Opinion

Sin winds its way into our lives so insidiously we excuse ourselves as though we are morally blinded. The Bible tells us when mankind calls sin good, we have lost our way.

(RNS) — A doctor should not perform surgery if she is tired. A pilot should not fly if he is tired. And clergy who counsel and take on the audacious task of sharing something of God should not attempt these fearsome duties when we are tired. But we do.

(RNS) — A specter has been haunting white evangelicalism. It comes in the shape of James Cone, one of the founders of black liberation theology. 

Confronted with the crass materialism of our times, people of faith often assume a superior attitude, as if the unchurched are the only ones who have their priorities all mixed up. But are we, the followers of Jesus, any less enslaved?

`In December, my best friend, Charles, passed away. I was devastated. From the outside looking in, someone might wonder how Charles and I ever became friends, especially since there’s a 57-year age difference.

At the Christmas Eve service I attended recently, the Christ candle in the Advent wreath wouldn’t light. The pastor tried and tried. Eventually, as giggles worked their way down the crowded pews, he said everyone should just pretend it was lit.

When my son was younger, he had a few verbal ticks where he would say one thing when he meant another. A common example of this verbal confusion pops up today as I frequently hear people say “political” when they really mean “partisan.”

(RNS) — One of the holiest days of the Christian year is right around the corner.We need more churches and we need more Christians to take the teachings of Jesus seriously and risk it all for the sake of healing the world.

It happened that Caesar Augustus ordered a census. Because of the census, it happened that Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem, which happened to be the village of their ancestry.

On Tuesday (Dec. 17), the state of Missouri installed a false god on top of the Capitol building. Or, at least that’s what a state representative claimed. But I wonder if the case should remind us of the difference between influence and worship.