For most of human history, religious faith has been central to the life, economy and government of virtually all societies. Babylon, Egypt, China, Greece and Rome, all of these empires explicitly traced their authority from heaven, the gods, or other transcendent concepts that can only be described as religious. Religious acts were political acts, and …
I’m a big fan of the Book of Revelation. I know a lot of people aren’t as enthusiastic about this part of the Bible, and there are lots of good reasons for this. First of all, Revelation has probably been abused more any other part of Scripture. It seems like everyone with an apocalyptic ax …
I know, this is a pretty strange and spammy-sounding title for this post – not to mention quite out of character for the general focus of this blog. Let me explain. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what wealth really means. The line of thinking that has most currency (pun intended) in our culture …
Why do you work? Whether you are a school teacher, an electrician, or a volunteer at an animal shelter, what motivates you to give your time, energy and attention to projects and organizations beyond yourself? For many of us, we work because we feel we have no other choice. Bills need to be paid, and …
For most of my life, I have related to money as an enemy. I viewed finances as a necessary evil, a barrier that had to be overcome somehow in order to live a life free from worry and drudgery. Lots of people wish they had more money; I’ve mostly wished that money did not exist …
Recently, I have been apprenticing with an independent crafter, doing home renovations of all kinds. Whatever folks need taken care of – whether it’s carpentry or electrical work, HVAC or painting – we get it done. As an apprentice, I am growing in many ways. In addition to learning all sorts of useful skills, I …
This week at Capitol Hill Friends, we looked at Luke 12:13-34, where Jesus lays out some of his radical teaching about money. He tells the story of the rich fool who stored up all kinds of riches for himself, not caring for the needs of others or thinking beyond his personal comfort. Jesus reveals that …