Why does Jesus ask Peter three times “Do you love me?” What kind of love does he expect from Peter and from all of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus?
I’m grateful to be part of a church tradition that warns against pledging our allegiance to anything except God as revealed through Jesus Christ.
All people are welcome by God in the Church, but once we are there, we are called to dress accordingly by “clothing ourselves” with the character of Jesus—compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, love and gratitude.
The apostle Paul’s life and teachings help us understand that the secret to contentment includes three keys: Enough, Gratitude, and Grace (EGG).
There are two kinds of authority—conferred and earned. True authority is earned when we are respected and trusted, as a result of being authentic people-- honest, transparent, humble, teachable and accountable to others. Jesus is a perfect example of someone whose authority was rooted in authenticity.
Accompanying people during times of struggle and pain is part of what it means to be peacemakers in the world. The story of Ruth and Naomi is a great example of accompaniment in the Bible, as is Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life and legacy.
In contrast to our desire to hold grudges or seek revenge when people hurt us, Jesus calls us to offer forgiveness to others as we have freely received it from God. The response by the Amish to the shooting at their school in Nickel Mines is a great example and shows us the healing power of forgiveness.
Encountering Jesus has the power to transform lives. A tax-collector named Zacchaeus had an unlikely encounter with Jesus which ended up transforming his life, and I have been transformed through encountering Jesus in different stages of my life.
In-between places can lead to growth as a person if you stay attuned to God’s Spirit and attend to what you can learn in this place. It helps us recognize the despair that too often drives us and offers us the kind off hope that is a good habit leading to action.
The exuberant sower who throws seed all over the place in Jesus’ parable of the sower is more like nature than an actual gardener.