Snapshots and Synapses

So as to not be too heady as well as lay the groundwork for this particular blog, what does dichotomy mean? According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, dichotomy is: a division into two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or entities [e.g.] the dichotomy between theory and practice also : the process or practice of making such a division [e.g.] dichotomy of the population into two opposed classes So “dichotomy” is simply a division within one thing, most often in the sense of polar opposites.  And what is “being”? As a verb, it’s just the act of existing while when used as a noun it a living thing. You and I are beings, and we are both currently acting out our existence. So the rather intimidating title “The Dichotomy of Being” is simply two contradictory beings in one entity. Now again, I don’t want to get too deep, but words are important and I couldn’t find a word I liked better than “dichotomy” to describe what our existence is like because as believers we are...

When I was a young adult, I was intrigued with the words of Winston Churchill: “The whole history of the world is summed up in the fact that, when nations are strong, they are not always just, and when they wish to be just, they are often no longer strong.” Would you agree or disagree with this statement? It made perfect sense to me at that time. Compromise was often needed to operate from a position of strength, and I could do more good if I positioned myself to a place of power, where the strong make the rules. Compromise was simply a negotiating tactic to gain or secure power, and if I valued anything above strength, including justice, then it would eventually weaken my position. Churchill lived out his beliefs as evidenced by his decision to bomb French ships during WWII at Mers-el-Kebir. It was debatably a masterful, strategic move that prevented the French fleet from falling into the hands of Nazi Germany, but we’ll never know what “could’ve been” if Churchill hadn’t done that. W...

With the growing conflict in the Middle East, the eyes of the world have been turning toward Israel. So it was no surprise when I was asked the question: do I believe that Modern Israel is the same Israel that’s talked about in the Bible. That question is slightly complicated and one that causes some debate in Christian circles. Understanding the complexity of the question To answer this question some people may argue that we must first draw a distinction between Modern Israel and Ancient Israel. There is no doubt that Ancient Israel is all throughout Scripture, and we know historically it was destroyed as a nation. The people of that ancient nation were scattered throughout the world just as God foretold as early as Deuteronomy, one of the first books in the Bible. God warned that this would happen to Israel as consequence of their sins. Known as the diaspora, the Jewish people wandered for thousands of years without a land to call their own and yet they maintained an identity. I don’...

One of my favorite stories about Jesus is when he’s approached by His friend, Peter, who asks how many times he should forgive a person. (See Matthew 18:21-35 ) Peter threw out a number, suggesting that a person should be forgiven 7 times. Seven (7) was understood to be the number of perfection and completion, so Peter was demonstrating his understanding of how important it is to forgive. But it’s hard to discern a person’s heart, especially from a short and simple story. Was Peter asking in order to justify himself and his own self-righteousness or was he being sincere in trying to understand God’s view on forgiveness? Regardless, Jesus responds in a way that Peter wasn’t expecting, saying that we should forgive 70 times 7, figuratively explaining that there is no limit to the number of times we need to forgive others. Jesus then goes on to tell a story that explains this concept, tying how we are forgiven with our ability to forgive.   As we know, Peter like all Jesus’ friends ab...

Occasionally I look back to see what some popular blog posts have been and thought I'd share.  Over the past 12 months, the top two are: What is Alpha?  - A great, non-judgemental class to better understand Christianity If I Were an Atheist  - Truthfully, I'd be pretty wicked Challenges of a Father  - Reflecting Jesus as Father And all-time most-read posts: What is a Soul? (and other related questions)  - By far, the most popular post Two Sides of the Coin  - Grace & Holiness End of the Age Handbook  - Remain close to Him despite the pressures of this world I sometimes wonder what these stats tell me about the spiritual hunger in the world. I believe many people have forgotten true Christianity and only have a pop-culture image of what it means to be "Christian". In all likelihood, they practicing secular humanists without really considering how our spirituality is the essence of who we are but longing for something more, wondering if it truly exis...

35 years ago, I asked God a question: “Who was Jesus?” I did not want to just trust what others had told me no matter how well intentioned they may have been. I had been reading a chapter per day in Psalms and on that Good Friday opened the next chapter: Psalm 22 “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?.” Verse 1a , Jesus' words on the cross “They say, ‘Commit yourself to the LORD! Let the LORD rescue him! Let the LORD deliver him, for he delights in him.’" Verse 8 - the words of the crowd, mocking Jesus “They are dividing up my clothes among themselves; they are rolling dice for my garments.” Verse 18 - the actions of the Roman guards This Psalm was written 1000 years before Jesus, and if you read it you’ll find more of the crucifixion story described in it. It was God’s answer to my sincere question, and just one example of what sets the Bible apart from all other religious books: fulfilled prophecy. In that one answer, God showed me two things: Jesus was who He said He w...

I’ve been hearing a repeated plea for unity within the Church, and I agree there is a real need for this. But what does that look like? The apostle Paul wrote “There is one Body” ( Ephesians 4:4 ), and in John’s gospel we see how Jesus prayed for Christian Unity, asking that we be one just as He and the Father are one. ( John 17:20-23 ) And even if Scripture didn’t discuss unity we could still embrace the practice. After all, practically speaking, there’s strength in numbers. For example: a healthy herd chases away predators, demonstrating how this plays out in nature. Likewise, we can observe that political parties push their agenda through when all party members vote in unity around an issue. But understand this: Christian Unity is only possible when we are knit together through the Spirit of God. When Jesus said that He and the Father were one or that He abided in the Father, it defined unity as reflecting the likeness of God. When Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father, Jesus ex...

I would never dispute that Jesus said: “make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do everything I have commanded you.” ( Matthew 28:19-20 God’s Word). It’s come to be known as the Great Commission, and its pretty clear what Jesus wants us to do, but what does that look like?  Let me start by saying what it’s not: It’s not to treat people as a means to an end, even if it’s arguably a good end. The philosopher Immanuel Kant described it as this:  Every man is to be respected as an absolute end in himself; and it is a crime against the dignity that belongs to him as a human being, to use him as a mere means for some external purpose. Just going back to the book of Genesis, we see that God created men and women in His image. We are His Image-Bearers, and as such everyone is invaluable. Every person regardless of background or decisions has that in common. We are worthy of love if for no other reaso...

  "So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away - look, what is new has come!"  2 Corinthians 5:17 Is our Christian walk a single “one and done sinners prayer“, or is it a journey? I believe acknowledging our sinful nature is a part of that journey, and it happens on a daily basis. Sure, we need to accept the free gift of God‘s grace, and there is no salvation that we can work out on our own independent from Him. But it doesn’t end with a single acknowledgment, and we can look at how the original Christians were labeled as the pattern to follow. They were called: “followers of the Way.“ Our life as a new creation begins as we hand the keys of our life over daily to the God of creation. So I have no resolution this year other than this: to hand over my life’s goals to Him daily and trust Him to lead me to green pastures.  With His help, I will follow well and lead others well, using whatever influence I have to represent His Kingdom we...