I’m the kind of Christian who believes that, when Jesus said Love your enemies, he probably meant Don’t kill them. I’m also the kind of Christian who thinks that the discernment of the early church was correct when they concluded that military service is incompatible with following Jesus. For those of us who worship a man who …
At the Friends of Jesus Fellowship Fall Gathering, we were asked to share a simple word or phrase that expressed our vision of what abundant life looks like. For me, the phrase was just-in-time delivery. This is a concept from the business world. It’s the idea that the most efficient system is one in which all resources …
The first time I heard someone speak in tongues was at the World Gathering of Young Friends, an international Quaker gathering held in 2005, in Lancaster, England. It was a minister from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Deborah Saunders, who spoke to us with a commanding presence and a message that struck me to the heart. She …
I work with a lot of really smart, progressive, modern people. I know that many of them are Christians, but we don’t usually talk about it. Faith is private. Faith is personal. Let’s talk about something a little bit less controversial – like politics or sex. Maybe it’s not such a big deal. I mean, …
I’m pretty good at fooling myself. I don’t want to grow or change in ways that hurt. More often than I’d care to admit, I prefer a happy lie to the sorrowful truth. And that’s understandable. Reality can be tough to deal with. Sometimes, I look around me and all I see is darkness. I see …
Pope Francis’ ecological encyclical comes out today, and there are many reasons for hope. It’s encouraging to see a such a high-profile Christian leader taking a strong stand on both ecological issues and those of global poverty. I’m grateful for the way F is intertwining care for the earth and social justice, a message which draws deeply from and amplifies …
Care for the earth is a central concern for me. I believe that climate change may prove to be one of the greatest challenges that humanity has ever faced. I feel deeply convicted about humanity’s role in exploiting and abusing God’s creatures. The magnitude of the ecological crisis causes me to reflect on what my …