My Christian Ethics Prof would bring a rubber band into class from time to time, playing with it as he lectured on the essential tension inherent in some ethical questions. A rubber band is useless without tension. The right amount of tension and it holds things together; too much tension and it breaks. What can […]
Do you ever feel like you’re drowning? In March, 40% of Americans reported that they were scared of getting the virus. In June, that number had risen to 60% (Covid-19 Tracker). Not surprisingly, those with pre-existing mental health issues are reporting even higher rates of fear and anxiety. Sheltering could wipe out a significant portion […]
Technology has effectively democratized publishing and mass communications. Anyone with a computer can publish their message to millions. Unfortunately, the technological gold rush didn’t come with a manual or a course on ethics. Our digital conversations seem to have one volume: Loud. Who is listening? With so many shouting to be heard, we are in […]
We live in an increasingly confrontational culture. More and more of our political leaders are taking to twitter causing an avalanche of responses. Technology has given us unprecedented access to each other and equally unprecedented angry conversations. Millions have entered the fray. In the present cultural morass, where millions can react with lightning speed, how […]
The racial, cultural, and ideological divide in our nation is obvious by the way people talk to each other on Facebook. Our nation has survived these differences for more than two centuries, but it will not survive for long with the growth of hatred, anger, and violence born from that divide. How should Christians respond? […]
In 1933 Hitler took effective control of the German government and immediately moved to unify all Protestant churches into a single pro-Nazi Protestant Reich Church. A group of pastors protested and formed the Confessing Church in opposition to some of the Nazi ideals, including antisemitism. Most of those pastors ended up in concentration camps or […]
President Donald Trump pronounced churches and other houses of worship as “essential” and called on state governors nationwide to let them reopen. Many Christians hailed his announcement as heroic, while others called it irresponsible. I have no desire to enter the political fray. However, this has raised an important theological question that is worthy of […]
It gets more difficult to cope with each passing day of “shelter-in-place.” The challenges of loss of income, the painful inaccessibility to mental health professionals, the strain of a difficult marriage, the exacerbation of online public education — all these and so much more are creating a seething caldron of anxiety and desperation. Most are […]
I never thought masks would be controversial. Welcome to 2020, where the complexities of a global pandemic have us debating the finer points of mask-wearing. One Ohio State Representative is refusing to wear a mask (he used Scripture to justify his refusal). US officials including Surgeon General Jerome Adams and Vice President Mike Pence have […]
A lot of people are fearful right now. Covid-19 is spreading. Nerves are on high alert. Fear is an essential part of the survival instinct. Truth be told — fear and anxiety are a part of the human experience. If someone tells you that they are never anxious or afraid, then they are either lying, […]
