We’ve arrived at a miserable season here in the USA: at any moment, roughly half the people in the country don’t trust the system. We distrust our own government and regard many of our countrymen as enemies. Many have no confidence in our elections. Most are convinced the laws do not apply equally to all … More The Baby & the Emperor
Increasingly, I’m hearing serious Christians question the wisdom of the Almighty God. There is no joy in Mudville for church fans here in 2020. For ten years or more we’ve read about the numerical decline of the church in the United States; about the large number of NONE’s who show up in religious surveys; about … More The Incredible Shrinking Church
Halloween is near and Americans must once again choose the costume they’ll be wearing. Joe Exotic from Tiger King will surely be a trendy option this year. Then there’s Alexander Hamilton from the musical and maybe Karen from Central Park. But again in 2020, the most popular put-on will surely be people dressing up like … More The Cowardly Lion
Prayer can summon the limitless power of heaven into a crisis on the Earth. Or it can be little more than a token expression we use to let others know we care. “I’ll be praying for you,” we say when someone shares a personal problem. The sentiment may be comforting but what if the follow-through … More Why Prayer Doesn’t Work. Part 2
Sound familiar? You’re speeding along the interstate, caught up in happy thoughts, exciting plans and your favorite music. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, and good times are waiting just ahead. Then suddenly you glance at your fuel gauge to discover you’re on Empty and there’s not another exit for 25 miles! That’s … More How We Lost Normal
One of the landmark achievements of Western Civilization has been the advancement of individual liberty. Throughout most of world history, your destiny was preset by your class, your clan, your race, or your caste. There were privileges associated with the right group, class, or nationality; there were liabilities suffered by other groups, those losers of … More Thinking for Yourself
No, my friends, 2020 is not the most turbulent year in American history. We’ve seen urban violence, political rage, racial division, and unpleasant surprises at nearly every turn this year, but in 1861 the country actually erupted into a bloody civil war. Only a century later, riots in our major cities had become so violent … More High Noon in the Valley of the Shadow
Part 3: Based on Genesis 1:7 Let’s suppose that the Genesis account of creation was first shared with human beings around 1500 BC. During that era in history, most people envisioned the earth as a disk resting on the back of a giant tortoise. Some imagined the earth resting on the backs of four giant … More A Day in the Life of God
Part 2: Based on Genesis 1:3 Astrobiology uses a measure called the Goldilocks Zone (I’m serious) to define the distance a planet must be from its star in order to maintain large amounts of water and a narrow range of surface temperatures necessary for life. In our solar system, for example, Venus is too close … More Light Wait
Part 1: Based upon Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Visit the National Gallery in Washington, DC, and behold the only work by Leonardo DaVinci on display in the United States. It’s a small painting of a young Italian woman, solemn and noticeably pale. The museum boasts of other … More The Moment Before Time
