Culture

Halloween: What it Reveals about Why We Conceal

Make no mistake, Halloween is here to stay. It’s popularity as a holiday in the U.S. is second only to Christmas. Polls show a majority of Millennials actually put Halloween in the number one spot. In 2018 American expenditures on Halloween apparel surpassed $9 billion. A recent article noted that 48% of millennials bought costumes worn just for posting on social media.…

A Generation Enslaved: The Devastation of Pornography and a Cultural Revolt

  I became a subscriber to Sports Illustrated as a Freshman in high school. Being an athlete who played baseball and football, articles about professional sports naturally piqued my interest. But one issue that came every February never passed through my hands: The annual swimsuit edition. Mom made sure it moved swiftly from mail box to trash can. It was a few…

Gay Marriage and the Bible: My response to the Sonoma Sun

In light of the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage in all 50 states, the church will face increasing pressure from a culture in which the majority rejects the bible’s teaching on marriage–as a union defined exclusively as covenant between one man and one woman. Last month an article was published in the Sonoma Sun in which columnist Ron Ellis wrote…

Boyhood: A Look at Religious Indifference in an Unconvinced generation

Disclaimer* Due to language, Boyhood would not be appropriate for children. Christians use discretion in viewing movies in accordance with conscience (Romans 14). Filmed sequentially over a period of 12 years (2002-2013), Boyhood is one of most innovative movies in contemporary cinema. The uniqueness of the movie is that the medium is part of the overall message—reality is constant flux. Examining movies…

At Calvary: Love Reconsidered

Each year Christians celebrate the day of their savior’s execution, and for some peculiar reason they call it “Good” Friday. At the insistence of his own people, Jesus of Nazareth was crucified at Calvary. A casual observation of the event certainly incites pity. The death of an unjust man is always a tragedy. It was not the first of its kind and…

Cain, The City of Man and the City of God

Genesis 4 reveals the immediate and devastating consequences of humanity’s fall. Cain was the first son of Adam and Eve whose birth Eve seemed to look upon with optimistic anticipation—possibly believing he was the promised “seed of the woman.” But in a terrifying twist, Cain murders his brother Abel. Cain had failed to offer God the best of his harvest in worship…