The Flatpicking Pilgrim's Progress
Stories and tales from a guitar-picking writer, theologian, speaker, blogger and entertainer. From small town quirks to the bizarre realities of family, whacky church life and slightly damaged kinfolk, insights from a reluctant son of the South takes you along. Never know where it’ll end up but it’s sure to be worth the trip.
The Flatpicking Pilgrim's Progress
Reading the Bible Amid the Culture Wars: In His Right Mind 2
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Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," asked Senator Charles Sumner to come to the aid of a needy citizen. When Sumner turned her down with the excuse that he had grown too busy to concern himself with individuals, Howe replied, "Charles, that's remarkable. Even God hasn't reached that stage yet."
The problem with our sense of “where the problem is” is that we are like the people of Gadara. When you ask, “Where is evil?” they would point to “that man over there.” We’re pretty sure the problem is “out there” somewhere—bad people, bad institutions, bad laws, bad luck. But Jesus in the gospels knew the truth—if evil lives out through our social structures, it is birthed in the human heart.