Category Archives: Spiritual life

Is religion a do it yourself project?

Posted on October 25, 2014 by salooper57

The famous writer and Oxford don C. S. Lewis once walked in on a debate on comparative religions. The conferees were discussing whether or not there are any beliefs that are unique to Christianity. It seemed like incarnation and resurrection, … Continue reading →

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The Only Place to Start

Posted on October 4, 2014 by salooper57

Some people won’t do anything until they figure out everything. If they can’t do it perfectly, they can’t – or won’t – do it at all. And so of course they do nothing. Just try telling them what the English … Continue reading →

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In praise of the widow’s mite

Posted on September 27, 2014 by salooper57

In the biblical Gospels of Mark and Luke we have the account of the widow’s mite. In this story Jesus and his disciples watch as worshipers come to place their offerings in one of thirteen trumpet-shaped offering containers located in … Continue reading →

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For heaven’s sake, take the call

Posted on September 20, 2014 by salooper57

For months a company called A.R.M. has been calling our home phone. When we see their name on caller I.D., we let it ring. We’re fed up with calls from survey-takers, fund-raisers and political haymakers. But A.R.M. is in a … Continue reading →

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There are no ordinary people

Posted on September 13, 2014 by salooper57

It is common now – among intellectuals and even among government agencies – to deny humans a nature and regard the characteristics once attributed to human nature as merely “social constructs.” Gender, for example, is now viewed by many as … Continue reading →

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Use the “show-then-tell” approach

Posted on September 6, 2014 by salooper57

If there is a rule in writing fiction, it is this: Show, don’t tell. John Updike impressed that principle on me many years ago in an essay on writing short stories. More recently, I ran across the same principle at … Continue reading →

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You are worth more than you think

Posted on August 23, 2014 by salooper57

How much are you worth? That depends on who is paying the bill. A chemist could get about 50 dollars out of your body (though the cost of extracting the chemicals would be prohibitive). Airlines value a person at about … Continue reading →

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Can we forgive when we are still angry?

Posted on August 16, 2014 by salooper57

One of the great examples of forgiveness in our time comes from Corrie ten Boom, the Dutch Christian woman who, during the Second World War, was arrested by the Nazis for harboring Jews. She was imprisoned, along with her sister, … Continue reading →

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Clearing away the confusion surrounding forgiveness

Posted on August 9, 2014 by salooper57

In what is arguably the most oft-recited Scripture text in history, Jesus teaches his apprentices how to pray. We call this, “The Lord’s Prayer,” or the “Our Father Prayer,” but it might be more accurate to call it, “The Disciple’s … Continue reading →

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The refusal to forgive chains a person to the past

Posted on August 2, 2014 by salooper57

A relationship with God is like a Baroque music composition: there is a point (what God must do) and a counterpoint (what we do in response). The point/counterpoint structure provides the soundtrack to a life of faith. Point: “He first … Continue reading →

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