We are delighted that Bobby Gross, author of Living the Christian Year and who has contributed previous series during Lent and Advent, has agreed to write a new series of Lenten reflections on the theme of humility. Circumstantial vulnerability? Well, that’s a rather banal truism. We all know that “stuff” happens. Except, many of us generally don’t think bad stuff will happen to us, at least not anytime soon. Which is arguably good. I don’t think we should go around with excessive fear or gnawing … [Read more...] about Lenten Humility: Recognizing Our Circumstantial Vulnerability
Christian Thought and Practice
Lenten Humility: Admitting our Moral Culpability
We are delighted that Bobby Gross, author of Living the Christian Year and who has contributed previous series during Lent and Advent, has agreed to write a new series of Lenten reflections on the theme of humility. In this series of Lenten reflections on the virtue of humility, we add to last week’s rehearsal of our human mortality a fresh recognition of our moral inadequacy (to put it mildly). In this pairing, we align with Psalm 90, which dramatizes these as fundamental marks of the human condition. Immediately … [Read more...] about Lenten Humility: Admitting our Moral Culpability
Lenten Humility: Remembering our Creaturely Mortality
We are delighted that Bobby Gross, author of Living the Christian Year and who has contributed previous series during Lent and Advent, has agreed to write a new series of Lenten reflections on the theme of humility. My long-time friend and spiritual mentor turned 87 yesterday (we enjoyed a delicious dinner together at Outback!). I get why his mortality weighs on his mind. I am a year shy of seventy and thinking a lot about my upcoming retirement with, not surprisingly, a growing awareness of my finitude. … [Read more...] about Lenten Humility: Remembering our Creaturely Mortality
Christianity and Human Rights: Back to Basics
[Marcus Vincius De Matos, a lecturer in Public Law at Brunel University London and Board Member of ABUB (IFES-Brazil), graciously shared this article with ESN, concurrently published with Red Letter Christians] In this piece I reflect on the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and conflicting notions of Christian Theology that have recently threatened it Human Rights are perhaps the most powerful discourse that emerged in the 20th century. No other narrative has so disturbed the world … [Read more...] about Christianity and Human Rights: Back to Basics
Ash Wednesday and the Gift of Lent
We are delighted that Bobby Gross, author of Living the Christian Year and who has contributed previous series during Lent and Advent, has agreed to write a new series of Lenten reflections with future pieces appearing on Mondays beginning February 26. Why would anyone think of the penitential season of Lent as a gift? Forty or so days leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday during which we deprive ourselves of good things—like coffee or chocolate or wine or social media—and fast on certain days and generally … [Read more...] about Ash Wednesday and the Gift of Lent