These words of Thomas Merton offer another perspective on loving our enemy.
"Do not be too quick to assume that your enemy is an enemy of God just because he is your enemy.
Perhaps he is your enemy precisely because he can find nothing in you that gives glory to God."
How we understand poverty determines how we engage with the poor.
My friend Sam is too young and unstable to have a kid. Now she's pregnant. She is with a guy who drinks and gambles when he gets money. She dropped out of high school, and her job prospects are not rosy.
Read MoreThis morning a riot broke out near my house as striking factory workers clashed with riot police. One woman was shot and died. Others were brutally beaten. Workers from SL factory, which makes Levis, H&M and GAP clothing, have been on strike since early August .
Followers of Christ sometimes question whether working for justice in situations like this is central to the gospel....
Read MoreA lot of folks question our decision to raise our kids in the slums and inner cities of the world. But from time to time I am reminded of how God has blessed us with two insightful, healthy, confident kids.
My 8 year daughter Micah came home from school not long ago and told me that her teacher had asked the class, "Which would you choose, fame or money?"
Read MoreThe ongoing fight against
Obamacare, the ridiculous obsession with disparaging the important role
of government in a society, and endless quest to try to make Government
as small as possible is surely a symptom of dementia.
Because I live in the country you Republicans are striving for. It's called Cambodia.
Read MoreI perched on the plastic stool and nodded towards the broad black sewer that runs along the edge of the slum where I live.
"Is that canal dangerous?" I asked innocently, simply meaning to make conversation.
The woman's eyes filled with tears and I realized I had asked the wrong thing.
Read MoreIn Part 1 of this blog post I suggested that we need to examine whether consumerism, even for a good cause, fits with a commitment to justice.
In Part 2 I want to unpack two key factors that you can use to evaluate whether your purchase for charity is helpful or harmful.
Read More
Probably going to alienate both the people who read this blog with this one, but here goes...
Seems like the latest thing is using the clothes and accessories we wear to send a message about our commitment to justice and the poor.
You got your TOM's shoes, and now your TOM's sunglasses. Don't forget your TWLOHA hoodie and your Krochet Kids beanie. Grab a Sevenly t-shirt with this week's charity logo while you're at it.
Read MoreIn much of my writing and speaking I try to make a case for the need for more people to relocate into the hard places - the slums and inner cities of the world.
With more than 1 billion people on earth today located in slums, it seems to me that the need is great and the Christian response is pathetically tiny.
But what if every follower of Jesus relocated into a slum or inner city? Read More
