Posts

Image
   Photo by John Benitez on Unsplash   A reflection on two years of COVID-19 As COVID-19 masking, vaccine and physical distancing requirements and  mandates get lifted around us - two years after the disease was declared a pandemic - Christians have reason to both mourn and celebrate, as we look back at this journey. We have only been able to get to this point with much pain and tears and this increasing return to “normal” would have been impossible 12 or 18 months ago, without significant sacrifices and contributions from everyone around the world. For some of us, this meant being willing to roll up our sleeves and take a newly developed vaccine, trusting God to use the wonders of science to achieve His ends. For many, it was changing how we work and play. For most, the pandemic led to separation from our spiritual communities. For all, it resulted in precious lost moments with family and loved ones. We know that the virus has not affected everyone equally - we hav...
Post a Comment
Read more
Image
    Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash Why I apologized to my son    Today, I did something I never thought I would need to do. I said sorry to my son for the false understanding of Christianity we have been presenting to him.   No, I didn’t confess a terrible personal sin, nor was I showing remorse for some offense against him, though I am far from perfect in my Christian walk and need continued repentance. But as we talked about issues in the news on the short drive to his school this morning, I felt compelled to apologize to my 18-year-old on behalf of a generation of Christians who have left him (and others in his age group) perplexed and confused about what following Jesus means. And because I teach young people in a Christian university, I know he is not alone in this befuddlement.   With our youth and young adults spending so much time learning about the world through social media, the images of Christianity they have seen everyday on t...
Post a Comment
Read more
Image
  For faith voters committed to bringing the whole of Scripture to their political choices, selecting the right candidate and party can be challenging. Voting by faith October 22, 2020 With upcoming presidential elections in the United States and a provincial vote in British Columbia this weekend, Christians are faced with a perplexing question – how can I bring my faith to the ballot box? It’s a question that’s not as easily answered as you might think. In the Unites States, for example, many evangelicals are single-issue votes, determining their choice by which candidate or party claims to be pro-life. Often, that means voting Republican. But abortion is not the only driving issue for some faith voters. Evangelical voters may include a narrow set of other moral priorities as primary determinants of how (and for whom) they vote. These imperatives include pro-Christian policies on gay rights and euthanasia, among others.    While Christians are well within the...
Post a Comment
Read more