It’s Thanksgiving. Time to gather with loved ones, consume a lavish feast and count our blessings—and yet some of us can’t look forward to the celebration. The holidays can represent the bleakest time of year for many people, precisely because of our hopes and expectations about what this season should bring us. What if life doesn’t look like a Hallmark special right now? What if the feast is nothing more than canned soup? Or the turkey tastes like ashes in your mouth because a recent death or divorce has left you reeling? What if you’re too sick to get together with your loved Continue Reading
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Why “Just Do It” Could be the Worst Mantra Ever
Is the slogan, “Believe in something” good advice? There’s been quite a controversy over NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s decision to sit, and later kneel, during the national anthem, essentially sacrificing his NFL career to make a statement about racial inequality –and now, Nike is cashing in on Kaepernick’s convictions. Without unpacking that whole topic, I will say this: we still have much work to do as a nation in the area of racial justice. We still need a revelation that every human being is a precious image-bearer of God, and therefore all people should be treated with equal Continue Reading
Why Parents Should Teach Kindness, not Niceness, to their Kids
I’m in the store and I notice the sound of an escalating conversation in the next aisle. As I round the turn, a young boy and his grandmother (I’m guessing) are discussing his behavior. “You’re not being very nice,” the woman says. “I told you that you have to be nice. Now I’m not going to buy you anything today.” “Awww!” howls the boy. This serves to cement Grandma’s decision. It’s certainly not the first time I’ve heard a parent or grandparent admonish a child to “be nice.” But is this a good quality to instill in our children? I see a couple of problems with telling kids to Continue Reading
How Understanding God’s Justice helps us Forgive, not just Excuse
Months after a hurtful situation, I found myself still struggling to forgive. Time in and of itself wasn't doing the trick. I finally realized that, before I could freely extend mercy, I had to acknowledge just how painful and unjust the offense against me had been. Perhaps you can relate to this dilemma. If you’re a Christian and you’ve been sinned against, I’m guessing the message you’ve heard the loudest is that you should (quickly) forgive the offense and let it go. Although mercy ultimately triumphs over judgment, we ignore a vital part of God’s character when we rush into Continue Reading