I frequently run into the argument that God can do whatever he wants because he is God. Partnered with this assertion is often an accusation that human “sensibilities” about what is right and wrong are not the same as God’s—that his ways are higher than our ways—as a defense for God behaving in ways that

Behind my desk there sits a clock, crafted by Terry King, a man who has become my friend and who has lived in Unit 2A on Death Row in Tennessee for 34 years. Right before Christmas, two years ago, it arrived unexpected, a gift. The first time I met Terry, it was because of a

A Walk through Paul’s Letter to the Romans (I wrote this on my journey to work this morning. It began with an effort to make sense of a difficult passage in the first chapter. It ended with something like a targum or paraphrase of the entire letter.) There is no special identity that can save

I’m so over him! she sobbed, I’m moving on! confirming that she hadn’t even begun the process of “moving on.” Theirs had been love at first sight—butterflies of infatuation assured her that she had found “Mister Right”—or, “the One” as she liked to call him. How had it come to this? Not worth recounting, though

Luke 7:11-17 (NRSV) Jesus Raises the Widow’s Son at Nain 11 Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 12 As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow;

The Parable of the Great Supper 15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,17 and sent his servant at supper time to