked the pile of books, sending them sliding down the hallway. His cronies hooted with laughter, humiliating the girl even further. Not one of the ruffians offered to help pick anything up. That girl was me—and unfortunately, that awful day was one of many bad junior high days. But now, middle school is behind me, right? No more eye-rolls or Continue Reading
One surprising way to be an awesome father
Go to any drugstore or card shop to grab a Father’s Day card, and you’ll get a taste for how our culture views fathers. Evidently, all dads are supposed to like fishing, golfing, and ships. They want to kick back in their recliners with a favorite brew and enjoy a day off from lawn-mowing. Also, the gift every dad wants most, of course, is a new tie. Then there’s the plethora of Christian living books for men, exhorting them to be strong yet tender, protective yet supportive, and suggesting they take up skeet shooting or weightlifting to further develop their masculine Continue Reading
How those of us with privilege can either hinder or help heal the pain in our nation
Recently, a Christian university posted their official statement against racism on social media, a statement which is founded on imago Dei and which is part of the school’s fundamental beliefs. Immediately, someone criticized the university for not posting their statement sooner. “Do better,” chided the self-righteous individual. This uncharitable attitude angered me. Nevertheless, I can’t allow criticism, or the discouragement it causes, to stop me from doing my part against the evil of racism. Innocent blood keeps getting spilled on the soil of our nation. That blood cries Continue Reading
Why the hypocrisy of Christians fails to disprove Christianity
“I’m not interested in Christianity,” said the woman. “I know of a minister who encouraged his congregation to welcome homeless people to their church, and they voted him out for that.” How many times have you heard similar complaints? The hypocrisy of folks who call themselves Christians can serve as a convenient excuse for the skeptic. After all, if the followers of a religious figure fail to live up to his teachings, then that leader must be bogus, right? The apostle Paul debunks that notion: “…If some were unfaithful, will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Continue Reading