Many of us are concerned about addiction, but struggle clinically and theologically to understand the phenomenon. To the family member, employer, or friend, it looks perplexing at best, and is often experienced as hurtful betrayal or outright defiance of a covenanted relationship. Civic society and social institutions have similarly wrestled with conceptualizations of addicted behavior […]
The Pursuit of Perfection
There is a car manufacturer that uses the tagline, “The pursuit of perfection,” in its ads. Now obviously, there is, nor will there ever be, a perfect car. Considering people have different needs and discretionary income to spend on said vehicle, it’s highly unlikely that there will ever be one brand that meets the needs […]
Washing of the Water
“In the washing of the water will you take it all awayBring me something to take this pain away”Peter Gabriel In churches around the world we celebrate the day that Jesus was baptized by the prophet, John the Baptist. This ritual has been replicated for millennia since then and this means of consecration is a […]
Waiting
We’re now in the season of Advent, the time of the year when Christians across the world are awaiting the coming of the Christ child. Much of this expectancy is built around preparing the way for Jesus. We also hope. Hope for a better world. For the many individuals, like myself, living with mental health […]
Signals of Distress,
Signs of Hope
In 2017, 31.5% of high school students had experienced periods of persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness (i e , almost every day for two weeks or more in a row so that the student stopped doing some usual activities) in the past year. The percentage of students who experienced persistent feelings of sadness or […]