Charity and Charis
Two nouns that look like they must come from the same word root. And they don't. Charity comes from the Latin word caritas; it's an English word for agape love. Charis is Greek for grace. Grace means gift, and agape love is the gift of self. The two words may not share the same etymology, but they do share the same Source!
Red Notes
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. — Romans 12:1
Jesus gave us the notes. Our craft is to make worship music with them. New Testament virtuosos, like Paul, trained the earliest churches within their contexts. Now it's our turn. Covers are fine; some covers are better than the original. But we can write our own music too.
Empathy
Jesus wept. — John 11:35
Jesus wept with others weeping. He knew he could raise Lazarus. He knew he would raise Lazarus. He absorbed the allegations made by Martha, then Mary: "What took you so long?" And their grief moved him deeply.
Unlike Jesus, I rarely know the outcome. But I often feel the pain.
- love
- Holy Spirit
- humility
- church
- politics & society
- mission & witness
- holiness
- parable & metaphor
- identity
- eternal life
- doubt & deconstruction
- leadership
- grace
- justice
- scripture
- spiritual life
- advent & christmas
- poverty & compassion
- 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.