Snapshots and Synapses

Whether you listen to the podcast or read the transcript in  Part 1 , I hope it's clear that there is a difference between being compassionate and being loving. Compassion without reason is a poison that kills despite it's desire to help.  In a similar way, the truth is a blunt instrument that can bludgeon a person if is not tempered with loving compassion. Immature Christians can sometimes beat others over the head with truths that are void of compassion, but that is not how we are called to represent God's Kingdom. Ephesians 4:15 in context tells us that we grow in maturity as we speak the truth in a loving way. I find it hard to read verses 11-18 and not understand that truth and love must be knitted together.  Can we truly love another without knowing them? Sure, we can never fully know another, just as the most self-aware person can never fully understand themself. We are complex and influenced by a myriad of past experiences, personality traits and cognitive biases...

Our world has forgotten what it is to love, to truly love.  We think it is just a powerful feeling, and we see it as the cause of a multitude of irrational behaviors.  People are called bigots, Nazis and hateful when they don't affirm others in what is obviously untrue. Yet I assert that love is not love without truth, and truth is incomplete without love. I'll explain this in a future post, but first, it's important to understand what Dr. Del Tackett explained in this podcast on the James Dobson Family Institute. (Alternatively, see the transcript ) The podcast is called:  The Rise of Malevolent Compassion Again, I'll write more about love and truth in a future post after establishing this foundation.  copyright ©2026 Mitchell Malloy ( http://mitchellmalloyblogspot.com/ )

With one exception that I'll get to later, I've never known anyone who has led a sin-free life. I know for sure that I haven't. I recall hearing one pastor claim that they "haven't sinned in 30 years!", and I immediately had the thought: "You just did."  Believe it or not, a Christian's goal is not to live sin-free. Now, I realize that this statement may shock people and seems a little counterintuitive especially since many religions promote the idea of reaching perfection. There are many Christian circles that promote this same ideal, but at the heart of Christianity, there is a different goal. I'm not saying that anyone who desires to live sin-free is a "bad Christian" or an untrustworthy person. I've been that person. I'm just saying that the goal of a Christian should not be to live sin-free. Instead, it's a by-product of reaching our goal. Why would you want to be without sin? So let's be honest: why do you want...

See  What does God's Economy Look Like? (Part 1)  for context. Economy is built around value, so what does God value? Scripture says that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills . He has no need that is beyond His ability to provide. We know that God is the very nature of love , and that those that know God love others. In fact, if we don't love others, we don't know God. An often quoted Bible verse ( John 3:16 ) tells us:  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." This verse alone demonstrates what God values. It's been said that if you want to know what someone values, look at their how they spend their money and how they spend their time. We know that God the Father loves Jesus (see John 3:35 , Matthew 3:17 , John 5:20 , John 17:24 ), so for Him to give His only Son shows that God the Father loves the world. But is it the world He values or what is in the world? Jesus didn't ...

Ok, so this is a topic that some people may never have considered, and it assumes that the Kingdom of God has an economy. I’ve heard some people refer to different economic systems as reflecting God’s heart. Some have  claimed that socialism / communism is true to the early church: to each according their needs; from each according to their abilities. Others claim that Capitalism entrusts God to move the market and is His designed economic system. Obviously these perspectives can’t both be true. I’ve considered the question “what is God’s economy?”  for years and have some thoughts on it that I’ll get to in a follow-on blog, But first, allow me to step back to what I wrote 15 years ago: Perturbations . I believe what I wrote in 2011 above will provide some necessary context. Continued in part 2 . copyright ©2026 Mitchell Malloy (http://mitchellmalloyblogspot.com/)

I mentioned in the  first part  of this blog series that there is a purpose to church and that God tells us we need church. So why do we need church and what is its purpose?  I claimed to have an answer that many pastors do not, which is admittedly a pretty bold statement, but I trust what my friend has told me when he has challenged pastors with this question. Still, there is no scientific poll surveying clergy that I’ve investigated, but I am going to assume it's true based on the lack of real depth I've seen in biblical teachings that could easily be mistaken as a TED Talk. But if I assume good intentions, I would say that most pastors see an inherent value in church and admire a beauty in it. However, when asked the question “What is the purpose of church?”, it's possible that they could be caught off-guard. Similar to a child asking a parent “Why is the sky blue?”, they know the sky is a beautiful blue and enjoy gazing upon it without ever wondering the source of it’...