I am an adjunct professor, and in class recently I did something that the students were not prepared for. I raised my hand. Let me explain. I am teaching the Gospels, and one of the projects the students do is a group presentation on a section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Each week aContinue reading “Human approaches to justice are often convoluted, but what about God’s approach? – 2 Samuel 8, 10, 21, Preview”
Tag Archives: crime
Are you struggling with fear? – New Year Psalm of Wisdom, Part 2
Are things in our world getting worse? While politicians boldly declare that crime is on the rise, an FBI report says the opposite: “Not only has violent crime fallen 23% from 2002 to 2022, but also in the past year alone murders fell 6% and violent crime declined 2% overall.” (Source: Time) It can be difficultContinue reading “Are you struggling with fear? – New Year Psalm of Wisdom, Part 2”
Is Artificial Intelligence alive? – A Theology of AI, Part 3
Have you seen the news reports about AI capability of voice cloning? You record your loved one, then upload the audio files into the AI app or website. AI stores the audio files into the computer memory. Then it manipulates those audio files, allowing people to type anything into the app, and the AI willContinue reading “Is Artificial Intelligence alive? – A Theology of AI, Part 3”
Does Jesus have authority to break the law? – John 5:31-47, Part 1
I often wonder if our church’s outdoor sign has any impact. While I think it is good to have a sign with basic information such as our name and website, we don’t need to have a sign with a message board. Most people learn about us online anyway. But the message board is a smallContinue reading “Does Jesus have authority to break the law? – John 5:31-47, Part 1”
Why Jesus sometimes disobeyed the law – John 5:16-30, Part 3
Did you know Jesus was a law-breaker? In fact, he broke the law so much, it got him in big trouble. In the previous post about John 5, verse 16, we read that the religious leaders are persecuting Jesus. When you read that word, “persecute,” don’t think of it as extreme. They’re not whipping him,Continue reading “Why Jesus sometimes disobeyed the law – John 5:16-30, Part 3”
What “the fear of God” means – Ecclesiastes 12:9-14, Part 3
After graduating college, I worked at our County’s youth detention center for three years as Michelle and I started our family and began the process of becoming missionaries in Jamaica. Then called Barnes Hall, and located in a building that has since been torn down, I was employed as a youth care worker. My roleContinue reading “What “the fear of God” means – Ecclesiastes 12:9-14, Part 3″
The messiness of crime [Crime & Punishment – Deuteronomy 21, part 4]
Crime and punishment is so complex, messy and often frustrating. The third season of the podcast Serial does an excellent job exploring the nuances of the criminal justice, as seen through the lens of Cleveland, Ohio. It likely comes as no surprise to you that we humans have a conflicted history of dealing with crime.Continue reading “The messiness of crime [Crime & Punishment – Deuteronomy 21, part 4]”
Engaging Scripture 