I am learning that when I say an apparently difficult word, or just some big vocab, I should rush on with my speech so that people don’t spend the time focusing on the word. It makes all of it feel normal, as though I really never meant to draw attention to it. But goodness, it’s for the attention that I said it! Haha.
This film about Henri Nouwen is just as moving as you would expect. youtu.be/faQXF33rQ…
In reply to my article, Was Jesus Lying, on substack, Daniel: This is an intriguing topic to explore. Such thoughts often receive a sharp dismissal, “Your faith is wavering,” but as you rightly point out, this is a reality for many. Does it alter the nature of God as an entity? I don’t believe so. However, these questions persist in my mind. It’s one of the topics I would undoubtedly seek His wisdom on in eternity regarding our lives on Earth, as it sometimes seems unfair, yet we persevere.
I wrote something about faith on substack: How much faith does a man need?
Twice the devil tempted Christ with the phrase if you are the Son of God… He made the sonship of Christ to depend on his giving in to the devil’s request. If you are the son of God, change these stones to bread. If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. I have then had to ask myself, what makes me a son of God? What has made me a son of God?
Great Spirit, give to me A heaven not so large as yours But large enough for me -Emily Dickinson
John 16:32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. Matthew 26:30-35 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night.
Some of you might have noticed that the sower in Mark 4:3-8 sowed his seed indiscriminately. He wasn’t especially keen to make sure that they all fell on good soil, which expectedly, would have yielded him a great crop. It might have been prudent not to waste so many good seed, yet: behold a sower went out to sow, and as he sowed some seed fell along the path, other seed fell on rocky ground, other seed fell among thorns, and other seeds fell into good soil.
Jesus is walking with his disciples, they come to a town, and then suddenly he turns to ask them who people say he is. “Some say you are John the Baptist. Some say you are Elijah. Still, others say you are Jeremiah.” The way I see it? Very exceptional titles indeed. He’s not done: “but who do you say I am?” Very impressed by Peter’s answer, Jesus in fact confirms it to be a revelation God has himself given Peter.
Dear Sam, For some time, I have noticed how you particularly seem dazed about the idea of having a girlfriend. You seem so much taken in with the thought of being in love; most of the things you say or write, implicitly or explicitly make mention of love. I know you are single, at least formally, but I am very afraid that your heart isn’t. I am at a loss of words to explain why it is singleness in heart that really counts as singleness.