Columns

Whereas trees held up by stakes and supports can potentially grow weaker, those that are left to “fend for themselves” against gentle and moderate winds grow stronger as their roots grow deeper.

As a child I loved to pull my parents’ wedding album from under the bookshelf that held the fiction. I would dust it off and page through, pausing at my favorites. My parents’ wedding color was red, matching the church’s Christmas trees decorated with white lights and red bows. Candles lined the aisle and everything glowed.

The night I met the young street woman through whom God would open my eyes, the cold was especially penetrating.

Even though this outbreak presents serious challenges to our faith and institutions, it is worth pointing out that this is not the first time Christians have encountered harmful contagious diseases.

In the moment, I was unable to see another way, and I chose the route of suicide in my attempts to stop the pain.

When you take leftovers home, they’re almost always given in Styrofoam containers that can’t be recycled. What’s the most stewardly option?

“Purity in the hands of a holy God is a powerful instrument.”

I see the discipline of Lenten fasting more as an opportunity to refocus our values, a regular reminder of our spiritual callings through giving up something we take for granted.

Moral virtue is at once something that God produces in us and at the same time something we need to work at. Moral character, in other words, is a work in progress. 

Have you ever wondered why most animals have tails? What are they for? Just what do tails do anyway?

Can there be a morality or theology to the structures and systems of language?

Philosopher Bernard Williams coined the term “moral luck” to describe circumstances where moral praise or blame is granted to a person because of circumstances beyond their control.

Featuring monthly posts, this blog seeks to give our readers a behind-the-curtains peek into how things operate at The Banner. In this inaugural post, get to know our team!

What does it take to get published in The Banner? Why do we accept some articles and reject others?