Capitalism at odds with Christian values...

The Public Research Religion Institute (PRRI) has spoken: non-tea-party Americans think Capitalism is at odds with Christian values. What is not readily apparent is how one defines Capitalism. I have spent the last few years researching the topic of Faith-based Financing (FBF) to find out whether Capitalism springs from the mind of our Maker or the schemes of man. Do I agree that...

Napoleon: Man of Peace...

A retired French officer, Gueguen, Emile René, has written a book titled Napoleon: Humanitarian and Man of Peace. This may come as a surprise to you, but he makes the case in his short book that Napoleon was a humanitarian and “man of peace.” (I feel better already since an ancestor, General Lefort, served in Nappies army.) That aside, what are the characteristics of a...

What you think about at night...

“I think of you through the watches of the night.” Psalm 63:6 Has it ever struck you that what we think about at night is an indicator of who we are? Somehow the night has a knack of stripping away bravado, tearing the pajamas off false confidences. It leaves our mind naked and, when our clever defenses are asleep, our true thoughts emerge. When we let the sun go down on our...

Interest free loans...

I wonder if my South African friends noticed the wishes of the editor of a prominent daily business news rag? And who will help the man have his dreams come true? This past  year or more I have been doing extensive research into interest-free finance: it is more than an interesting topic. There are proponents for zero interest on different sides of the religious spectrum, and some...

Come to church: no faith required...

This week I was thinking about the irony of many large churches: they teach “faith” to attendees, but hugely discourage them from exercising faith at church. How so? Large churches, like some large corporations, only want to do what looks successful. If  you have a new initiative and you run the idea up the holy flagpole, it will quickly get shot down unless it is a...

Vacuum sealing the year...

One never knows what a year holds. Will there be gaps left, chinks in the armor, holes in the wall where the enemy can break through? Do we feel vulnerable? Will creditors, debt collectors, the IRS hassle us? Is there a niggling feeling that orders will dry up over the holidays unless we stay on the job? Is there worry, anxiety, concern about the year, or fear? This morning I was...

Rejoicing in…...

The end of the year is a time of introspection. We wonder whether we made enough money: were we a success? Single people look at their relationships and wonder how long the loneliness will go on. Non-profit leaders contemplate whether the outcomes warrant the effort. Holidays, Christmas and New Year in particular, can be reminders of the progress we did not make. Part of my challenge is...

Antidote to anxiety...

Know my anxious thoughts. Psalm 139:23 Sometimes the motivation for the psalm is not revealed until the end. Have you ever wondered whether God is still with you? Have you been flummoxed about the progress of your enemies, while you have languished in mediocrity? Or have you found yourself at the other end of the world and wondered how you got there? Has your career tacked from left...

Watch out for miracles...

Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf! Psalm 66:5 Miracles can be a good thing, but they are not inconsequential. Miracles can get us out of a pickle, but they can also create their own dilemma. Miracles can be just what gets us out of trouble, and exactly what condemns us. Watch out for miracles. To understand this let’s unpack Psalm 66 a little,...

Where were you 10 years ago?...

Twice this last month I have been asked this question, most recently in India. “Where were you ten years ago… I have been in the desert unnecessarily for ten years. If I had heard you speak on Convergence back then, I might have avoided the desert.” Actually, ten years ago I was in a desert of sorts, and a pretty severe one.  About this time in 2001 we had given...