Mythologizing the Bible

Why do we keep mistaking loud, rule-breaking leaders for strong protectors? Perhaps we need to better understand how the “shepherd” metaphor reveals the difference between leadership that serves and leadership that exploits, and why learning to recognize that difference may be one of the most important skills we have!

There’s something deeply human about wanting a protector. When things feel unstable, we don’t just want solutions. When the economy is shaky, when culture feels like it’s shifting under our feet, when the future feels uncertain, we want someone strong. Someone confident. Someone who looks at the chaos and says, “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” That instinct isn’t a flaw; it’s part of how we’re wired. For most of human history, survival depended on finding the right people to follow when things got dangerous.

And that’s exactly why the metaphor in John 10 is so powerful. The idea of a shepherd—someone who enters through the gate, who is known, who is trusted, who leads rather than forces—speaks to that instinct in a healthy way. But the story doesn’t stop there. It also warns us about the other kind of figure. The one who doesn’t come through the gate. The one who climbs over, bypasses the system, and still claims to be the protector. The one who sounds like a shepherd… but behaves like something else entirely.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: the same instinct that helps us find good leadership can also make us vulnerable to the wrong kind of leadership. And in today’s world, where fear and frustration are easy to amplify, that line between protector and predator gets very blurry very fast.

So, let’s dive into that… in this episode of Afterthoughts!

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What if the solution to our biggest problems isn’t a hero… but us? This week’s readings challenge the idea that change comes from the top down and instead point toward something more demanding and more hopeful: communities built by ordinary people who choose to act, organize, and take responsibility for one another.

Have you ever noticed how often we wait for someone else to step in and fix what’s broken, whether it’s in our communities, our institutions, or even our own lives? We tell ourselves we’re not in charge, not responsible, not the right person… but what if that’s exactly the problem?

Welcome to Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.”

As we reflect on the readings for the 5th Sunday of Easter, we’ll explore how real change happens when ordinary people stop waiting for heroes and start focusing on “systems of care”, shared responsibility, and collective progress.

In this episode, we’re asking a tough question: Are we actually contributing to the communities we care about or just hoping someone else will do the hard work? Because it’s one thing to believe in fairness and justice… and something very different to help build them.

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What if integrity isn’t about what you believe but how you respond when it’s hardest to live it? Integrity is critical when it comes to responsibility, restraint, and leadership, challenging us to stop reacting to the world around us and start shaping it through the choices we make every day.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to believe we’re “good people” as long as we’re not the ones directly causing harm? But what if the real test isn’t what we avoid doing, but what we allow, what we tolerate, and how we respond when things get uncomfortable or unfair?

Welcome to Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.”

As we reflect on the readings for the 4th Sunday of Easter, we’ll explore what it really means to take responsibility for our impact, to hold onto our values under pressure, and to recognize the difference between leadership that controls and leadership that helps people flourish.

In this episode, we’re asking a tough question: Are we actually living with integrity or just reacting to the world around us? Because it’s one thing to believe in fairness, empathy, and truth… and something very different to live those values when it costs us something.

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When the system you believe in starts working against your values, what do you do? Stay and fight or walk away? Perhaps we need to explore the tension between loyalty and integrity, and why leaving isn’t always giving up. In fact, it might be the most honest stand you have left!

Let me start in a place that probably doesn’t sound philosophical at all: my knees, my back, and my feet. Because when we talk about work, or purpose, or even ethics, we tend to keep it in our heads. We talk about ideas. We talk about values. But the reality is, your body keeps score whether you want it to or not. And when I went from working effectively at home for five years to driving, riding a train, and walking a half mile on concrete for an hour and forty-five minutes each way, every day, my body noticed. It didn’t give a s**t about policy changes or leadership priorities. It just knew something was wrong.

But here’s where it gets deeper than just physical strain. What I was experiencing (and what a lot of people experience in situations like this) is something called moral injury. That’s not just stress. It’s not just burnout. Moral injury happens when you are forced to participate in, or stand by while witnessing, actions that violate your core sense of right and wrong. It’s what happens when the work you once believed in is stripped of its meaning, and you’re still expected to show up like nothing has changed.

And this is where that idea from our main episode—the idea of “perishable” versus “imperishable” assets—hits differently. Because in modern life, your most valuable assets aren’t your salary or your title. Your most valuable assets are your time and your health. And when a system starts demanding that you trade those things away for a mission that has been hollowed out… the math changes. What used to feel like dedication can start to look a lot like self-destruction.

So, let’s dive into that… in this episode of Afterthoughts!

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What if a meaningful life isn’t measured by what you gain, but by what you stand for and who you stand with? This week’s readings challenge us to rethink success, shifting the focus from comfort and accumulation to integrity, accountability, and the connections that give our lives lasting impact.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to drift through life focused on what’s right in front of you—your job, your goals, your comfort—without really asking what any of it adds up to? We spend so much time trying to secure our own footing that we rarely stop to ask whether we’re actually building something that matters beyond ourselves.

Welcome to Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.”

As we reflect on the readings for the 3rd Sunday of Easter, we’ll explore what it means to live a life defined not by accumulation or survival, but by integrity, accountability, and the kind of connection that turns ordinary moments into something meaningful.

In this episode, we’re asking a simple question: Being that our time is limited, what are we actually doing with it, and who are we becoming in the process? Are we building a life that reflects what we say we value, or just one that feels comfortable in the moment?

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What if one of the most radical economic ideas in the Bible has been quietly ignored? Chapter 2 of Acts of the Apostles is not a miracle story. It’s a blueprint for shared survival, where community, not accumulation, becomes the foundation for human flourishing.

Imagine if your church, or your community, or even just your friend group decided that no one among you would go without. Not in some vague, “thoughts and prayers” kind of way, but in a very real, very practical sense. Rent gets covered. Groceries get shared. Medical bills don’t spiral people into debt because the group steps in. Not charity but shared responsibility.

Now ask yourself honestly: does that sound inspiring… or does it sound impossible?

The tension we’re facing is that we love the idea of community… right up until it costs us something. We’ll show up for the potluck, volunteer for an hour, and post about caring for others. But when it comes to our time, our money, our resources… or actually restructuring how we live… suddenly things get complicated. And yet, if you go back to one of the most quoted sections of the Bible, you’ll find a community that didn’t just talk about caring for each other. They reorganized their entire lives around it.

So the question isn’t whether this idea exists. It’s right there in the text. The question is why all of these self-proclaimed followers of Christ have quietly decided it doesn’t really apply anymore. What does that say about the way we all choose comfort over consistency?

So, let’s dive into that… in this episode of Afterthoughts!

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What if doubt isn’t a weakness but the most honest response to a suspicious story? This episode challenges the idea that faith without evidence is virtuous, and instead makes the case that Thomas’ skepticism represents integrity, courage, and a refusal to accept claims that demand belief without accountability.

Have you ever noticed how often doubt gets framed as a problem to fix instead of a signal to pay attention? We’re told that belief, especially confident, unquestioning belief, is a virtue. And if you hesitate, if you ask for evidence, if you say, “I’m not sure I buy this”… suddenly you’re the difficult one. The outsider. The one who “just needs more faith.”

But let’s be honest: if someone today made an extraordinary claim and told you to just trust them without proof, would you do it? Or would you ask a few questions first? Because in every other part of life, that’s exactly what we’re taught to do. We teach our kids to think critically, to verify information, to be cautious about what they accept as true. And yet, when it comes to certain beliefs, that same instinct is treated like a flaw instead of a strength.

Maybe the real question isn’t why Thomas doubted. Maybe the better question is this: Why didn’t everyone else?

So, let’s dive into that… in this episode of Afterthoughts!

CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

What if the path to a meaningful life isn’t about certainty or comfort, but about how we respond to reality? This week’s readings challenge us to question what we’re told, grow through what we endure, and take responsibility for each other in ways that actually matter.

Have you ever noticed how much pressure there is to “just believe”, to accept things as they’re handed to you, to push past your doubts, to stay comfortable… even when something doesn’t quite add up? And at the same time, we’re told to tough it out on our own, to power through struggle, to take care of ourselves first, while the people around us are quietly falling through the cracks.

Welcome to Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.”

As we reflect on the readings for the 2nd Sunday of Easter, we’ll explore what it actually means to live with integrity, questioning what doesn’t make sense, growing through what challenges us, and showing up for each other in ways that go beyond words.

In this episode, we’re asking an honest question: What if the path to a meaningful life isn’t about certainty or comfort at all, but about having the courage to question, the strength to endure, and the willingness to take responsibility for one another?

CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

We like to think we’re rational but much of our behavior is driven by ancient instincts to belong, defend, and divide. Whether we realize it or not, tribal thinking shapes our politics, our beliefs, and even our economy. Our goal, then, is to figure out what it takes to rise above all of that with intention, integrity, and clarity!

You are biologically wired to divide the world into “us” and “them.” Not because you’re a bad person. Not because you’re closed-minded. But because, at one point in human evolution, that instinct kept you alive. If you trusted the wrong group, you didn’t just lose an argument, you might not survive the week.

And here’s the problem: your brain hasn’t updated the software.

We’re walking around with survival instincts designed for small bands of maybe 100 people… and we’re using those survival instincts to navigate a world of 8 billion people. And that mismatch? That’s not just interesting, it’s dangerous. Because the same instinct that once protected us is now driving polarization, extremism, inequality… and a whole lot of really bad decisions.

So, we’re going to take a hard look at the “tribe”… where it comes from, why it feels so good, why it’s causing so much damage… and what it actually takes to move beyond it without losing what makes us human.

So, let’s dive into that… in this episode of Afterthoughts!

CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

What if the real story of Easter isn’t about certainty but about what we do when certainty is gone? How can we break free from tribal thinking, build integrity into our communities, and choose curiosity over assumption, especially when facing the unknown?

Have you ever noticed how often we inherit beliefs, loyalties, and assumptions without ever stopping to ask whether they’re actually true or whether they’re just comfortable? And how quickly those habits can shape who we trust, what we accept, and even how we treat other people?

Welcome to Mythologizing the Bible, where we’ll be taking a look at three readings from the Christian Bible through the lens of “sacred myth.”

As we reflect on the readings for Easter Sunday, we’ll explore what it means to move beyond tribal thinking, to build communities grounded in integrity, and to face life’s biggest questions with curiosity instead of assumption.

In this episode, we’re asking an honest question: What would change if we stopped relying on inherited beliefs and started actively seeking what is true, what is good, and what actually helps people flourish, even when it challenges our habits or our sense of belonging?

CODA Project is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.