In a time when Jesus’ nation was marred by bitter political and religious divisions, when Jews and Samaritans regarded each other with mutual distrust and disdain, he told a famous parable. Were he to tell a similar parable today, it might go something like this: (If you identify as a Democrat, read the text as… Read More An Election Time Parable
I am lucky to have a job, and, boy, do I know it. Being an academic can be a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing insofar as I am able to earn my livelihood doing something I love, namely, studying and teaching theology. It is a curse insofar as I am only able… Read More Renewing Gratitude: Work
This past week our seven-month old baby had her first experience with the common cold. I suppose it was inevitable she would get sick following two days of sitting in bustling airport terminals and breathing recycled airplane air. And, of course, once little Emily caught the bug, it was only a matter of time before… Read More Renewing Gratitude: Health
One of the weekly chores that my wife and I most dislike is coming up with ideas for meals. How nice it would be for someone to plan the week’s menu for us and spare us this mental exertion. As it happens, my cousin was for a time employed by a wealthy family to do… Read More Renewing Gratitude: Food
If one’s home is the most stable object in most of our lives, one’s spouse is surely one of the most stable people. Like one’s home, one’s spouse (or partner or long-time boyfriend or girlfriend) is easy to take for granted on account of this person’s seeming permanence in our lives. Because they are there… Read More Renewing Gratitude: Spouses
It seems appropriate to lead off this series of reflections with something that is at once one of the greatest blessings in most of our lives and one of the easiest to take for granted—one’s home. If you are at home as you read this, take a quick glance around you. (If not, you can… Read More Renewing Gratitude: Having a Home
We feel stressed, anxious, out of sorts, and, when we look at the way our nation’s leaders talk to us and one another, it’s no wonder why. In my last post, I observed the particular nastiness of this year’s presidential primaries. Things have not gotten any better now that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have… Read More Renewing Gratitude: A Millennial Reflection Series
Millennial 