The Rambling Disciple

The Bible, as we've discussed many times, is a complex and wondrous book. It is full of different types of literature that serve different functions but still manage to form one, cohesive narrative. It was written over the span of nearly 2,000 years yet remains remarkably consistent. As Christians we believe that the entire Bible is a gift from God given in order to instruct, train, and mold us to be more like Jesus. We believe that every part of the Bible is God-breathed and relevant for us today in some way, or at least that's what we say. In practice we gravitate towards certain parts of the Bible while leaving other parts pretty much untouched. If I had to guess at which part of the Bible is the most ignored, most skipped, and least understood it would have to be the Torah. Now when I say Torah I am not referring to the first five books of the Bible, because Genesis and Exodus (at least most of Exodus) are certainly not ignored. When I say Torah I am referring to what we no...

The Christian faith is one that is full of mystery. We are called to live both distinct from the world yet also bound up and involved in redeeming it. Jesus Christ, the founder and perfecter of our faith, is both completely God and completely human. We see these mysteries all the time in our faith, and at times it can be difficult to know what to make of them. Often times are reaction to a mystery of the faith is to double down on one side or the other. Many Christians live their lives in constant fear of the world, working tirelessly to separate themselves from our culture and times. They take the call to be distinct from the world seriously but ignore the call to be bound up and involved with it. Still others do the opposite, becoming so bound up with the world that they are no longer distinct in any meaningful way. This reaction is understandable because we don't like the unknown and uncertainty. We prefer to know where things stand, have a clear understanding of what to do, and...