Prophets and Heroes

Sometime during college I went through a pretty significant transition about how I considered the gospel. I began to see it as good news for the world, not only in the age to come, but also in this time and place.

And that transition, was due in large part, to a dead preacher from Alabama, named Martin Luther King Jr.

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Theodicy

By now most everyone has probably heard about the devastating earthquake that has wrecked and ended the lives of many of the people of Haiti. If you’ve seen the pictures chances are you’ve had your world rocked with the rest of us. I think there is something that’s inside of most people that just instinctively knows that this is a taste of hell. This isn’t what God intends for the world that He said was good.
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Looking for Lazarus

The Gospel of Luke has always been one of my favorites. Luke tells the story of Jesus with an eye toward the oppressed and those on the margins of society. And he makes sure that his readers know that this is what it means to be a follower of Jesus. To care for those that are easily overlooked. Like Lazarus. READ MORE

The Start of Our Stories

Last night on a flight to St. Louis I had a conversation with a very unique man. He was agnostic, and really, really interesting. He was the assistant Grand Marshall of Arms in D.C. And he had rubbed shoulders with the elite and powerful of this country.

When he asked me what I did for a living, the conversation turned toward the Bible. He knew the basic characters, and I guess was trying to be polite and make conversation. But then he said something that I felt needed a reply. He said he was glad that the Bible was around, it gives people something to strive for. But he could never be as good as those characters in the BIble.

So I told him that he already was.

And here’s what I mean by that: READ MORE

Easier Said Than Done

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There’s a time toward the beginning of Jesus’ ministry where his popularity is starting to pick up steam. He’s in the middle of a teaching when several guys just lower their lame buddy through the roof, making it one of the most awkward sermons delivered in the Bible. But Jesus’ response isn’t to just speak restoration for this man’s legs, but to make a scene…one that would ultimately cost him his life.

[audio:http://stormented.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Diversions-2-Easier-Said-Than-Done.mp3|titles=Diversions #2 - Easier Said Than Done]

Justice and Mercy

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One of the best stories in the New Testament begins with one of the worst days in the life of a woman. She had committed the cardinal sin of Adultery, and now everyone knew it…and everything hinges on what Jesus does with her. This story has always fascinated me. It’s a story about the character of God, about the deeply broken nature of humanity, and how beautiful it can be when those two things intersect in Jesus.

[audio:http://stormented.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Justice-and-Mercy.mp3|titles=Justice and Mercy]