God is love. God is love. Truths don’t get any simpler or more packed with significance. As the defining characteristic of the Creator, love is the basis for everything that exists. Within all the turmoil and pain, dig down far enough and you’ll discover love. I believe “God is love” to be the three most... Continue Reading →
Simple Truths
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” -Albert Einstein The most important truths are the simplest ones. They are the ones that scientists refer to as “elegant.” Elegant truths find the common denominator behind a variety of different effects and express that commonality in a formula or phrase. Simple truths are... Continue Reading →
Awe: The Key to Wisdom
“The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of God brings understanding..” Proverbs 9: 10 When I was in my early teens, I remember standing outside on a summer night and looking up at the stars. The sky was crystal-clear, without any clouds, and the Milky Way seemed extra bright, points of... Continue Reading →
Love’s Opposite
There is no fear in love. – 1 John 4: 18 We underestimate the importance of fear. In the positive sense, fear can protect us from harm and catastrophe. Positive fear is what prevents us from driving drunk or shooting people we dislike. It’s the type of fear that was missing the night my teenaged... Continue Reading →
Faith Part 1
Faith begins precisely where thinking leaves off. – Soren Kierkegaard[i] One day, during a discussion about religion in a sociology class, I irritated a student. While writing on a whiteboard, with my back turned to the room, I casually mentioned there was no proof that God exists. Immediately, a voice behind me yelled out, “That’s... Continue Reading →
The Silent Song
Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. - Anonymous One Saturday night, many years ago, I attended a dinner party hosted by a married couple in one of my churches. Since I didn’t know the other invitees, after we were seated, the wife made... Continue Reading →
Pretending To Be Human
When things get tense, when I start taking my work a bit too seriously, I remind myself that I’m only pretending to be a human being. -Alan Arkin[1] My first job in the substance abuse field was as an off-hours counselor in a twenty-eight-day alcohol rehab. I supervised residents through the weekend hours when there... Continue Reading →
The Nameless One
The Tao that can be told of is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth; the Named is the mother of all things. – Lao Tzu[i] One day, while shepherding sheep somewhere in the Sinai desert, Moses saw... Continue Reading →
Love Is A Verb
Love, n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage or by removal of the patient from the influences under which he/she incurred the disorder. -Ambrose Bierce In his book, The Devil’s Dictionary, Mr. Bierce classifies love as a noun, since it identifies a type of mental disorder. People in love have an illness typified by transitory... Continue Reading →
Relatively Important Stuff
I thought about all that I achieved, and all the work put into its achievement. What vanity it all was, what chasing after the wind! There is nothing to be gained under the sun. - Ecclesiastes 2:11 Lesson: In the large scheme of things, nothing we do matters very much. Importance is a matter of... Continue Reading →