Today, we Orthodox Christians remember the beheading of St. John the Forerunner. It is one of the six feast days for the devout man known also as John the Baptist, who was an ascetic, the cousin of Jesus, first preacher of the Kingdom of Heaven manifested by the appearance of Christ on the earth, the …
“But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” — Matthew 5:13 Salt is valuable. It is a commodity because it can disinfect, preserve, enhance flavor, and prevent slipping. Thus, in both a Christian and …
The recent “separation” brouhaha has simmered down a bit now. President Trump signed an executive order stopping this two-decade-long immigration practice, but plans to continue his “zero-tolerance” policy of immediate prosecution along the southern border, not the fatuous catch-and-release program. There’s always some common-sense thing that works leftists into a lather when it comes to immigrants. Whether …
“In my experience, it’s too simplistic (and unfair) to blame one group of people for our collective failure to evangelize,” said Pastor J.D. Greear, who last month was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Yet that’s exactly what he and the other race-hustlers do: blame white Christians and their “inertia” and “privilege” for the …
During catechumen class last fall, my priest told us a joke. “How many Orthodox Christians does it take to change a lightbulb?” The Orthodox immediately respond in a lamenting tone, “Chhhaaaannngggge?!?” Sure, the joke was probably better told in person, with a long-and-bushy-bearded Father Christopher in full cassock dramatically throwing out his hands and gnashing his …
Remember last summer when the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) banned the Confederate Battle Flag? Because, you know, of all the things going on, scapegoating an indigenous people-group and attacking their cultural and ancestral symbols is way up there with being the hands and feet of Jesus. Apparently, last year’s charade of an “apology that was needed” wasn’t penance enough for …
The old leftist mantra “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention” seems to have never been more apt. Even for news junkies like me, there are enough outrageous things happening by the nanosecond in our upside-down world that the weight of it all can start to crush your spirit. In reality, people throughout the ages have always …
The past few Sundays, in many Protestant and Catholic churches alike, congregants no doubt have heard their pastor’s or priest’s emotional retelling of the Good Samaritan as it relates to Syrian refugees. So what is this parable about? And what should be the Christian response to Trump’s executive order banning “entry into the U.S. by anyone from seven majority-Muslim countries for …