Will The Dark Knight Rise?
“People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy, and I can’t do that as Bruce Wayne. As a man, I’m flesh and blood. I can be ignored, I can be destroyed. But as a symbol… as a symbol, I can be incorruptible. I can be everlasting.”
Multiple Belonging: Thoughts on Belonging to More Than One Religion
I am in the process of articulating how I can be both Christian and Jewish without being a “Jew for Jesus.” Many people hail from a smattering of religious influences and heritages. The current model of religious identification has us choose one or none. But there has to be an intellectually credible, spiritually legitimate way [...]
Homosexuality: A Microcosmic Electronic Post to a Virtual Wittenberg Church Door
The approach I took in writing this essay might be perceived by some as an ultimatum. I hope my decision to be utterly transparent and painfully honest will be seen as an opportunity for dialogue rather than defiance. As I began to compile these questions, most of my thoughts were aimed towards the challenging decision [...]
Lent: Following Jesus into the Wilderness
According to a common story found in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), Jesus does not go right into his ministry following his baptism. Rather, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days, “…so that the devil might tempt him” (Matthew 4:1, CEB translation). While he was in the [...]
Ashes That Dare Us to Live
“What are you giving up for Lent?” This question will be shared around this week for many Christians as they enter into the Lenten season beginning with Ash Wednesday. People will “give up” anything from soft drinks and swearing to Facebook and chocolate. Emerging from a very spirit-filled Fat Tuesday, Christians will quickly turn to [...]
Being the Change You Wish to See in the Middle East
Today is the first full day in Israel. Jet lag woke me up at 5:45am and I grew restless waiting out the dawn in my twin bed, so I pulled on running shoes and trotted out into the indigo chill. The Sea of Galilee, black then silver then blue, reflected the slowly brightening sky as [...]
Religious Wisdom the World Needs Now
This was my first visit to the Zen Center. One of the Buddhist priests had invited me to encourage his students to engage in interfaith environmental work. I was a little nervous, but something about this group—their open spirit, perhaps, and honest questions—quickly put me at ease and helped me speak from the heart. At some point, I found myself saying, “The Buddhist tradition has beautiful teachings about how all life is interconnected, and the world desperately needs this wisdom! Please share it.”
Carrying the Spirit of Christmas beyond December
As I write this piece, the Christmas decorations in my house are already beginning to come down. My family took our Christmas tree down on New Year’s Eve and just a couple of days ago I helped pack up our nativity display. It has barely been a full week since Christmas and although we are [...]
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
I am not sure if it is the Catholic in me, or the United Methodist in me, or the Mom in me, or the woman in me, but one person I feel does not receive the recognition she deserves at Christmas is, of course, Mary. Also, another aspect of this story that I am fascinated [...]
The Media My Daughter Witnessed – Violent Media Entertainment: A Norm, or Are We Numb? Part III
This is Part III of The Media My Daughter Witnessed series illustrating the effect of the media on my daughter, as well as on humans in general. This piece focuses on violence in entertainment media. One of my biggest complaints when it comes to entertainment media is the violence that immerses the viewer so deeply [...]
Contributing Scholars
Jonathan OskinsI love to learn new things, which means often finding out that what I thought was the case actually needs to be revised. I am still finding out new things about the world and myself, so please feel free to help me on my journey!
Christina YostChristina Yost is a first year M.Div. student at Methodist Theological School in Ohio and received her B.A. in Pre-Theology and Psychology at Ohio Wesleyan University. She is pursuing ordination in the United Methodist Church and is currently a certified candidate in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference.
Ian BurzynskiIan Burzynski served as the first Assistant Director of Operations for State of Formation. He is a non-profit worker, intercultural communication practioner, and secular advocate for intertraditional engagement. He has worked with Pathways for Mutual Respect and the Cordoba Initiative and now serves as Chief Development Officer at Distressed Children & Infants International.