Author Archive
John Galloway Jr.
The Tale of Two Shootings
Tuesday, March 27th, 2012
Back in the day, my college mid-term and final exams often had an essay question that began, “Compare and contrast…” We were asked to show our knowledge of what we had been studying by discussing how two things – perhaps time periods or events or persons – were similar and how they were dissimilar. I usually got a C.
That test question came back to me, as I pondered two tragic shootings that have monopolized the news in recent weeks. The first happened in Afghanistan, when an American soldier went on a rampage one night and gunned down seventeen defenseless citizens, most of whom were children. The second occurred in Florida, also at night, when an armed, self-appointed protector of the community shot an unarmed teenager.
The Power of Being a Partial Bible Christian!
Tuesday, February 28th, 2012
“By calling ourselves Red Letter Christians, we are alluding to those old versions of the Bible wherein the words of Jesus are printed in red. In adopting the name, we are saying that we are committed to living out the things that Jesus taught.” Red Letter Christians pgs. 20-21
In II Timothy 3:16 we read that, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” ALL scripture is inspired. Not just part of it. Not just the red letters. So why would anyone choose to be a “partial Bible Christian” instead of a “whole Bible Christian?” Why should I call myself a “Red Letter Christian” and not a “Red and Black Letter Christian?” Shouldn’t we be open to and guided by all 66 books, all 1,189 chapters, all 31,373 verses and (in the King James Version) all 775,693 words? That is a fair question that deserves an honest, personal answer.
The Black Letter Narrative: More than Red Letters
Saturday, February 11th, 2012
“By calling ourselves Red Letter Christians, we are alluding to those old versions of the Bible wherein the words of Jesus are printed in red. In adopting the name, we are saying that we are committed to living out the things that Jesus taught.” Red Letter Christians pgs. 20-21
Odd as it may sound, since reading Tony Campolo’s book about Red Letter Christians (RLC), I have felt a deeper appreciation of the Bible’s black letters. The whole notion of RLC has given the black letters greater vitality and significance in my faith.
I am a Red Letter Christian in no small part because the black letters about Jesus have changed my life. My faith is framed by the non-verbal work of Jesus. In fact we Christians are a remarkably black letter lot. We state our faith in who Jesus was, that he died for us, that he was raised from the dead and that he ascended – relying on the black letter narrative. Let’s trace this thought through the language of theology and the Apostles’ Creed.
