Reflections on God … Man … Life
The central Christian character trait that must be present in our lives is love. Of course it needs to be defined. Love is not a feeling. I prefer the definition given by Charles Finney: It has been shown that the sum and spirit of the whole law is properly expressed in one word—love. It has also been shown that this love is benevolence or good willing; that it consists in choosing the highest good of God and of universal being,… Read more »
We are all free moral agents made in the image of God. In order for His creation to operate the way He intended, we must reflect His character. If we don’t, everything falls apart [which is evident just by observing the world]. Noah Webster’s dictionary definition of character, distinct from the human aspect, was simply “a mark made by cutting, engraving, stamping, or pressing.” Like a typewriter—you remember those? Put in the paper, press the key, the arm jumps up… Read more »
The tomb is empty. There is more significance to this day than to all other holidays combined—Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving—yes, even Christmas, because Christmas would have no meaning if Christ had not fulfilled His mission. May all who are reading this know the One who is the focus of this day.
I have been saying for over twenty years that there is one movie that has not been made that needs to be. The life of Whittaker Chambers, as poignantly described in his autobiography Witness is a classic. It can make the transition from the printed page to film. Now I have found at least one person who agrees with me. Matt Lewis, a blogger at Townhall.com, is making the same argument as he talks about conservative movies that should see… Read more »
In one of his European speeches last week, President Obama commented that the United States had sometimes been arrogant in its relations to other nations, and that we had not appreciated the Europeans. To be fair, he also noted that Europeans had spouted anti-Americanism as well, but the emphasis seemed to be on America’s arrogance. Every nation displays arrogance at times, but has that been the hallmark of American interactions with others? Think back to WWII for a moment: we… Read more »
A recent article by commentator Kathleen Parker is entitled “Christians at the Gate.” The thesis is that the Christian Right has failed in its endeavor to influence politics. The culture war has been lost. She then quotes some Christian leaders who say that we instead need to model the character of Christ rather than press for political change. Please do read it and feel free to comment. The main problem I see with the article is that it seems to… Read more »
I continue to think about the similarities between the Great Depression and the economic situtation today. First, too much can be made of the comparison. Some people would have us believe that it has never been as bad as it is now. They have forgotten Jimmy Carter. We don’t have the “stagflation” that occurred during his years. Neither do we have the 20%-plus unemployment of the Depression. There are valid comparisons, though. One is the government’s role in each, particularly the… Read more »