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 …
The Secret of Connecting With Another Soul
Early in my career, a client asked me to meet with her president for an hour-long lunch. Her president was an industry innovator, but, she told me, he …
Improving God
Bertrand Russell was one of the most influential philosophical thinkers of the 20th Century. He described himself as agnostic in general but atheist …
Humanizing Hitler
I recently heard of a movie made nineteen years ago. (I’m usually twenty-five years behind, so nineteen years late is up-to-date for me.) The movie …
Is It Dangerous to “Hear God” Outside of Scripture?
A longtime friend recently met with me to correct me for writing my book, Hearing God in Conversation. She said, “Any kind of ‘hearing God’ outside of …
When Success Fails
Twenty-five years ago, a client of mine became president of his company. It happened through a fluke (he was a mid-level manager), good luck, and a …