The Christian’s Biggest Enemy
Ten years ago, I arrived home late Sunday night, from a retreat. I was physically and emotionally drained. But the next morning I woke up to an …
Counterfeit Solutions
We Are All Addicts
Cynthia Heimel was a writer who lived in New York in the 70’s. She knew actors and artists before they became famous, while they were still bussing …
What Do We Urgently Need Most?
Six or seven years ago, an acquaintance of mine embezzled ten thousand dollars. He had uncovered a billing mistake in a major project, and the …
Selling Our Soul for a Fleeting Salvation
Last week I read a puzzling passage in Hebrews. So baffling it even felt (if I can write this without being struck dead by a bolt of lighting), it …
These Inward Trials
This past year was difficult for me. Nothing horrific: I lost no loved ones and received no dreadful news. But it was inwardly difficult to navigate. …
The Worldly Deceit of Willpower
In 1975, three friends and I participated in a 200-mile bicycle marathon on Belle Isle, an island-park owned by the city of Detroit. The course was a …
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.” …
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, …
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 …
Counterfeit Spirituality
Three years ago, my wife and I hosted a smart, promising young woman for dinner. Though well liked and professionally successful, she was suffering …