The concept of *earning* is built into every human system. We work obsessively to please both other people and God. Many of us formed an image of a mathematical God: a great judge who weighs our good and evil deeds on a set of scales. We miss the God of mercy and generosity who always find ways t...

Forgiveness isn’t easy and rarely is it completely satisfying. Nagging injustices remain, and the wounds still cause pain. We have to yield again and again the residue of what we thought we had already surrendered long ago. Only by living in God’s grace will we find the strength to respond with g...

When Jesus said, “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” he meant all of those who had *not* repented: the Roman soldiers, the religious leaders, his disciples who had fled in darkness, you, me. Jesus forgave us *in advance,* in order to set us free to forgive those who wrong us...

We are living in a very divided time, which makes grace all the more difficult to give yet all the more powerful. Justice must start with truth, acknowledging the sins of our past, and then work toward reconciliation. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Forgiveness is not just an occasional act: it is...

At first glance legalism seems hard, but in fact freedom in Christ is harder. It is relatively easy not to murder, hard to reach out in love; easy to avoid a neighbor’s bed, hard to keep a marriage alive; easy to pay taxes, hard to serve the poor. When living in freedom, I must remain open to the...

Perhaps Christians should work harder toward cultivating little establishments of the kingdom that point to our true home. If the world despises a notorious sinner, the church will instead love her. If the world cuts off aid to the poor and the suffering, the church will offer food and healing. T...