September 2024

Fearless? A fearless renewal? Today? Simply put – it begins with God. And if it begins with God, it begins with love. As John teaches us: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us…” (1 John 4:10a). And being typically human, we ask: Prove it! Well, the proof that God loves us doesn’t come in the form of a diamond but rather in the shape of a wooden cross (according […]

There is probably nothing as soul-destroying as living a meaningless life. Meaninglessness traps you in the snare of spending your attention and time on pointless pursuits, only to feel even more devoid of purpose in hindsight. The sad reality is that many Christians experience their lives as meaningless. Children leave the nest, and suddenly there is a void; a spouse passes away, and life loses its meaning. Naturally, you are allowed to grieve! But if

Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of El Salvador, was assassinated on 24 March 1980 while administering communion to his congregants. I am currently reading one of his books. On the first page, it is written: “The violence we preach is not the violence of the sword, the violence of hatred. It is the violence of love, of brotherhood, the violence that wills to beat weapons into sickles for work.” This is also the title of the

To continue from yesterday (#13) and to talk about freedom again, just listen to what Paul writes in Galatians 5:13: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” This is an important principle of faith that we must understand: we are not free from … but free to … We are free to make different choices.

Somewhere I read that someone wrote, “Christianity does not take hold of your life. Christianity brings liberation.” I wonder about this often. Without a doubt, I know that our faith brings liberation. This is what the Bible teaches us: “Christ has set us free so that we may be truly free. Stand firm, then, in this freedom, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1). Or, as the

I run into a good friend of mine in a parking lot. How about a quick coffee, I ask. Unfortunately, he can’t – “today, I’m running around like crazy again.” The congregation where he works is large; his diary is full. “Everyone is demanding their pound of flesh,” he complains. How could I not understand? I’ve been there myself. Always busy. It was during that time that my own spiritual guide introduced me to the

Recently, I facilitated a conversation with a group of retreat attendees in which I asked the question: name one sermon that had a life-changing impact on you. Some people could start talking right away; others had to think for a long time. The response that affected me the most came from an older man who said his choice wasn’t necessarily a single sermon, but rather a sentence he had heard the pastor say on more

Conversion is something different from remorse. Or wait, let me put it this way – conversion surely includes remorse; but conversion is much more than remorse. Conversion simply means to change direction. So, we read repeatedly how Jesus invited people with “Follow Me!” In other words, walk the same path that Jesus walked. Actually, if we want to be more precise, conversion means discovering a new way of thinking, and on that basis, practising a

Last week, the focus was predominantly on the reality of renewal happening around us. As God changes the seasons, it stirs within us a desire to shake off the metaphorical winter chill (even in our hearts) and live with new energy. What fuels our desire for renewal is precisely the promise of God that renewal is possible! God does not give up on us. God is the God of second chances and new opportunities: “I

If someone were to ask me for a favourite quote, the words of the second-century Church Father, Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon, would probably come to mind first. It is a well-known phrase in Latin: “Gloria Dei est vivens homo!”. In English, this is translated as, “The glory of God is a human fully alive.” I simply translate it as, “God is glorified by someone who truly lives, and not merely exists.”In Irenaeus’ time – while