Standing Amid the Ruins of a Concentration Camp
Visiting a concentration camp means feeling the suffering that calls out from the ground. It means remembering that so many Christians chose to wait passively and that we must make different choices.
Missionaries to China Trying a Different Approach: Michele Ruggieri & Matteo Ricci
16th century missionaries to China Ruggieri & Ricci learned Chinese, wore Chinese robes, and did not insist that western cultural values were a part of learning the Gospel.
Adam & Eve Wonder: Is the Night Endless?
In the far north, they have days of all night and all day. Maybe Adam & Eve were afraid the first time they saw the sun go down. Would it ever return?
The Stories We Tell about our Enemies
A West African proverb: until the lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero. Hearing the stories, the understandings, the circumstances of those we disagree with is the path to peace along the way of Christ.
A Martyr to End Slavery: Rev. Elijah Parish Lovejoy
Elijah Parish Lovejoy was a minister and journalist who felt called to fight slavery. He refused to stop speaking out, to stop writing, to give up his cause. He was murdered by a pro-slavery mob.
Tea & Cookies with Protestors: Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu was still trying to bring down Apartheid in the mid-eighties. The powers that be hired protestors to try to smear Tutu, but he ended up sharing a tea party with them.
Role of Women in the History of the Church
Women had leadership roles in the early church, but then that power was taken away. Reformer John Knox railed against women’s leadership, as did men at a General Assembly meeting in America in 1811.
Jesus, Love, the Bible: Karl Barth
Theological powerhouse Karl Barth was asked to summarize his theology. He quoted: “Jesus loves me, this I know…”
History & Transmission of the Bible
The history of translation and transmission of the Bible was complex, contentious, and sometimes violent.
Domestic Violence as Idolatry
The ancient gods blamed humanity for their own failings and problems. If humanity didn’t soothe them, they were struck down. Abusers treat their victims the same way.