For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
I think that as Christians we are often guilty of reducing the meaning of Jesus’s life to the mere forgiveness of sins. That may sound heretical, but hear me out. I am not suggesting by any means that Jesus’ death on the cross was inconsequential. Far from it. I just think we miss out on... Continue Reading →
The story goes that during the American civil war Abraham Lincoln met with a group of ministers to pray. One of the ministers is alleged to have remarked: “Mr President, let us pray that God is on our side”. Lincoln’s response could teach all of us something vital about prayer and about God’s guidance: “No,... Continue Reading →
I confess to being a bit of a cultural snob. I can be quite disdainful about the mindless drivel that is being fed to the all-too-willing masses over the radio and on television. It is completely beyond me that thinly-veiled sexual innuendo and exhortations to live recklessly are considered good art. Although I do find... Continue Reading →
When I was younger, many in the church were fearful of a process called backmasking. There was much concern that certain (usually metal) bands were leaving subliminal Satanic messages on their albums, which you could hear if you played songs backwards. One of my favourite gospel bands at the time, Petra, decided to do some... Continue Reading →
I believe that those who refuse to read certain books, or listen to certain types of music, on the basis that they are not “Christian”, are on dangerous theological ground. Such refusal reflects – in my opinion - a fundamental misunderstanding of the Biblical concepts of law and grace. It also neglects to take into... Continue Reading →
When I was 15 or 16, and sitting in church, my Sunday School teacher (I do not remember which one) – during a pause in the sermon, whispered to me: “One day that could be you up there.” Perhaps it was a spontaneous whim that compelled his words; I doubt he remembers saying them to... Continue Reading →
Most of us, at some point in our lives, will be guilty of judging a political, cultural or social group by its hypocrites – those whose actions and lifestyles contradict the values they purport to endorse. As unfair as it is to do so, it is perfectly understandable. Hypocrisy is deplorable, and was one of... Continue Reading →
When people find out that I am a teacher, they often look at me in the way one would look at somebody who had just confessed to being a substance abuser - vaguely distrustful, slightly embarrassed for having asked, and possibly possessing a morbid curiosity about what on earth it was that compelled me to... Continue Reading →
Every time an atrocity is committed in the name of religion, it spawns a host of tirades by atheists online, proclaiming that the world would be better off without religion. It has become an argument popularised by the likes of Christopher Hitchens, and it can sound quite persuasive. After all, the history of religion on... Continue Reading →
The recent shootings in Paris have given rise to a lot of really interesting debate about freedom of speech and legitimate ways to exercise it, as well as about the bias towards European stories, given that the massacre of 2000 people in Nigeria at roughly the same time made significantly less impression in the media.... Continue Reading →
Vapors In The Wind 