"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king" is a false proverb. People who think critically, offer new perspectives, or re-examine popularly held beliefs are not treated like kings. The more they search, the lonelier they feel. The more they shout, the more they hear their own echoes. And the more they question and explore, the more they realize that their journey is not the enlightening quest they thought it would be. Instead, it turns out to be an awkward endeavor that burdens them with questions that they aren't even sure how to ask. 

Are they kings? No. Not at all. They are normal humans with more questions than answers. 

"Jesus was sort of joking most of the time. He said a lot of pretty radical stuff, but he didn't mean most of it. So, let's take a moment today and dissect what Jesus said and see if maybe we can create a system of ethics that works a little bit better for everybody."

- American Christianity 

Do you see relationships as potential converts to the faith? Whenever you meet someone who isn't a Christian, are you immediately burdened by the obligation to rescue them from hell? If so, then let's chat. 

"Did you spend time with God today?" Something about this feels absolutely right, but also kinda strange. At least, when that becomes our primary focus. Are devotions the central focus of the Christian life or did we maybe place a little too much emphasis on them? 

Whether you're growing out your Calvin beard and catechizing your pet bird or you flip John MacArthur books upside down when you pass them in the bookstore, this episode is for you. In the longest episode I've ever posted (by far), I give my rationale for why I don't consider myself to be "Reformed" anymore. 

Grab your Nalgene bottles, bandanas, worst clothes, Walmart shades, and your themed devotionals! It's time to board the plane where we'll venture to a poor country, take some solemn pictures of the kids, come home with so many inside jokes and great memories, and just BE the Church! 

I'm so cynical... 

But seriously, are short term trips good, or are they inherently harmful? Let's dive in...

Is cussing really a big deal? Why is cussing such a central focus of what a Christian should and should not be exposed to? Does our obsession with cussing reveal something deeper about our self-righteous fragility? What begins as a simple question ends in a deeper place than you might imagine.

Christians are called to imitate Jesus. But we also have to realize that we are not saviors. So how do we imitate a savior without being a savior? In this episode, we'll look specifically at the "White Savior." What is a white savior and how do we imitate Christ without becoming one? 

My whole life I've believed that complementarianism was clearly biblical and that those who argued for an egalitarian reading of Scripture were sacrificing biblical authority to do so. Beth Allison Barr's book, however, lays out a pretty convincing case that egalitarianism is the most natural reading of Scripture as a whole and that patriarchal structures twisted the Bible to gain power and to translate Scripture according to their desired interpretation. This is my review of the book The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr. 

When we look at the mission field, we see an eery reflection of our problems back home. Do we just call it "sinful nature" and press on? Or do we critically deal with the possibility that maybe our own problems are hurting those we're trying to help? If African missions doesn't necessarily interest you, that's ok. This episode is about much more.