As far back as we have written records, humans have used stories to figure out their world and to help them understand what it means to be human. We are story-telling creatures—from the Epic of Gilgamesh to Harry Potter. In previous posts we spoke about how individuals, families, and nations use stories to create identities [...]

For Christianity to remain transformative we need a distinction between the text of Scripture and the gospel story. We find this distinction in the Bible itself. For example, in Ephesians 1:13 Paul writes, “In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, [...]

This post concludes our series on relational transformation. In previous posts, we spoke of “sin” as relational failure and suggested that this view of sin encapsulates areas that are often separated, for example, a nasty comment, the marginalization and abuse of women, and the destruction of the environment. Parts of Christianity still labor under philosophical [...]

J. K. Rowling says of her Harry Potter series, “My books are largely about death.” It is illuminative to view the characters in her novels through the lens of how they live in light of death. Will they sacrifice their lives for others? Will they use any means possible to conquer death? The evil wizard [...]

Most people perk up when they hear a good story. People who were lost in a talk, suddenly find their way again. Those who were dozing off in class, awaken. Stories have a captivating quality. Whether we are young, old, or in-between, stories grab our attention. Some of the most popular movies over the last [...]

St. Isaac of Syria once said, “To see yourself as you really are, is a greater miracle than raising the dead.” Apart from our propensity for self-protection and excuses, even if we have the desire to understand ourselves, we are faced with considerable obstacles. The ancient appeal above the temple at Delphi to “know yourself” [...]

My flight was leaving at 8:00 in the morning and I had arrived at the Philadelphia International Airport with plenty of time to spare. Since 9-11, queues were a common grumbling point and to be on time for a morning flight now required rising far too early. Fortunately, I found a shorter line for an [...]