Over the past few years, the idea of cultural appropriation has gained unprecedented attention on social media and the blogosphere. I’ve read a lot about perceived crimes of white people taking elements form other cultures in a manner that some consider offensive. These days it’s not too uncommon to read articles like this one at The Atlantic. I could go into a number of reasons the “victimhood culture” described there is diametrically opposed to Christianity, but that would be off topic. The article, however, gave me a sufficiently alarming view of what people consider “cultural appropriation” (in this case use of a foreign language), that I thought the issue may need to be addressed. Continue reading “Towards a Biblical View of Cultural Appropriation”
Tag: Bible: Commentary, Intertextuality, Exposition
7 Attributes of God: A Facebook Challenge
I’ve noticed there is a challenge going around on Facebook. If you like the post of someone who is doing the challenge, you are challenged to post a statement of the following form once a day for a week:
“God is [attribute].”
Continue reading “7 Attributes of God: A Facebook Challenge”
Why You Should Wear Clothes
There is a pervasive assumption I’ve noticed in conversations with many fellow believers regarding clothing: that the main purpose of clothes is to prevent sexual temptation. Which is all well and good, except for the fact that it’s just wrong. The assumption probably comes from the connection between modesty and the Christian philosophy of clothing, as seen here, here, and more comprehensively here. In modern American culture, where so much of fashion is intentionally sexual, this confusion is understandable. But given global standards of modesty, diverse to the extent some primitive cultures forego clothing almost entirely, modesty makes a poor logical rationale for wearing clothes. You may object to so called “native nudity,” but as such attire (or lack thereof) is neither intended to arouse nor to draw attention to the individual, it fulfills the requirements of modesty. Modesty and wearing clothes are two different things. I don’t want to talk about modesty today, because I want to talk about the real reason we wear clothes—the gospel reason we wear clothes. Continue reading “Why You Should Wear Clothes”
But Jeshurun Grew Fat and Kicked
For the past week the blood of this blog has cried to me from the earth as Chris has tried to murder it by neglect. As he is sick right now, I’m posting in order to give him time to recover and write.
When I was a nine year old boy, I had two dream jobs. The first was to be the greatest right handed eighth inning setup man of all time, pitching for the Anaheim (not Los Angeles) Angels. You ask, “Why not a closer or a starter?” Because I fell in love with baseball through the 2002 world series and Angels reliever Francisco Rodriguez (This was before the whole domestic abuse debacle). “Why not the Dodgers?” Because making pitchers hit is insane. Love the Dodgers, hate the National League’s rules. My other dream was to go to seminary and become a pastor, because all my friends’ dads were in seminary, and I didn’t want to be a lawyer like my dad, so clearly I was called to the ministry. Yes, I believed my dreams were compatible; all my friends’ dads had second jobs. So as a nine year old boy I’d plan out sermons for my future. There was one I wanted to do in particular: “But Jeshurun Grew Fat and Kicked,” taken solely from that line in Deuteronomy 32:15. Today I partially realize my childhood dream. Continue reading “But Jeshurun Grew Fat and Kicked”
Serving God or Manipulating God?
One day soon, Chris will post on this blog. Until that day, you’re stuck with yours truly. I offer you my sincerest sympathies.
I want to start by recalling the following story from 1 Kings 18: Continue reading “Serving God or Manipulating God?”
You Should Read the Old Testament
The following is very slightly adapted from a devotional given by the author at a college group event.
I think you, as a Christian, should be reading the Old Testament. I’ve heard the objections. They’re stupid. Let me tell you why. Continue reading “You Should Read the Old Testament”
Citizens & Sons 