When we tell the story of the United States, it begins with the British Empire. The colonial empires were bound to collapse under the burden of distance, and in Asia and Africa it was only in fomenting division that the colonial powers maintained control until the 20th century. In North America, where the settlers quickly … Continue reading Points of View
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In reading the Old Testament, the descendants of Adam progress in their covenant with God. Upon the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the covenants with Abram and Noah had vanished. Remembering that the Pentateuch was transcribed in Babylon, with the return from exile the covenant became fixed. The role of the High Priest was to … Continue reading Covenants
We obsess over royalty. Where they exist as a political heritage, our public spaces bear their names, and their weddings and deaths are attended by millions. Where monarchy was been expunged, royalty survives as dynasties in our political parties, and are memorialized as colleges and transit routes. As Christians, we should feel tension in that … Continue reading Esther’s Mystery
Most interpreters of Revelation read the trumpets as disasters to arrive in the future. But in fact they describe the great ecological disasters of the past. As John was not a paleontologist, his description is obscure, but it fits. For example, with the first trumpet the oceans "turn to blood." How does this relate? Well, … Continue reading A Bloody Sea
Have you ever complained “The Devil made me do it?” We offer it as an excuse when we sin. The “Enemy” got the better of us. But that excuse casts Jesus’ promise in a different light. What did he really mean when he spoke of “dying for the forgiveness of sin?” The common reading is … Continue reading Sin, Forgiven
