Jim Wallis and Chuck Colson have a column in Christianity Today urging both conviction and civility in our public discourse. Their remarks are offered in the wake of the Tucson shootings, and I think they get it just about right. Here’s a snippet: “We affirm the politics of conviction. Conviction is not inconsistent with civility, which is far deeper than political niceness, indifference, or weakness. We recall the example of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who could never be accused of a lack of passion; yet he persisted in the non-violent treatment of his adversaries, hoping to win them over rather than to win over them. “Where moral concerns lie…
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Did Jesus pray, “Father, forgive them”?
Luke 23:34 is one of the most famous sayings of the Bible because it is one of the seven last words of Christ from the cross: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” This is a beloved text of scripture, and for good reason. Here Jesus models for us what he in fact commands all of his disciples to do. Even as his enemies torture and kill him, Jesus loves his enemies and prays for them. I delivered a sermon at my church yesterday on this text. But when I began preparing for the message last week, I wrestled with a significant textual difficulty that…
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A Closer Look at Gosnell’s Horror
Our understanding of the horror that was Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s abortion clinic is still coming in to clear view. Today, the Associated Press reports more of the details about the findings of the grand jury that indicted Gosnell last week. One woman tells the story of how Gosnell forced her to have an abortion against her will.
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Abortion Outrage
The abortionist’s office was like a slaughterhouse. At least that’s how one patient described the office of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, an abortionist who was recently arrested for murder in Philadelphia (read the story here). There was blood on the floor and the operating table. Unlicensed workers with no medical training performed abortions, and in one case a high school student was put in charge of the procedure. Dr. Gosnell botched scores of abortion, delivered live babies, and then killed them with scissors to the back of the neck after birth. Gosnell is suspected of killing hundreds of live babies over the course of his 30 year career as an abortionist.…
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Flame’s New Album, “Captured”
I cannot say enough about Marcus “Flame” Gray’s new album, “Captured.” Once again, he has put together an album that combines musical and creative excellence with profound theological depth. As far as I’m concerned, Flame is a genius, and this album is a must-buy both for hip-hop fans and for all those others who might need to broaden their horizons. My favorite tracks on here are “Nonsense,” “Alive,” “All I Need,” and “Move.” The cameo by MC Ryan Fullerton is also at the top of my list, so be sure to listen to “Daniel 10.”
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The Gospel and Sexual Assault
Crossway has a new book out titled Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault (Crossway, 2011). The video above has Justin Taylor interviewing the authors. This looks like an important book, and I am looking forward to reading it. Here’s Justin Taylor’s description: “This husband-and-wife team has spent countless hours in counseling victims and poring over God’s work, applying the gospel into the lives of people by sexual sin against them. If you’ve ever wondered what the gospel has to say to the victims of sexual assault, you’ll see it in this book. They labor to show that ‘the gospel applies grace to disgrace and…
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Don’t Call It a Comeback
We live in a day in which many people have written off evangelical faith. The notion that Christian truth might still be relevant or viable in 2011 seems a far-fetched idea to many in our culture. Nevertheless, God raises up in every generation a people who live and preach otherwise. Civilizations come and go, but the truth of the gospel remains. That is why I am grateful to have contributed to a recent book that reaffirms the essentials of the evangelical faith, Don’t Call It a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day (edited by Kevin DeYoung). The title of the book is a riff on the lyrics of…
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John Piper and Jesse Jackson
John Piper preaches a message on racial reconciliation every year on the Sunday before Martin Luther King Day. One of my favorites is his sermon from 2000 on Ephesians 2:11-22 titled “Race and Cross.” Piper begins the message with his own testimony of growing up in segregated Greenville, South Carolina. Across town another boy was growing up at the same time—Jesse Jackson. Piper’s testimony is below, but it will be worth your time to read or listen to the entire message. You can listen to the message below, or read the entire manuscript here. “Race and Cross” [audio:http://cdn.desiringgod.org/audio/2000/20000116.mp3]
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A Pro-life Conversion
Abby Johnson was the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Bryan, Texas in 2009 when she received the unusual request to assist one of the doctors with an abortion. Willing to fill-in for medical staff in a pinch, she agreed. Here’s how she describes what happened next:
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Major Dick Winters (1918-2011)
Major Dick Winters, whose WWII heroism was made famous in the book Band of Brothers, died last week at the age of 92. Winters was a true American hero. He was a part of the 101st airborne division that was dropped behind enemy lines just before the D-Day invasion. He and the men he commanded from Easy Company fought all the way from Normandy to Hitler’s Alpine retreat at Berchtesgaden, Germany. His bravery and leadership is the stuff of legend, and that is why there is a book and a movie telling the tale. If you have never read Band of Brothers, read it. And take moment to give thanks…