I ran across the following quotation from an interview with the theologian James Alison: At the resurrection, what the apostolic group began to understand was that there is no violence in God, no wrath, no desire for retribution, no need for vengeance or satisfaction” (James Alison, “Befriending a Vengeful God,” Encounter, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, October [...]
Category Archive for 'Mercy'
What Does the Resurrection Mean for Us?
Posted in Goodness, Mercy, Resurrection on May 17th, 2006
What does the Resurrection of Jesus mean for us? And why does it mean something for our own lives and not just the life of one holy God-man? First, the Resurrection shows us that Goodness is in control of the universe. Huston Smith puts it this way: “Jesus’s resurrection was not about the fate of [...]
Wondrous Acceptance
Posted in Acceptance, Forgiveness, Mercy on Apr 8th, 2006
Here are two things Jesus never says to us: First, Jesus never says, I’ll wait until your faith is perfect before loving you. Consider the distraught father in Mark 9:17-29, who brings his son to be healed. The boy has been having convulsions, even falling into the fire. The disciples of Jesus have not been [...]
Po-Boy and Prayer
Posted in Mercy on Aug 28th, 2005
In New Orleans last week, I visited my favorite po-boy place, a combination filling-station/take-out joint. Everything there is made from scratch, so while waiting for my shrimp po-boy, I watched and listened, enjoying the atmosphere. The woman behind the counter sighed as she worked, “Lordy, Lordy, Lordy!” From behind the cash register at the other [...]
Brush me, O God, with the feathers of your mercy, for I am dusty with pettiness. Day by day in fear my heart collapses on itself. My hours are gray with forgetfulness. See — the coals of my love have already settled into ash. Breathe me into new life, that I may expand in the [...]