The Truth of Success and Failure
“I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful; but time and chance happen to them...
Occupy Nonviolence: Not Flesh and Blood
Amid the recent police violence in Oakland and the sure temptation of some protestors to resort to violence, I wrote this little reflection inviting all Occupiers to a renewed commitment to nonviolence.
There...
The Occupation of the Lord’s Prayer
The occupation is like Jesus' parable, where a king invites all of his privileged, first-tier guests to the wedding. But nobody came. So the king takes the invitation out to the streets, inviting all who w...
A Visit To Occupy Washington D.C.: Some Thoughts on Violence and Nonviolence
My son and I were in Washington, D.C. on November 20th to attend the "Super Vigil" for a just and fair budget. Afterward, when we had finished visiting with a few of the people who had gathered for the event,...
Prophetic Pepper Spray, Suffering, and the Revolutionary Kingdom: UC Davis and #OccupyWallStreet
Suffering. Not something that is glorified in itself in Scripture, but the glory is in the cause suffered for.
Suffering, most often, is the result of circumstances uncontrollable to the victim. Born into...
Naked Greed Day: Give Them Your Underwear, Too
"When someone sues you for your outer garment, give them your undergarment as well" (Matt. 5:40). Jesus said that when someone sues you for your clothes off your back (presumably because you have nothing els...
Occupy Wall Street, the Church, and the Apocalypse
How long have we been comfortable in the 1st world church? Nourishing ourselves on the warm broth of prayer and fellowship, resting and gathering strength, singing worship songs that seek an inward peace fr...
The Biblical Version of Occupy Wall Street
As I followed the media coverage on the revolts in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and now even America with Occupy Wall Street and the "99%" Movement, I knew that it sounded all too familiar.
I searched through the ...
I Want To Be In The 1% Who Get God’s Grace
There have been a number of photos circulating the Internet in which people hold posters that say why they are or are not part of “the 99%” represented by the Occupy Wall Street movement. The pro-99% posters ...
Would Jesus Occupy Wall Street?
The other day, a Facebook friend of mine posted a big caption on his profile: “JESUS Is With the 99%.” Predictably, he got a bunch of “likes” from his liberal buddies, and just as predictably, he got s...