I Was A Fool
Ten years ago, my friend Gary Barkalow asked me if I had any New Year’s resolutions. While I wanted to share sixty years of life-changing resolves …
Imagine There’s No Heaven
Early one spring morning in 1971, John Lennon sat at a Steinway piano in his bedroom and composed one of the most popular songs of all time. His wife, …
Why Can’t We Forgive Ourselves?
I know a man convicted of a violent crime against someone he loves. He acted in a momentary rage. He had never been violent before. It shocked him. …
When Salvation Isn’t Enough
Years ago I worked with a man whose native language was Selfdeceitish. He once boasted how he stunned a client silent with his “brilliant analysis.” …
Hearing God but Hijacking The Conversation
In 1989, the software company I worked for was suffering cash dehydration, basically dying of thirst. A multi-year sales drought had dried up our bank …
The Pimps and the Prostitutes Are Closer to Heaven Than We Are
Immanuel Kant was arguably the leading architect of the Enlightenment. He was raised in a pietistic family that embraced devotion to God, Scripture, …
Comforting Our Sadness
I recently read an article that blames Facebook for the modern plague of discontent. After all, Facebook ceaselessly shows us friends sailing the …
Hearing God in Meditation
“God speaks time and again—in various ways—but nobody notices” (Job 33:14). Every human on earth longs to hear God’s voice. More than mere desire, we …
Asking God for More Coincidences
My parents moved from Detroit to Philadelphia in September 1975. I started university the same month, and I supported myself (tuition, room, and …
Hearing God: Conversation Is the Point
When I was growing up, my dad taught me to sail our small Sunfish sailboat. We took month-long summer vacations. We always camped on lakes, so we …
The Impact of Intimate Theology
A few years ago, I met with a pastor of a church near a large campus. As the university grew in prestige, it attracted thousands of international …
The Fearful Tests of God
In 1997, after years of wanting but not doing, I began flying lessons. The lessons taught me how to take off and land, how to navigate using …