How Should Christians Respond to Crisis?

At the time of writing this article, all anyone sees in the news is COVID-19. There is a lot of fear and confusion around the virus and it can become easy for Christians to get caught up in the chaos. We can under-react and pretend like this is going to be gone tomorrow. We can overreact, sell all our 401k stock, and buy a year’s supply of toilet paper. Neither of these options is helpful or really even Biblical.

I have seen many well-tempered and well-informed responses to this crisis from Christians. So many in fact, that I thought that perhaps my writing about this was redundant. But this is a series about engaging life with proper theology and so I decided to give my take on the issue. As always there will be a livestream to discuss. The livestream for this article will be Wednesday April 15th at 8pm EST.

On Earth as in Heaven

The last two entries in this series have been about the kingdom and will of God. You read about what the kingdom of God looks like and you read that to truly live in that kingdom you need to submit to the will of God. This next entry is one that many commentaries lump in with will. But I think that is a mistake.

There is a problem with the view of many Christians today. Many of you are under the impression that the world we live in will be destroyed. You think that when judgement day happens Jesus is going to come and blow up the earth and some incorporeal part of you is going to live with him in heaven with halos and wings and golden gates. I could say that this comes from the writings of Plato, but that would mean little to most of you. I think a more relatable reality is that we have believed all those movies with Kirk Cameron. I hate to tell you, but that's just not what I see in scripture.

Our Father

Our Father. These are the first two words of the Lord's Prayer. At first glance they don't seem to mean much. They are just an address to God and yet this address brings with it some rich theology. In these two words we find hope, community, belonging, identity. In these two words is a deep understanding of who we are as a people of God and who God is for us. These first two words set the stage for understanding the rest of the Lord's Prayer.

People of Hope

The world is not over. The election has come and went and we are still standing. Some of you might say that this is only temporary; that we will see Armageddon soon. Some of you may be rejoicing that the right candidate won. There are probably many of you that are shaking your head and are in shock. You may not know how to move forward.

I never really started this blog just for Christians. Though it has a Christian focus I felt that this blog was for all who wished to read it. But today, this post, this is for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. This one is for you. Whatever your feelings on the results of last night there is only once course of action for the future. We need to be people of hope.

How Power Has Corrupted American Christianity

I want you to imagine something. I want you imagine an America where Christians are executed for preaching the gospel. Where religious leaders are imprisoned for what they preach. Where Christians are tortured, flogged, and forced to live as outcasts. This is the American we will have if Hillary is elected President. Or at least it is the America that some want you to think we will have. And if I'm honest, I don't think that is such a bad thing.