The mystery revealed to Paul in Jesus is that all the ways we have decided how people fit and don’t fit in terms of worthiness have been blown apart. It doesn’t just belong to us, the insiders. It’s for the outsiders as well. This is what Paul sees in Jesus.
Read More[T]his is where the real story is. The story of the universe isn’t about Augustus or Quirinus. Or Donald Trump. But God is not found up in the lofty places of privilege and power that can be accessed by a select few. But God is found deep in the dirt, God comes among ordinary people who are trying to make a living. And despite the seemingly insignificant circumstances of their lives, they are the ones who are going to experience this incredible moment, this deep joy."
Read MoreJohn is sent by God, it says, sure. But it’s not about John. It’s not about his spirituality or his personal experience even. John isn’t the light. He’s the lamp who’s been lit. John is like someone who takes the witness stand and says “here’s what I saw.” And to quote the late, great Hank Williams, John says “I saw the light.” This whole thing isn’t about John. But John is about Jesus. A life that John says “is the light of all people.”
Read More"[W]e are constantly reducing questions like this all the time. And so we are stuck on the surface of things. Kind of like with the question “do you believe in God?” A yes or no answer doesn’t tell us much about the God we believe in. In the same way that yes or no to “do you believe Jesus is God?” really says nothing about what that even means. Or why anyone should care in the first place."
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