Fundamental to the whole narrative of scripture are the dignity of bodies. This can be applied to heavenly bodies (sun, moon and stars) and other earthly non-human bodies (“he feeds the ravens when they call to him”), but human bodies get consistent care throughout. The twin tracks of Public Justice and Personal Righteousness (which may… Continue reading bodies matter
government of the people
Theologically speaking, this side of the return of Christ, I know of no better governmental system than democracy. But it’s worth remembering the weaknesses of any political system. Democracy is only as good as its’ demos/people. The maturity of the majority will always shape the political fruits of any democracy.
imaginary dialogue on colonisation & other related issues
Q: What the heck is going on with all the talk about colonisation and racism and white privilege and CRT, etc.? A: Well, thankfully, people are feeling more and more impowered to speak out and call out various forms of oppression and harm. It may be unsettling, but it’s a good thing. But wasn’t colonisation… Continue reading imaginary dialogue on colonisation & other related issues
self-critique
A few one-liners: God’s people are to judge themselves before they judge the world. Individual believers are to judge themselves before they judge other believers. One can believe in self-critique and still be a social justice advocate. Indeed, the causes of social justice may actually bear more fruit when advanced by individuals and communities that… Continue reading self-critique
watching myself do
Sin, by nature, is deceitful. Whether small and momentary or large and engrained, our sin will seek to avoid being seen for what it really is. One way this happens is by externalising. Instead of owning the action, we shift the blame onto that person, that circumstance, that situation… Eventually there comes a point of… Continue reading watching myself do
liberty and power
In this post, I’m testing out a possible parallel between global society and personal living. In terms of global history, the control of communism was defeated by the freedom of capitalism. What we might call ‘social democracy’ (to the extent that it is truly a) socially concerned and b) genuinely representative of the entire demos/people)… Continue reading liberty and power
dying and rising – bit by bit
The death and resurrection of Jesus are everything. They are not simply a pairing of events that I need to believe ‘really happened’ in order to go to heaven after I die. They are also more than things that happened a long time ago, and that will have a transformative effect on me when I… Continue reading dying and rising – bit by bit
resentment & sin
I love my catch ups with my Alcoholic friend. I continue to learn more about Twelve step spirituality and admire it more deeply. A recent gem that’s been sticking with me is the relationship between resentment and sin. In 12-step fellowships it may not be ‘sin’ that they call it, but I am appropriating it… Continue reading resentment & sin
truth, grace and covid-19
Covid-19 royally sucks, but it can teach us many things if we have ears to hear. We have been reminded of the benefits of slowing down, cooking food at home and going for walks. We’ve realised that good hygiene is good not only for slowing the spread of Covid-19, but also many other things we… Continue reading truth, grace and covid-19
12 spiritual steps – structural overview
Years ago, I was introduced to the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous by a good friend and sober Alcoholic. Having my interest piqued during our frequent conversations, I’ve continued to interact with them, and have become convinced of their value and wisdom for human flourishing in general and Christian discipleship in particular. In this post,… Continue reading 12 spiritual steps – structural overview