Calling Foul On the World Vision Debacle

In case you missed it, this week World Vision decided then un-decided to amend its hiring policy as it relates to same-sex couples. In my view this now-event highlights the growing polarity that exists within Christianity as well as the majority of the American culture. Frankly I am most often at odds with both extremes […]

Weeping With Westboro

Most of the tears I have shed in the last many years with regard to the Westboro Baptist Church have been because of their actions. However, Romans 12:15 also reminds those of us who follow Jesus that we are to… Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. And so today […]

First Aid: Healing Your Heart

Some recent discussion on my Facebook wall discovered that there are several friends with whom I shared my childhood who have lasting injuries because of insensitive people (or worse). Anyone who has ever been sick – really sick – will tell you that the most difficult part of the illness was the path to being […]

The Lens of Time

It has been said that time heals all wounds. Unfortunately that simply is not true. This Monday I made an unscheduled stop at the place where I grew up – in the shadow of the Sears Tower (yes, it will always be the Sears Tower to me). My simple post to Facebook – just three […]

Learning How to Love

I am on my way to Bair Lake Bible Camp in Jones, Michigan, where I will be speaking to a group of students this weekend. Many of these are the same students I got to know last year on this same winter retreat. They’re from Crosspointe Christian Church and Hope Community Baptist Church near Detroit. Please pray […]

Life of Pi and Religious Pluralism

On occasion, and not very often, I am late to the dance. Though I have been very aware of this movie and its acclaim, I only recently saw The Life of Pi for the first time. Part of the backstory is what interested me most. There is a scene in which the main character Pi, […]

The Gospel According to Phil

Duck Dynasty has become a hard-to-explain American phenomenon. Plus nothing. People who have never even shot a gun or hunted anything find themselves glued to the television to listen in on the raw antics of the Robertson family… 14 million of us. That’s right, I said us. Before we downgraded our cable package I was […]

Friends: A Place to Start

Almost all of the images that were coming up for starting were showing runners on their mark and at the ready for a sprint. I can tell you right now that this kind of friendship is much more like a marathon. Forming new friendships almost always demands much of us. Then add to the mix […]

Friends

Today is my birthday. I’ve always wondered why we call it that. Actually we all only have one birth day… ok… two if you believe in that born again stuff (which I do). So technically it’s the celebration of your birth day, which is not a bad thing to celebrate. But for me, every birthday […]

Coexist? Or Something Else?

For years now I have been seeing this awful bumper sticker going around. Have you? I’m certain you’ve seen at least one version of it somewhere. Let me just go on the record (from a Christian perspective) that this cannot possibly be more wrong… but it may not be why you’re thinking. I’m a word […]

Unintended Results of Isolation

In the movie Cast Away, Tom Hanks’ character is stranded by himself on an island for the majority of the film. What makes this movie most captivating is the exploration of how isolation eventually affects even the most well-disciplined mind and life. So what does that have to do with anything remotely (pun intended) spiritual? […]

Perspective

One of the most difficult things to come by in this life is perspective. I have often used the example of one’s hand in front of their own face… it’s impossible to see anything else, really. So is your hand suddenly inflated in that moment? No, but it’s all you can see. Why? Perspective. In […]