“Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”
–Pope Leo XIV, April 15, 2026
Looking for U2 fans on here…just started a Substack about U2 that you may find interesting!
One of the most helpful things for my faith this past year has been reading The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings. This isn’t because they are Christian allegories. They aren’t. They’ve been helpful due to the way they bring imagination into my experience of God, and of faith, hope, and love.
“There's not so much road left here and no road signs
Drones hover without any consciousness over war crimes
I will bless the Lord at all times?”
~ U2, “COEXIST (I Will Bless the Lord at All Times?)”
Starting a new niche Substack soon, U2: Fighting to Surrender. I'll be posting ideas and drafts as I work on my book about U2 dealing with topics like God, love, hypocrisy, friendship, marriage, hope, justice, anger, and more. Will post here when it goes live.
First on Ash Wednesday, now a Good Friday EP from U2. The boys are back!
Some of the loudest Christian voices claiming they are speaking the truth in love often say things that aren’t true, and do so in unloving ways.
A broad education that includes the liberal arts still opens the door to greater freedom—of career opportunities, life satisfaction and civic engagement.
www.colorado.edu/asmagazine/2...
Many Christians see the misguided view that the disciples and others in Jerusalem held: Jesus would lead a revolution using force and coercion to grab political power. But many make the very same mistake today.
Still seems like a sound approach, one that can help us avoid mistakes and excesses.
I don't want to elevate, level up, optimize, align, circle back, close any loops, leverage anything, or produce any deliverables. Also no AI.
Gen X curmudgeonly rant over.
I recently watched Silence again. For whatever reason, it had a more powerful effect on me the second time around.
Watching people I care deeply for get sucked into culture war Christianity is saddening.
Reading Stephen King's book, On Writing, made me want to live the life of a writer as he describes it, spending 4-6 hours a day reading and writing. Retirement goal!
Had a good time last night at the Dropkick Murphys concert in Louisville. Enjoyed one of the opening bands, Haywire 617, too. Celtic and hardcore - punk’s still not dead!
Love must be understood. But mere understanding is not enough. Love must permeate our lives like a persistent rain permeates the ground. Like faith, love must be lived. As Paul puts it in Galatians 5:6, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
I'm so weary of the bureaucratization, commercialization, and mechanization of higher ed in the United States.
Humble love is the ultimate aim and substance of our transformation in Christ.
The VP in the background laughing at the President's remarks about “Somali pirates” at first made me angry. Now I am just deeply saddened that this is where our national leadership is, and that so many follow them in this.
A refreshed and refined focus on my Substack (link in comments):
“The Greatest of These” is for the dedicated, the doubters, and the disillusioned searching for a faith expressed through love.
"Advice to Christian Philosophers, Forty Years Later"
Very excited to share that my paper with five awesome collaborators has just come out open access in Faith and Philosophy. We extend Plantinga's famous advice beyond his focus on research in philosophy.
place.asburyseminary.edu/faithandphil...
