Why is There Evil? Recently in Cincinnati where I live, a sweet, vibrant, smart 11-year-old girl full of life and potential and part of a large loving family was gunned down in a playground by a drive-by shooter. As our Bible study group joined with many others grieving, the question was raised, “Why? Why, Lord? I don’t get it. I don’t understand. How could anyone do such a thing?” We try to explain evil in terms of freewill. God created us with freewill. The person (still at

Lawrence R. Taylor, PhD     There is a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in. —Leonard Cohen, “Anthem”     It is quite possible to live our lives sailing on the surface of the sea, unaware of the splendid, awe-inspiring, mysterious depths.   We enter the world laden with the blessings and baggage of family, clan, and culture. As we grow, we naturally take on the expectations of the people and institutions around us. We develop personae . We must.   Personae are m

There is always more to learn, more to discover. Each discovery opens up a thousand more yet to come. The more I know, the more I realize how much I do not know. God is infinite. God’s love is infinite. God’s heart is infinite. When I was a young pastor in rural Minnesota, an elderly congregant expressed his fear that heaven might be rather boring.  What are we going to do? Sit on a cloud playing a harp? Be locked in an eternal church service? Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–394 CE)

YHWH is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? One thing I have longed for, yearned for, sought after, like a thirsty antelope that’s been running for hours in the rocky wilderness – one thing – to live in the Divine House of Love wherein lies Beauty and Truth. Splendor and beauty emanating from their Source. Exploding, swirling nebulae, dancing curtains of aura borealis, breaching humpback whales, shimmering mackerel, scurrying hermit crabs, swaying kelp, baby’s first

Why are we inundated with lying, corrupt, greedy, immoral, uncaring leaders? How can ICE agents be so cruel? Why is there still police brutality? Why do we elect and follow immoral people? How many media moguls have crashed and burned because of their misogyny? What’s with all these religious leaders caught in scandals? Are these anomalies – a few bad apples? Or is something deeper going on? Some of these toxic people undoubtedly started out as sociopaths, incapable of feelin

God is love. (1 John 4:8b) Therefore: God is patient, longsuffering. God never gives up on anyone. God is kind. God cares deeply about every living thing. God is not envious of anyone or anything. God is never boastful or arrogant. God is meek, humble. God is never rude or coercive. God doesn’t force Godself on anyone. God is not irritable. God does not keep account of sins or wrongdoing. God carries no grudges. God rejoices in truth, never in injustice. God looks for the bes

How we view God is essential. If we see God as harsh, demanding, or stern, we might obey, but we won’t love. Yet, in much of the Hebrew scriptures, that is exactly how God is portrayed. Worse, if we envision a God who orders genocide, hates certain people-groups, and tortures humans in everlasting fire, we will know nothing beyond fear. Ever since the homogenization of church and state (which began when Emperor Theodosius the First issued the Edict of Thessalonica in 380, dec

Life can feel like living in the desert for anyone facing financial, emotional, relational, medical, or societal pressure. Alternatively, we may feel like we’re drowning in an angry turbulent sea. Wilderness and sea – the two biblical analogies representing chaos, existential angst, overwhelming difficulties, the threat of nonbeing. Ancient peoples could not live in either the wilderness or the sea. Modern people cannot either without significant technology to alter the envir

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First in a Three-Part Series My son Elliott took his own life at the age of (almost) 15. He did so on my 35 th  birthday. Forty years...