Thinking Outloud

Rob Bell, evangelical pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, MI, is making quite a stir with his new book, "Love Wins." I hope lots of people read his words. I hope they come to his side of the old Christian debate about the nature of salvation and the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.  While I haven't read his book, I know what it contains. It contains much of what I have been taught, studied, preached, written about and believed about God's intention for the human world through the life, ministry and death of Jesus. In my words, it's less about the details of certain parables and teachings of Jesus about hell and suffering, and more about the nature of God being grace, love and welcome to us sinners. We are all helpless without the love of God. And once we experience that love, Christianity is not so much about right belief anymore. It's about living with freedom, forgiveness, and using our lives to help and heal the world. To care about the kingdom of

Japan's tsunami : the Will of God? My thoughts, from my column for the Savage Pacer : Spiritual Reflections: God suffers along with us during natural disasters

I love Lauren Winner. We have never met, but I think of her as a spiritual friend. Dislocated exegesis | The Christian Century

Male and female brains really are different - but not in ways you may think. Boy brain, girl brain: How the sexes act differently - image 2 - life - 08 March 2011 - New Scientist

I recently had a conversation with a mentor, in which I was the subject. Sharing as I was, I was surprised to find myself feeling increasingly confused and annoyed. I kept talking, and continued to listen to the detailed feedback, but I felt increasingly alone, misunderstood and distressed. Why? Because the first thing I needed, and expected, I think, was some empathy. It wasn't therapy, but it was still very personal conversation. I expected more support and companionable sensitivity. Emotional affinity. That wasn't what I experienced. So I was reminded - in a very personal way - that the very first thing that I must bring to the therapy or supervision conversation, the first thing I offer to the one who sits, vulnerable, across from me in my office, is compassion. Understanding. Empathy first. It's the necessary start of healing.