Things I Think…

1. I’m “celebrating” another trip around the sun…after this one I should just be grateful to be here…and I am…

2. I’ve been thinking about what I’ve learned after most of a lifetime in the church and 25 years online…and most of what I’ve learned has produced a deep cynicism…that I have to fight daily…

3. Institutions will often protect themselves before they protect the vulnerable. The true character of a church is revealed not in its statements of faith, but in how it treats those with the least power…

4. Power changes people—and unaccountable spiritual power changes them most of all. Wherever leaders cannot be questioned, abuse is only a matter of time…

5. The greatest damage to Christianity has often come from Christians themselves. Scandals, hypocrisy, cruelty, and the pursuit of political power have driven more people from the faith than intellectual doubt ever has…

6. Certainty can become an idol. The older I’ve become, the more comfortable I am with mystery, nuance, and the limits of my own understanding…I don’t know how much I don’t know…

7. The gospel is larger than the culture wars. When Christianity becomes primarily a vehicle for political identity, it ceases to look much like Jesus…

8. Faith survives best when it is centered on Christ rather than on personalities, denominations, or movements. Every human leader eventually disappoints us. Christ alone can bear the weight of our trust.

9. Hope is an act of discipleship. After twenty-five years of exposing darkness, I’ve learned that cynicism is easy. Hope—the stubborn belief that truth matters, repentance is possible, and Christ is still building his Church—is the harder and more faithful path…

10. Tell the truth, no matter what it costs…but count the cost. Silence protects abusers. Truth gives the wounded a chance to heal, even when telling it comes at great personal expense…

Last but not least…don’t listen to the cheers…those who cheer you today will crucify you tomorrow. Just stay faithful…