For a lot of people Good Friday brings one question to mind: Why ‘Good’? If I love Jesus and want to follow him, how can I say that the day he died was ‘Good’? It sounds like I should be jumping with joy. I can’t read the Gospel accounts without tears. English speakers have called […]
Lent 4: On Sex, and Being a Seaworthy Ship
Like food, sexual activity is necessary for survival. But while food is needed for each individual, in the case of sex the need is for the species. Nobody, as they say, ever actually died of chastity. The understanding of many Christian centuries that chastity is actually better for you may seem at least foreign. In our society we equate sexuality with […]
Lent 3: Food as Food
Evagrius Ponticus (d. 399), the great Desert Father with whom I’m spending this Lent has a has a way of pointing out obvious things that I’ve spent a very long time not noticing: biblically speaking, food has a long history of getting us into problems. Desire for food gave birth to disobedience and a sweet taste […]
Lent 2: Lenten Fasting and My Potato Chip Problem
Once upon a time, a marketing genius thought up a great slogan for Lay’s potato chips: Betcha can’t eat just one.” My waistline has testified to the truth of this for decades. They are right. I can’t. My conversation partner for Lent, the great Desert Father Evagrius Ponticus, had the same insight back in the […]
Lent: Taking Stock with Evagrius Ponticus
Lent is a season for self-examination. It is not mainly about feeling guilty. It is more like a chance to check the GPS (that might be “God Positioning System” if you like acronyms) and figure out exactly where you have come and where you still have to go. We often describe this life as a spiritual journey, […]