Friendly
For at least 1700 years, societies have been friendly to Christianity, but unfriendly to Christ. There's a red line that shall not be crossed. There's a declaration that cannot be allowed.
Virtue
Fulfillment
Jesus came to fulfill the law (Matt. 5:17). How? By commanding the royal law (James 2:8). Jesus is the fulfillment of the law (God is love). And the ways of Jesus fulfill the law.
Sovereign Servant
We can scarcely imagine sovereignty apart from control. Words like dominion, majesty, and preeminence describe an exalted position. With that position comes authority.
Cultural Kintsugi
People ask, "How do I bring the Kingdom into my workplace?" I suggest not with a bulldozer or a hammer.
The Interpretive Key
Have you noticed Christians use the same language, from the same texts, yet seem so different? Mother Teresa and the Crusaders. Domination and withdrawal. Prosperity and asceticism.
Legacy
The word for children, huios, suggests bearing someone's name authentically. It's participating with a forerunner. It's being of the same character as a parent, literal or figurative.
First Order
Love of God is primary in both the Old Covenant and the New. My gift of self to God looks like humility, surrender, and heart obedience. This sets the map for Jesus' close-second command, loving myself and my neighbor.
Orange Vests
Fred Rogers, Mister Rogers, was taught as a child to "look for the helpers." There will always be helpers.
Prepare to Repair
Sowing chaos in creation's soil yields a harvest of rot, strife, burdensome labor, and regret. Investing in people's flourishing builds toward something beautiful, hopeful, and pleasant.
Simultaneous Currents
I can cry, and I can be moved to tears.
Ways and Means
When my focus is on results, I will clamor for the biggest levers of power. But when I prioritize process, I can be free to leverage every small moment.
Sliders!
There's a form of backsliding that looks like taking the Lord's name in vain, claiming to be his but behaving like the world we were rescued from. Churches make much of this.