We run our website the way we wished the whole internet worked: we provide high quality original content with no ads. We are funded solely by your direct support. Please consider supporting this project.

1268294366_fe561cdd98

The Right to Remain Silent

A reader (Thanks Adam) sent us this reflection written by Jason Hess on how we as Christians sometimes use the freedom of speech in ways that are in opposition with our call to love. How we live is infinitely more important than what we say, and sometimes our free speech is a detriment to bringing the Kingdom of God closer to earth. Sometimes silence is golden.

From the article:

Growing up I’ve always heard don’t talk politics or religion. The older I get the truer that statement is. People don’t want to talk about religion because they don’t care…until they know how much you truly care for them. People don’t talk politics because it’s near impossible to have a civil discussion. You either agree with them or you’re an idiot and you’re the reason why so and so was elected. Sadly this isn’t limited to non-Christians but Christians as well.

Image by Derrick Tyson. Used in accordance with Creative Commons. Sourced via Flickr.

Related Reading

We Are All Weird Adopted Kids

Russell D. Moore wrote a thoughtful response to Pat Robertson’s recent comments on various men’s refusal to get involved with a certain woman because of her  internationally adopted children. As a people who are all beneficiaries of adoption by God who have also been commanded to lovingly care for the “least of these”, this is…

Getting Free From the Sin of Sodom: Living With Outrageous Generosity

Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction. Erich Fromm Jesus, the poor and the greedy Though it’s often missed by American Christians, confronting poverty was central to everything Jesus was about. Jesus didn’t just care about the poor. Though he was…

The Purpose of the Church

Concerning the preaching of the Gospel, Paul wrote that God’s intent was that “through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places … in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord”…

To My Offender

We’re happy to introduce you today to Brandon Andress. He is the author of AND THEN THE END WILL COME! and UNEARTHED: How Discovering the Kingdom of God Will Transform the Church and Change the World. He has served as an elder and teaching pastor at The Living Room Church in Columbus, Indiana. Brandon writes…

On Hacking Off Our Own Limbs

Nadia Bolz Weber posted this weekend on The Sarcastic Lutheran, and we thought you’d enjoy her thoughts on hacking off our own limbs for Jesus. Don’t worry, you won’t have the urge to find an axe after you read this. Or at least not a real axe. From the post: And here’s the thing…that story? The…

Sermon Clip: Extravagant Forgiveness, Extravagant Love

Greg Boyd had the wonderful opportunity to guest speak at a great church in Carlisle, PA called Carlisle BIC. He spoke on the topic of forgiveness and love. In this short clip, Greg describes how a prostitute was being judged by the Pharisees, but Jesus came to her rescue. You can listen to the full…