Posts Tagged ‘sincerity’
Loving Well
There is a phrase I heard in seminary that has stuck with me for decades because it is both catchy and true. “Text out of context is pretext.” For Christmas, last year, Alean made me a coffee mug that says, “I can do all things through a verse taken out of context.” Context is critical,…
Read MoreThe Body of Christ is No Place for Pretense
Howsitgoinfine It is one word, spoken by two people in a rhetorical ritual performed when the two first encounter each other, either for the first time, or following some time apart. One participant asks the rhetorical question, “How’s it going?” or “What’s up?” or even, “Sup?” This greeting is required even though the querist has…
Read MoreDaring to Be Genuine
“O LORD, you have searched me, and known me.” (Psalm 139:1) Ralph Waldo Emerson was a man brilliant beyond what is normal for most human beings. His insights into human character are often shocking. One of my favorites comes from his essay on Friendship: Every man alone is sincere. At the entrance of another person,…
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