100 Early Christian Quotes on Not Killing Recently, I compiled a free ebook titled 100 Early Christian Quotes on Not Killing. You can grab a copy of the PDF here. Below is the introduction I wrote for the book. “Above all,” Clement of Alexandria wrote in the second century, “Christians are not allowed to correct…
Epiphany: A Wake-Up Call to the Church in America This past week, while pro-Trump extremists stormed the Capitol, churches around the world commemorated Epiphany. The irony of such timing should not be lost on us. On the day of Epiphany, churches reflect upon the angel’s warning to the wise men that Herod would rather commit genocide than allow…
Fight Like a Christian – Podcast Interview Last week, a video went viral of a pastor urging Christians to grab their guns and defend the United States from the radical left. Today, Donald Trump Jr. instructed Republicans to form an “army” to defend the election from being stolen. Months ago, long before these calls…
The Hate Trap Is anything more dangerous than a leader who lures his people into hating each other? I found myself asking this question while watching the final minutes of Trump’s Tulsa rally on Saturday. Leaders like Trump—and there are many like him—seldom make direct appeals to their followers to hate the other side. Rather,…
Say His Name As the husband of a COVID testing site worker, I believe in the importance of social distancing. But as a follower of Jesus, I believe far more in the importance of working for social justice. So yesterday, we left our home and marched. Like at other protests I’ve attended, this one had…
Black Lives Matter If your knee-jerk reaction upon hearing someone exclaim, “Black Lives Matter” is to counter with, “Actually, All Lives Matter,” you’re missing the point. Yes, Jesus tells us to love all people. But on Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus also stated that he’ll one day evaluate our claims of loving all people by…
Look to Jesus. Not Trump. A Crucial Lesson from Tuesday of Holy Week It’s Tuesday. The Iowa caucus results are still unknown. The president is about to be acquitted of his impeachment charges. And tonight, Trump will deliver his State of the Union address. These days, it seems all eyes are fixed upon the unfolding political…
The Subversive Magnificat In Luke 1:46-55 we read Mary’s song of praise to God. It has come to be known as Mary’s Magnificat due to the first word of its Latin translation: Magnificat anima mea Dominum. Or as we tend to render that first line in English: My soul magnifies the Lord. Seldom Known Facts About The Magnificat:If you’ve grown up…
40 Quotes from the Early Church on Violence and Enemy Love NOTE: Since writing this post, I’ve produced a free eBook entitled 100 Early Christian Quotes on Not Killing that you can get by clicking here. For 1700 years, the early church’s clear teaching on violence, kingdom allegiance, and enemy love has largely been ignored….
5 Reasons to Listen to the Early Christian Teaching on Violence This post is the second in a series of reflections that seek to familiarize you with the early Church’s teaching on the impermissibility of Christians using violence. But before we start immersing ourselves in the direct teaching of the early Church, I want to…