Across Church Street
HE>I
It's true that He is greater than I. It's a bit of an understatement, right? One hundred is greater than 99. And God's omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, omnibenevolence, and omnificence are greater than my very limited analogs. Both are true, but the scale of the comparison is so different.
It's also true that I'm not nothing. You're not nothing. We are not worms, as some have taught. Each of us has been created in God's image to bear his image. In limited ways, we project God's glory individually and together.
Long Division
I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. ⏤ Romans 16:17
Doing calculations is hard—especially division. Keeping track of who I should love and who I can dismiss is too tiring. When Jesus was asked, "Who is my neighbor?" he told a story about a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. No points were awarded to the priest and Levite for working the wrong problems.
Work Backwards
If we're honest, Kingdom-meets-world case studies are difficult. Conversations on violence go like this: If someone breaks into my house and threatens my family... What about Law Enforcement and the military? On lying: Is it okay to lie when hiding a victim? These are tough questions, and I respect the different viewpoints. But what if none of these situations apply to me right now?
Starting with this level of complexity shuts down our imagination for something better. Wouldn't it be wiser to start from the other end — a wholehearted commitment to Kingdom values — then work backwards into the situations we actually face?
- love
- Holy Spirit
- humility
- church
- poverty & mercy
- politics & society
- mission & witness
- holiness
- parable & metaphor
- identity
- eternal life
- doubt & deconstruction
- leadership
- grace
- justice
- scripture
- spiritual life
- advent & christmas
- imagination & creativity
- technology & AI
- knowing God
- human dignity
- faith & trust
- incarnation & cross
- kingdom of God
- community
- reconciliation
- spiritual formation
- epistemology
- prayer
- gratitude
- culture
- creation & nature
- discipleship
I practice the spiritual discipline of rescuing earthworms on paved surfaces. It's a reminder to me that I can pause what I'm doing, get a little dirty, and help. Also, that I've been given the responsibility to care.