Remembering Saint Patrick and Hope for Today
“Kiss me. I’m Irish!” That was the phrase on my friend‘s coffee mug. When I saw it, I thought, “I have no idea what that means, but I sure could have used that mug in high school.” Among Irish mythology, the story goes that kissing an Irish person will bring you luck. The legend originates […]
Singing the Song of the Lamb: A Review of Jonathan Young’s Commentary on Revelation
Sitting on the back deck of my home one afternoon, my young teenage son, Jonathan, told me that he no longer believed in God. I cannot say I was surprised. Yes, he grew up in a Christian home, often at a Christian school, in a great Christian youth ministry, with parents who had daily devotionals […]
Who’s Constantine the Great? The Story of the Emperor and the Church
Who’s Constantine and what should we think of the relationship between him and the church? Constantine the Great is remembered as the first Christian emperor of Rome. His conversion to Christianity led many Christians to ask for his interventions into church matters. The result was some theological clarity (i.e., the Council of Nicea) as well […]
Is Christian Nationalism Faithfulness? 4 Lessons from the Constantine Years
What is Christian nationalism, and is it a current problem? A healthy patriotism becomes American Christian nationalism when it draws an essential connection between the US and Christianity and then uses that connection as a primary means for moving the kingdom of God forward. We can learn much about Christian nationalism’s allure from the Constantine […]
Triumph.
Hail the conquering hero! Titus, the son of Emperor Vespasian, had won a great victory. Jerusalem and all Palestine had fallen! When Titus returned to Rome the senate voted to honor him with a “triumph”—a special parade of high honor. Leading the procession were wagons of silver and gold, the spoils of war. Then came […]
