Jesus

The Burden (and Peace) of Jesus

Hazel Johnson
“Jesus, I don’t see you like I used to. I don’t feel you as I did before. I can’t hear your voice.” Where are you!?” Often times, that is my prayer when I’m having a hard week and I have had to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. Jesus’ response to me is always a boldly stated “I’ve been here! Where have you been? I’ve been here waiting on you!” This week, Hazel Johnson, graduate student at Boston University, takes a look at how we as the church should think about the burdens we place on ourselves. How can we be both responsible, active Christians and rest in the peace of Christ at the same time?... Read More...
5 min read

La Posada Sin Fronteras

Cristina Maria Hernandez
Christmas should always be a time to pause and reflect on the meaning of Jesus birth. Cristina Maria Hernandez, a guest contributor and grad student at Boston University, reflects on both the story of the birth of Jesus and its meaning as she participated in La Posada Sin Fronteras, a Christmas celebration centered on the story of Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus practiced in some latina/o countries. This post is a part of a special series of posts from students at Boston University, Boston College, and These pieces are brought to you by our past student editor and now graduate student at Boston University, Hanna Larracas.... Read More...
5 min read

Parkland in Perspective Part 2

Daniel Rivera
In light of our responsibility to listen to those most affected by the Parkland shooting, how else should we respond to this type of injustice? It is necessary for us as Christians to allow the Holy Spirit to speak in the midst of these tragedies. Being proper vessels for the Spirit, however, depends on us understanding what exactly we are called to as bearers of the Spirit. Our vision for justice must be submitted to God's vision if we are to demonstrate a proper Christian response.... Read More...
4 min read

The Idol of Autonomy

Taylor Bertran
In 21st century America, we as Christians want to customize what our walk with Jesus looks like. With user-friendly technology at the tip of our fingers we change the filters on our photos, change our layouts to what’s trending, and even attempt to create a relationship with Jesus that fits our aesthetic. How do we follow the call of bowing to the lordship of Christ if we are primed to do, and be, whatever feels right to us?... Read More...
3 min read

A Kingdom of Swords, Force, and Power on Earth

Terris Neuman
We know that the Kingdom of God remains a fundamental theme throughout Jesus’s entire ministry. An establishment of this Kingdom in the form of peace and justice is long awaited among the Old Testament prophets. But when power, prominence, and possessions threaten to characterize the kingdoms of the world today, how should the church react and renew Jesus’ missional intent?... Read More...
4 min read

The Church’s Discipleship Dilemma

Calib Turner
Disciple-making is a priority of the Christian faith originating in Jesus’ ministry, continuing on in the early church and into the present day. Over time, however, it seems that the art of disciple-making has been lost. The gap between our current understanding of disciple-making and that which is present in the Bible is growing, and today’s church leaders are recognizing this in their own ministries. How can we as church leaders move past this dilemma?... Read More...
4 min read

Grief in the Garden of Our Hearts

Lily Garay
Grief is something no one truly wants to experience but that we all must go through at some point in our lives. Unfortunately, we often ignore our grief and fail to process the reality of the situation in a constructive way. Instead of ignoring it, however, what if we were to engage our grief in ways that reflected how Jesus processed it himself. For Lily, this meant allowing God to provide healing through her art.... Read More...
3 min read

Cursing Christians

Christopher Zaskey
Christians have long stigmatized cursing. Often times we are so quick to dismiss what a person has to say because they employ language indicative of the 'world'. But what if the problem isn't as black and white as it is often made out to be. Perhaps there is more to language than just the words we do or do not speak. Perhaps there is something else that determines whether or not what we say honors God.... Read More...
5 min read

The Return of the Shopping Cart

Zach Tackett
How often do you go to the grocery store and see shopping carts strewn about the parking lot in all sorts of unusual places? We don't often think about the consequences of something as simple as failing to return a shopping cart. However, what if our decision to return, or not return, the shopping cart speaks to deeper sentiments we hold within our hearts?... Read More...
4 min read

The Millennial Need for Mentorship

Matt Geeslin
Guidance, knowledge, and wisdom as ongoing processes are critical elements within the dynamics of mentoring and discipling. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus models a deeply personal style of leadership by investing into the lives of his disciples through empowerment and wise counsel. Similarly, how is the Church today to follow and continue this practice of mentoring and discipleship?... Read More...
5 min read

From Here to There and Back Again

Cameron McNabb
One of Donne’s more famous poems is “At the round earth’s imagined corners.” This title, also its opening line, demonstrates a hallmark of his poetry--the ability to combine elements of our experienced world (“the round earth”) with powerful and often Biblical imagery (its “imagin’d corners,” a reference to Revelation 7:1) to produce startling insights into the relationship between this world and the next. But what exactly connects the vast and expansive “there” of heaven with the lowly “here” of earth and what are the practical implications for our lives as Christians?... Read More...
0 min read

The Honest Side of Ministry

Tyler Gay
Let's face it. Social media is the language of our generation. Within the last decade, technological advancements have exploded to provide us all with the capacity to present the highlights of our lives, and access to the highlights of other people’s lives. The selective information we take in deeply affects the way we perceive not only ourselves and other people, but especially our perceptions of ministry. How can we maintain a healthy understanding of ministry in light of its glorified presentation in social media today?... Read More...
6 min read

Love for All is Freedom for All

Ray Allen
Black History Month for me had been an annual moment in February of reflection on the historical accomplishments of African American men and women who had achieved great accomplishments in history. It was a time of celebration because so much had been accomplished for men and women of color with abolition of slavery, the civil rights era, desegregation of schools, voter’s rights, and the list goes on. Lest we celebrate too quickly, there is a human dignity that Dr. King expressed that we the American people are still seeking today.... Read More...
4 min read

Passing by on the Other Side

Paul Corrigan
The parable of the Good Samaritan is a compelling story to reflect on for Black History Month. The story, based on conflict between Jews and Samaritans, speaks to us about prejudice, stereotypes, and the power of love across ethnic lines. Reading this story this month, we might encourage one another to reach, like the good Samaritan, out to those who may disdain and slander us because of our ethnicity. When it comes to black history, who has played the role of priests, Levites, and the Good Samaritan? Who, after seeing people in dire need, has passed by on the other side?... Read More...
11 min read