“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” —1 Corinthians 15:22 This verse, part of an extended argument from the writings of Paul, became a triumphant chorus in the hands of Baroque composer George Frideric Handel. In my favorite version of his Messiah, which I mentioned two weeks […]
Advent: The other walking dead
An individual dies when he ceases to be surprised. I am surprised every morning that I see the sunshine again. When I see an act of evil, I am not accommodated to it. I don’t accommodate myself to the violence that goes on everywhere; I’m still surprised. That’s why I’m against it, why I can […]
Writing hope through fantasy
Andrew Slack, whose work on myths I’ve shared before, once spoke on a TEDx conference stage about the archetypes of the underdog orphan and their nemesis, the evil empire. As Slack traced instances of this archetype, he also explained the story it tells about human society, human storytellers, and our capacity, despite all appearances, to overcome […]
Planting Paradise
Every time I see a box of Bible story felts, I remember the garden. I hear those stories, stories I learned and repeated. I remember childhood safe places and I remember “In the beginning.” With time I’ve learned to hear those stories in new ways. I can note the silences in each history now: the missing characters in […]
Event Update: The Future of Adventism
Adventist Today has posted an updated announcement for the panel discussion on the Millennial Generation and Adventist Faith next month at Loma Linda University: I’m looking forward to talking with Edgar Momplaisir, Alfredo Lee, Pr. Courtney Ray, Syd Shook, Monte Sahlin, and Ryan Bell about our denomination’s future (if not its “arc”!). When I have […]