A Community of Love All who believed were together and had all things in common – Acts 2:44 One of the greatest champions of human rights in our own time, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, believes “we can be human only in fellowship, in community, in koinonia, in peace.” Our species thrives not in isolation but in relationship–in social groups, in tribes, in fellow…

Compassion When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. —Matthew 9: 36 Sometimes we see compassion as feeling with another person, sharing their grief or pain. The synonyms that come to mind are sympathy and commiseration. But compassion is more than that. The Greek word splanchizomai which has been…

Parenthood and the Kingdom of God What can plants teach us about parenthood and the kingdom of our heavenly Father? Consider Jesus’s two familiar parables about grain and mustard plants. Each begins with seeds scattered. A very simple and basic definition of parenthood could be this: one who scatters seeds. The seeds are nourished, they sprout, and they grow, passing through stages…