Understanding Spirituality and Culture through Christ
The willingness to suffer is a prerequisite for any enterprise to be successful. Pain avoidance is a bad strategy. People who are unwilling to suffer cannot participate in a purpose bigger than them selves. In the case of Tony Soprano, the bigger purpose was Tony's own glory. In the case of the Christian, the bigger purpose is the Kingdom of God.
Read MoreBonehoeffer, "...(God) responds to sincere prayer and responsible actions." Jesus in His humanity had prayer and obedience as his primary values was He walked through suffering (Heb 5:7-8). If we are to be conformed to His image, our values should be His - Sincere Prayer and Responsible (obedient) action.
Read MoreAfter 10 years of working in the Software field, here I, on my last day of work am looking back with happy contentment and looking forward with an anxious excitement! Looking back to the cherished times I enjoyed working in the twilight zone between human beings and technology. Looking forward to the adventurous journey of going to Seminary to pursue my call to become a Theologian, Writer and Preacher, where I will navigate through the world of timeless ideas to bring new meaning into the lives of people.
Read MoreWhen I was a kid, Robin Williams was enough to make me happy and hopeful for more happiness. Now that I have grown and become more aware of the cynical hopeless of life, my need for wonder and hunger for hope to compensate for the 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short' life has grown such that I need more than a phenomenally talented Robin William, I need a powerful and loving, transcended and immanent God to make my happy.
Read MoreI pray to God that, my demented self, which remembers the vain trivia of this world but forgets the Lord would be turned to the dementia of the other kind, the blessed one, like that of this lady of old faith, which forgets the vain things of the world, but as the Philosopher of 'vanity of vanities' commends, "remembers the Lord".
Read MoreI could not have dreamt of a day when I would use a romantic Disney movie to exemplify the sort of 1 Corinthians 13 'real love' that St. Paul talks about - the real one that isn't about 'having it easy', but about moving mountains, albiet thorough pain and suffering.
Read MoreIf there isn't a big purpose that is captivating us, we will likely be lost in one of two realms. We would either be lost in a flurry of activity bouncing about from one whim to another or in the realm of inactivity callously slipping into a depression. Both of which makes man less human.
Read MoreThere is type of idolatry attributed upon 'Pastor Marc Driscoll' by the lay Christians in the Evangelical circles. It is of a very subtle kind that is difficult to see it except in some egregious circumstances. Lo and behold, we just hit on one such circumstance.
Read MoreIn the depths of deep despair, when we appear to be lost tumbling about in void without a sense of orientation of who we are and what we are to do, we will do ourselves a favor by reminding ourselves of the our true place in the BIG Story of redemption that God is writing.
Read MoreEvangelical Christians, as is normally the case, have rightly diagnosed the problem of obsessive demonology, but unfortunately the strategy evangelicals appear to be pursuing, of running a million miles in the opposite direction, suffers from the mistake exchanging simplicity for a complex all encompassing worldview.
Read MoreAll that is gold does not glitter; Not all those who wander are lost... These words speak powerfully to the Christian living in the human condition. In life, everybody wanders. We never stay in one place. The question really is, are we wandering towards a destiny or are we truly lost.
Read MoreChrist did not just say 'let him that has ears hear', He also said, 'let him that has eyes SEE'. What do we Christians have to show? Nothing much really, not so much in terms of our sacrificial Christ-like lives, not so much in terms of our symbols/arts either. We mostly spout out some hot air as the monk in Monty Python and the Holy Grail does when he preps to bless the 'holy grenade' which will kill a rabbit
Read MoreLet us not only use the Dr. Kermit Gosnell fiasco to 'just talk' about pro-life causes or find fault with others, rather. let use this opportunity to look at ourselves introspectively and see how we can 'go the extra mile', by an ethic of self-giving, to save kids either by adoption or by providing support to mothers in distress.
Read MoreNow that I am grown up, I see that my childhood dream of someone creating a Jurassic Park has been fulfilled. But Not in the sense that I thought of when I was a kid though. The Jurassic Parks of today, from Facebook to the Fed are built by men who take themselves more seriously than they should, often as monuments for their own glory, are an attempt at building something spectacular that controls the destiny of mankind.
Read MoreWhat is lost on modernism, with declining marriage rates, is that even in singleness, Safety is Never Guaranteed. Christ wasn't safe even as he was single. Married or single our earthly Safety is Not Guaranteed. Thanks be to Christ, our heavenly security indeed is... for we are steadfastly loved!
Read MoreThe shrewd people of the world use crisis for personal benefit. The foolish people of the world let the crisis define them and waste away. As wise Christians we use the crisis to know ourselves by involving in healthy enterprises, know people around by being vulnerable about our weaknesses and to know God by looking up at Him for help.
Read MoreThanks be to God
For on the other Shore is this Ocean
Which the drop can never empty
My cup overflows living God's Eternity!
We are made in the Image of God, like the Trinity we are united but still distinct. We are to bear our own burdens, but we are also to help others bear their burdens. We can't err fully to either collectivism or individualism, both need to be held in balance.
Read MoreFor there to be true love, the one loved has to have freedom to chose. If there is no freedom, then there is no love. The movie at a very deep level brings out the desire that human beings have to be loved 'eternally' by the Creator, for if there is no eternal love then life becomes meaningless.
Read MoreThrough 'acts of God' facing disappointments, despondency and depression, if we will acknowledge the reality of our own depravity and then we will be set Free. Unless know who we truly are without God we will not be ready to set free.
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