universal problem
In his book Human Universals, anthropologist Donald Brown lists over 400 human behaviors common across all cultures. Some of his findings are touching: All cultures have toys, jokes, dances, and proverbs; they have music, poetry, tickling, and thumb-sucking; the people of each culture develop languages, take names, are wary of snakes, and tie things with string!
Likewise, Brown discovered a…
determined devotion
In 605 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem. He returned to Babylon with the spoils of his victory. The king also brought back Jews of royal and noble descent as hostages to ensure Judah's continued submission to Babylon (Daniel 1:2-3).
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the select Jewish youths given a Babylonian education (vv.4-6). This was specialized reprogramming…
cultural christianity
Every culture contains values that may compromise the gospel. The early church was too Platonic, the medieval church too Aristotelian, the modern church too Enlightenment, and now the postmodern church is becoming too pluralistic. A recent survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 57 percent of evangelical churchgoers believe that other religions may lead…
freecycle
A "freecycler" resists the consumer culture and pursues a lifestyle outside of prevailing economic systems. One freecycling practice is dumpster diving—foraging in garbage bins for food. One regular diver, Rebecca, has a career and financial resources (and even an art piece hanging in the Seattle Art Museum); but still, 99 percent of her groceries come from dumpsters. She limits her…
