Christian Reflections

By Charles Christian Running has been popular for centuries. What started as a method to simply get from place to place faster has become the subject of athletic competition in virtually every country in the world. Millions of people are focused on the Summer Olympics in Paris, where runners compete for medals. It seems that

By Charles Christian Teachers have been highly respected throughout history. In Ancient Greece, revolutionary teachers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle not only influenced the Roman Empire, but they also impacted centuries of thinkers and leaders. The Bible is filled with references to “teaching” and “teachers.” In the Old Testament, the word “rabbi,” who was the

By Charles Christian A break-up song from the 1970s has the singer lamenting about his ex, “We just disagree.” The chorus of the song begins this way: “So, let’s leave it alone because we can’t see eye to eye; there’s only you and me, and we just disagree.” Break-up songs are always sad. However, I

By Charles Christian By definition, a “miracle” describes an event that goes beyond the normal or natural course of events. Most often, something is described as a miracle if it speeds up or overrides a natural process. It is “supernatural” — “above and beyond nature.” Some people believe in miracles. Others do not. Many claim

By Charles Christian In the Bible, especially the Old Testament, it is common for special events to be commemorated by a marker of some kind. Usually, these markers are called “altars.” Altars are places that mark a sacred space or event, so that future generations can gather to remember, to celebrate and to pray. That

By Charles Christian I think most of us could set aside one minute to make a list of the most influential people in our lives. Go ahead and try it. The list would probably include relatives, teachers, close friends and maybe even co-workers. Most or all of these people likely would not be famous in

By Charles Christian My sister-in-law gave me a small painting from the monks of Conception Abbey featuring Jesus asleep on a boat filled with anxious disciples in the middle of a storm. The depiction is taken from a story in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus tells his disciples, most of whom are fishermen, to get

By Charles Christian Like many people, I was raised to avoid certain “four-letter words.” I will certainly not list those words here, since they are so well-known. However, there are at least two four-letter words that we should not avoid, yet too often we do. The first word is “help.” It is hard for many

By Charles Christian Some people are intimidated by reading the Bible. They are afraid it will be filled with lists of laws and prohibitions or Shakespeare-like declarations in words too difficult to understand. The good news is that the Bible most often conveys its message through the use of stories. While there are lists, laws

By Charles Christian There’s usually at least one. Sometimes they rotate. It seems that at least one person in our lives — whether they be people at work, neighbors or even family members — who consistently get under our skin. For some, it is unintentional. There are just people who don’t connect with us, at

By Charles Christian Fear makes us do things we normally would not. While fear is a motivator, it is ultimately the weakest of them. When people are afraid, they may make short-term changes to their behavior. However, studies tell us that fear-based changes don’t last. No wonder the Bible is filled with reminders not to

By Charles Christian It’s just not popular to go to church anymore. Statistics bear this out, with the “nones” – people who profess no specific religious faith – becoming the fastest-growing group in the United States. I don’t say this in a way to mock those who don’t attend or claim a particular church connection.

By Charles Christian Some of the earliest recorded documents in human history include descriptions of conflict. Sacred documents like the Bible introduce us to a consistent array of human conflicts, even as the overall story of redemption progresses. Thankfully, the Bible also contains approaches for resolving conflicts that will inevitably arise among humans. Having a

By Charles Christian Martin Luther King Jr. once wrote, “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” This sentiment is echoed throughout the Bible. Often God is recorded as calling people to take small steps that eventually lead to bigger things. In the Book of Genesis, Abraham and his

By Charles Christian A well-known minister and Christian theologian named Stanley Hauerwas once said, “As people of faith, we should live our lives in such a way that our lives would make no sense without God.” In other words, for people of faith reliance upon God should be our defining characteristic. For Christians, this means

By Charles Christian A professor was asked by a student for insight on how to become great. “That’s a tricky question,” the professor said. “There are just so many definitions of greatness.” The student answered, “How would you define greatness, and where can I start on that path?” The professor thought for a moment as

By Charles Christian When it comes to hard choices, we hold our breath, say a prayer and do the best we can. The hard part is that we can’t always know how those choices will turn out, and sometimes we are unpleasantly surprised at the results. The good news is that this happens to virtually

By Charles Christian Often when we discuss habits, we talk about negative or unhealthy ones. However, not all habits are harmful. Some are actually good for us and can be nurtured throughout our lives. Neuroscientists tell us that habits are repeated behaviors that sort of weave new paths into our brains and produce a sense

By Charles Christian The popular saying goes, “Into every life, a little rain must fall.” The Bible puts it this way: “God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). The point is that life will not always be filled with

By Charles Christian “What is your purpose?” That is an intimidating question to consider. However, maybe it doesn’t have to be as complicated as we make it out to be. For some, the temptation regarding purpose involves personal gain: Making money, acquiring prestige and growing in social influence. The challenge of tying our purpose to

By Charles Christian “Put your money where your mouth is,” has been a popular phrase for a long time. In fact, it is believed to have originated in the 1930s and into the 1940s when Great Britain entered World War II. It was an attempt to get citizens to invest in National Savings Bonds to

By Charles Christian The old saying goes, “You can talk about anything but politics and religion.” It could be that our reluctance to talk about either has made it more difficult to navigate both religion and politics. Maybe this reluctance has contributed to why the number of people who claim a religious faith is dwindling,

By Charles Christian The core teachings of Jesus are included in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5 through 7. A key passage is right in the middle of these. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things will be added to

By Charles Christian Traditionally, the season of Lent is a time of deep spiritual reflection that for most Christians includes fasting. Fasting is the act of intentionally refraining from something. Usually, this involves food, but it doesn’t have to. People can fast from social media, caffeine, chocolate or a variety of other items. Fasting is

By Charles Christian An old farm saying goes something like this: “The sweetest water comes from deep wells.” Starting with Ash Wednesday, Christians have entered into the season of Lent. Lent is a 40-day period leading up to Easter. The journey through Lent involves a deepening of our walk with God. This is often done

By Charles Christian Best-selling Christian author Max Lucado once asked this question: “What is the holiest part of your day?” According to Lucado, most people’s answers will be when they are well-groomed and wide awake. Others may say that most of their days contain no “holy moments,” implying that God will just have to wait

By Charles Christian Brain researchers tell us that our “fight or flight” response is due to what is called our limbic system. This system is associated with the brain stem and spinal cord and is triggered when we sense danger or surprise. It signals our bodies to either fight or flee (run away). Those of

By Charles Christian I once participated in an exercise among pastors where someone asked, “If money were no issue, what would your church do in the coming year?” Of course, one pastor (not me) could not resist a reply. “If money were not an issue, we probably wouldn’t be at this seminar trying to figure

By Charles Christian Some refer to it as “the wilderness.” Some call it “the desert of days.” Others call it the “dark night of the soul.” Whatever you may refer to the times in life that feel “in-between,” like we are waiting for the “next thing,” it certainly can’t be described as fun. These are