Category Archives: Grace

A SUBLIME GRACE

Valjean had experienced only the harsh and dispassionate force of the law, but he was now the victim of a sublime grace at the hands of a merciful and compassionate bishop. The bishop urged him to use the money from the silver to make himself an honest man. Then the bishop anoints him with these words, “Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to what is evil but to what is good. I have bought your soul to save it from black thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God.” Continue reading

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THE CONFOUNDING CHURCH

Eighteen million views and counting. Jefferson Bethke posted his well-crafted four-minute video on YouTube January 10. “Viral” might be an understatement.

Bethke uses rapper-like poetry to communicate his message in “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus.” He begins with the claim, “What if I told you that Jesus came to abolish religion?” He intends to challenge the hypocrisy that creeps into every organized religion, but his broad brush paints a confusing depiction of Jesus v Religion. Continue reading

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GOOD FOR EVIL

“We saw people that were obviously suffering. They felt a great sense of responsibility for what happened. How could we add to their pain displays of anger or anything like that?” Barry Sullivan, father of Declan Sullivan who was killed in a tragic accident at Notre Dame Continue reading

Posted in Character, Forgiveness, Grace, Suffering | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment