Author Archive
Andrew Marin
Shocked About New York Gay Marriage
Thursday, July 28th, 2011
I saw on the news the other day that on the first day of LGBT couples having the right to get legally married in New York, the New York City Clerks Office (NYCCO) reported that a record 659 marriage licenses were picked up. The NYCCO, and the news outlet, didn’t explain what “record” meant, so I’m not sure what metric they were using to describe such a number being a record.
What I do know is that 659 seems kind of low. I would have thought that for the city with the most people in the United States, and thus, a huge LGBT population, more than 659 couples would want to get married? I mean, that’s only 1,318 people total.
An Understanding of Radical Love
Friday, July 22nd, 2011
I am a Christian, so I know love. I know love because I am loved.
Unconditionally.
I know what love is supposed to look like and feel like. I know how I am suppose to love because Jesus invented the come-as-you-are-culture. Therefore if I am a believer in Jesus I must follow in his ways. The Way.
Love.
When Jesus Quoted the OT. . .And Why It Matters
Saturday, May 7th, 2011
Ever Wonder What Old Testament Verses Jesus Quoted More Than Any Other?
I take Jesus’ words very seriously. Very seriously. My understanding of Scripture tells me that those red letters in the Bible are the baseline framework of the counter-cultural principles from our Savior that change and transform not only our own lives, outlook and engagement with Church, culture and politics; but also our communities, cities and countries.
Matthew 5:17 says that Jesus came to fulfill the law; and it is for this reason that he quoted the Hebrew Bible so much (as well as the fact that he was engaging leaders and people within a Jewish religious context). Throughout my years reading the Bible I always wondered if Jesus quoted any Old Testament scripture more frequently than others?
The Future of College Ministry: Credibility Over Credentials
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
More than any other type of life and faith in culture, there is no doubt in my mind that college ministry is consistently the most rapidly changing population of believers. I am only 11 years removed from my freshman year in college and looking back over the last decade my undergraduate experience is nothing like the students currently finishing their freshman year.
Though many can look back on a decade once removed and see some extreme generational differences, the postmodern explosion through technology, polarized political cultures, a growing movement of gay rights and a default worldview that inherently questions the validity of everything has irrevocably shifted the trajectory of the role of campus and college ministers. 10 years from now the new normal will be a multifaceted set of experiences overwhelmingly based on a series of uncertainties that must connect you with the students’ on their turf and filtration system; not yours.
Faithful Christianity Means a Walking Hypocrite?
Friday, April 8th, 2011
A couple months back my good friend Adam McLane posted these profoundly truthful words on feeling like a hypocrite. When I read it I quickly remembered a series of conversations I’ve recently had. Before I get into those let me tell you this, even if some may disagree:
I am intentionally, and with a humble spirit, trying my best to live as faithful of a life to God and to others as I possibly can for as long as I am here on earth.
But just because that is my goal doesn’t mean it’s always (or even sometimes) a reality. Therefore because I cannot live up to my standard of life, by default, at a baseline level I am a walking hypocrite. Let’s be honest though; “by default” is only the starting point of my hypocrisies that daily occur. Back to the recent conversations…
