Wrestling with 2 Samuel Chapter 21

Several months ago I was speaking with someone (whom I can’t seem to remember!) about difficult passages in scripture. One passage that stuck out as something to spend more time wrestling with was the story in 2 Samuel 21 where David hands over the sons of Saul whom the Gibeonites kill. In this article I do not intend to write a definitive answer to those who wrestle with this passage; rather I wanted to present some thoughts I have had through both reading and conversation with the passage. Now there was a famine in the days of David for three … Continue reading “Wrestling with 2 Samuel Chapter 21”

Life Isn’t Fair, and That Is a Good Thing!

Throughout history, when injustice strikes, the oft-made complaint by many people, in our nation as well as any other, is the powerful outcry, “this isn’t fair.” So strong is this invocation for justice that political movements grow and flourish when injustice occurs. Yet, whether politically or personally, these crusades for justice often find themselves causing injustice that spawns a crusade against the initial victim!  At this point, I should make clear that justice in the above sense is not actually justice but the desire that everything be split evenly. In a world void of love and evil, splitting things “fairly” … Continue reading “Life Isn’t Fair, and That Is a Good Thing!”

Justice and Mercy

In a previous article, I did a brief analysis of the phrase “love the sinner, hate the sin” and how this phrase is often used or disregarded by Christians trying to bring their faith into practice. As I mentioned in the article, the phrase has its origins with St. Augustine, and while it draws from scripture, it does not come directly. Over the past year and a half, I have had the opportunity to dwell more on this issue that often falls along political lines for Christians. In this article, I want to address the balancing act between those Christians … Continue reading “Justice and Mercy”

Justice, Politics, and Thomas Aquinas

A 2017 Gallup Poll found that Americans are becoming more and more partisan on a number of issues. The two parties are as far apart as they have ever been in the past half a century. More alarming is the separation between parties on a large variety of issues. In the past when party tensions rode high, they usually focused on a single issue. However, now the parties have grown more partisan on a number of issues simultaneously. Lack of inter-partisan dialogue, increasing tribalism, and decreasing association with members of opposing political viewpoints all lead to a place where people … Continue reading “Justice, Politics, and Thomas Aquinas”