The Internet Home of Matt Boswell, Quaker Pastor and Christian Spirituality Scholar
“God loves you.” It is assumed, I think, when these words are spoken or printed, that this is the message we most need to hear. The answer to our core question. The solution to our fundamental problem. And it’s a great message. But not the most important one.
Continue reading “Why “God Loves You” is Decent News but Not the Best”
“They can’t do that; I have a right…”
Replace “they” with an enemy, substitute the encroachment of your choice for “that”, and finish the sentence how you like. This template for a common lament can be enfleshed in myriad ways. Many of which do not seem to mirror the way of Jesus.
It’s not that Christians should not care about others’ safety, freedom, or dignity. But the language of rights, while potentially a mechanism for care and protection and respect and arguably a legal necessity, is too often co-opted by persons speaking out of a sense of entitlement, self-centeredness, and anxiety. Christians can do better.
Continue reading “Why Christians Should Speak Less About Rights”
We all know fear. Our fears are crippling. Fear thwarts authenticity. Our ability to act. Our acceptance of ourselves. The quality of our listening. The good we might do. Fear is a constant and looming enemy. One antidote to fear is the virtue of courage.
Courage ought to be a conspicuous virtue in Christians. The linchpin of our faith himself is an exemplar of courage. We may not notice this when we only think of cool, confident, or even stoic Jesus, acting good with relative ease thanks to his God-powers. But when we remember that Jesus was human and likely faced the same kinds of fears that we face, the depth of his courage becomes remarkable. Jesus was really, really brave.
Continue reading “On Courage and Seven Forms of Christian Cowardice”