Our culture often portrays love as unconditional acceptance: Take me as I am or move right along. Though this is a profound way to look at love, it doesn’t seem to be working. In many ways, it has never been more difficult to be in a long-term relationship. Why is that? Why are relationships so difficult to maintain? In this series on love and acceptance, we’ll look at some of the factors contributing to this problem, and consider how we might move forward.

Social critics argue that we are entering into a post-Christian phase of American culture. Consequently, much of the shared understanding between Christians and non-Christians is evaporating. Basic words like “God,” “faith,” “hope,” “love,” “sin,” and “salvation” remain common among Christians, but are often misunderstood by those outside the church. In this series, we will explore each of these words, and consider what Christian actually mean by them. It is my hope that this series will help to foster a more holistic dialog between Christians and non-Christians. A thread running through this entire series is the notion that we cannot save ourselves, that humanity is doomed without some kind of outside help. In this episode, we’ll talk about the word “salvation,” and consider its bearing on the human predicament.

Social critics argue that we are entering into a post-Christian phase of American culture. Consequently, much of the shared understanding between Christians and non-Christians is evaporating. Basic words like “God,” “faith,” “hope,” “love,” “sin,” and “salvation” remain common among Christians, but are often misunderstood by those outside the church. In this series, we will explore each of these words, and consider what Christian actually mean by them. It is my hope that this series will help to foster a more holistic dialog between Christians and non-Christians. In this episode, we’ll consider the word “sin,” a word that is rarely used in a serious way outside of the church. We’re much more likely to apply the term to decadent chocolate than we are to problematic human behavior. In short, it’s hard to take it seriously. But what Christian mean by “sin” is a good deal more grave, cosmic, and hopeful than its contemporary usage suggests. In fact, it’s my humble opinion that this is one of the most important words in this series. Join me to find out why.

Social critics argue that we are entering into a post-Christian phase of American culture. Consequently, much of the shared understanding between Christians and non-Christians is evaporating. Basic words like “God,” “faith,” “hope,” “love,” “sin,” and “salvation” remain common among Christians, but are often misunderstood by those outside the church. In this series, we will explore each of these words, and consider what Christian actually mean by them. It is my hope that this series will help to foster a more holistic dialog between Christians and non-Christians. Our word is “love” in this episode. Sadly, it’s difficult to think of a more polarizing concept in our contemporary setting. In fact, some of our most volatile culture warring involves competing definitions of love. Christianity is hardly exempt from the confusion. But what do Christ’s followers actually mean when they talk about love? Tune in and we’ll talk about it.