Christianity
With the possible exception of “The Dream of the Rood,” the first extant English literature text is the exciting epic poem, Beowulf. It was written in Old English, so it is not readable by most of us in its original form. Unlike the Homeric epics, Beowulf incorporates a Christian worldview. Wonderful translations of the text … Read more
Easter is not a reversal. That is where most readings go wrong. It is not: Defeat → Victory Weakness → Strength Loss → Recovery If that were the case, then Good Friday would be a mistake corrected on Sunday. It is not. Easter is the unveiling of what Good Friday actually accomplished. The Quietest Earthquake … Read more
Nothing happens on Holy Saturday. At least, nothing visible. No miracles.No teaching.No crowds.No voice from heaven. The One who spoke creation into being lies in a tomb. And the world continues as if nothing has changed. The Most Theologically Difficult Day We move quickly from Friday to Sunday. The Church calendar does not. It … Read more
Every modern Christian understands that the events of the passion of Jesus Christ during Holy Week is the first of two crescendo messages and primary literary themes incorporated in the entire Bible. God made mankind and He gave us free agency and free will. We soon goofed up and lost our intimate personal relationship with … Read more
There is a quiet tension in the upper room that we often rush past. The men gathered there are not simply disciples. They are men who expect a kingdom. They have argued about rank (Luke 22:24).They have imagined thrones (Matthew 19:28).They have followed a Messiah who raises the dead and commands storms. They are not … Read more
Everything about Good Friday looks like failure. Not symbolic failure.Not misunderstood success. Actual, visible, undeniable defeat. The One who spoke with authority is silent.The One who raised the dead now hangs dying.The One proclaimed as King is crowned with thorns. If Maundy Thursday unsettled our understanding of power,Good Friday shatters it completely. The Collapse of … Read more
There is an old burial custom among the Habsburg emperors of Austria that, once heard, is not easily forgotten. When a ruler died, his body was carried in solemn procession to the Imperial Crypt in Vienna. There, at the sealed door of the Capuchin monastery, the procession would stop. A monk stood inside. The door … Read more
Simon Was From The Seaside Fishing Village of Capernaum Simon was born in the fishing village of Capernaum on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. His parents were an observant Jewish couple, Jonah and Joanna. Simon’s brother was the Apostle Andrew, the First Called. Link to Andrew. The Apostle Simon-Peter (Cephas), is also … Read more
John Lived in Capernaum John was born sometime around AD 6, in the small fishing village, Capernaum, which is located on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. He was the second son of Zebedee the Fisherman and his wife Mary-Salome. John’s older brother was James the Greater Link to James the Greater. The … Read more
The Apostle Andrew, the Brother of Simon-Peter Andrew was born in the fishing village of Capernaum on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. His parents were an observant Jewish couple, Jonah and Joanna. He was the brother of Simon who Jesus soon nicknamed Cephas which is Aramaic for rock. In Latin the word … Read more
A Christian worldview is a “God’s eye” view of our world. Creation is both visible (the physical world) and invisible (the metaphysical, “spiritual” world). Ancient Christianity understands that the visible and invisible worlds are coexistent, transcendent and indistinguishable.
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