What Makes a Christian?
For the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Continue Reading →
Author Archives: hlesbrown
Passing through the Eye of a Needle
Scripture Reading Jesus drives a hard bargain. In today’s gospel, we find a man who apparently had it all: he was young, he was enthusiastic, he was spiritual, he was wealthy, and he was good. He avoided all those things that were forbidden by the Ten Commandments of the Law. He was looking for only one thing: to live forever. The man’s qualifications were not enough for Jesus. First, he dampened his enthusiasm, taking the praise the young man had given him by calling him “good,” and deflecting the praise to God. Then, Jesus challenged him to perfection: to give Continue Reading →
When’s a Marriage Not a Marriage?
In his private talk with his disciples, Jesus is quoted as being more forthright. He calls divorce and remarriage adultery. At the same time, this stance contradicts our nearly universal human experience. Can we resolve this contradiction? Obviously, Jesus is appealing to an ideal of marriage. We have to ask, is every committed union of two people—even a solemnized commitment—a real marriage? What is a marriage, anyway? Continue Reading →
God Doesn’t Make Garbage
Strangely enough, the reward and punishment paradigm has no place in an adult spirituality. The basic problem with it is that, once people get beyond the toddler stage, the pleasure principle isn’t effective—although the success of advertising shows we’re still vulnerable to it. As we mature, we begin to realize that rewards don’t deliver what they promise. Once we attain them, we see them as the temporary tawdry counterfeits for happiness that they most often are. Punishments don’t fare any better. Continue Reading →
Getting Your Own Way
What are you willing to give to get your own way? How much effort are you willing to expend? What are you willing to pay? to sacrifice? What’s it worth to you? Continue Reading →