The Cowardice of Christian Niceness
Many years ago, a young man was transferred to my department. During his first annual review with me, he asked why his raises had been consistently …
Articles
Try Confession Without Repentance
Several years ago, I repented to God for something small. I hadn’t stolen candy from a baby, oppressed a widow, or coveted a neighbor’s cow. I had …
Walking A Tightrope
Charles Blondin was a famous pioneer of tightrope walking (which, if you care, is properly called “funambulism,” and which I take to mean the …
The Stench of Human Sweat
A couple years ago, the subscription sign-up for www.BeliefsoftheHeart.com stopped working. Apparently, it had died without telling me. It accepted …
My Sister Is a Liar
The house I grew up in belonged to a church. My father was a pastor with a relatively small salary, so every home we lived in was provided rent-free …
I Refuse to Believe in a God Who …
Years ago I had lunch with a client distraught over his wife’s recent death from cancer. He sighed, “I just can’t believe God would allow such …
Pretty Ugly Moralism
I went to school with a young woman who scratched little marks inside her Bible to keep score of how many people she had converted. She showed me her …
Warming Up to the Resurrection
While in middle school, I attended a church retreat in the middle of January. The temperature was five degrees below zero (-20° C). With friends I …
Slow Burn Wrath
A month ago, my wife and I heard a sermon during a weekend trip to New Mexico. The vacation was great. The sermon was horrible. The story was Jesus …
Dishonest Faith
Last September I shared about being diagnosed with kidney cancer. I waited more than a month before posting, mostly to avoid anyone’s pity. (Come on, …
Hearing God in Suffering
Most of my high school friends were obsessed with college-prep, extra-curricular activities, and jobs. Except for one friend. Like a lion, he …
Forgiving Betrayers
A couple of years ago, I shared a story of betrayal. I ended the article with a faint desire to forgive. But wanting to forgive doesn’t doesn’t …