In 1943, American psychologist Abraham Maslow published his theory of the hierarchy of needs. You’ve probably seen it in school represented as a pyramid. At the top is self-actualization, like achieving goals, being creative or finding purpose. Below it are...
Let’s not ignore the role of white supremacy in Christianty’s story
It would be easy to say that racism is behind us. Slavery ended more than 100 years ago. Segregation ended in 1964. We have had a black president in the White House. These are great things, but to say that racism is behind us is to ignore several realities still...
What does it mean to have a childlike faith?
At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, “Who gets the highest rank in God’s kingdom?” For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square...
Not giving up on compassion when there is always disaster
Maybe it’s because the internet makes news travel faster. Maybe it’s because of global warming. Either way, it seems like every other day we’re hearing about some sort of natural disaster like wildfires, earthquakes or floods. Not to mention, man-made disasters like...
Learning how to love others with different views
Human beings have always had disagreements. A quick look in a history textbook can remind us how many countless wars have represented these disagreements to the extreme. However, even though this is one of the most peaceful eras in history as far as wars are...
Six tips for staying sane while working from home
Some people work from home on a regular basis, but thanks to COVID-19, more people are working from home than ever. And that means more people are having to adjust to the challenges of working from home. Working from home can be rewarding in many ways. You don’t need...
Six tips for improving your mental health today
Your mental health is important. Did you hear that? Your mental health is important. It absolutely needs to be a priority for you to take care of your mental health if you want to have a more positive outlook on yourself and life in general. However, we often overlook...
Is the church racist?
While many of us like to think that America today has put racism behind us, the reality is that racism has its roots in many of our institutions. Many people who have vast sums of inherited wealth today have inherited their wealth from families that got rich off the...
Dealing with grief and loss in a healthy way
Grieving is hard. We often try to hide or run away from feelings of pain or anger or confusion. However, grief, especially from a loss of someone you love, is hard to avoid. It’s important to let yourself grieve in a healthy way so you don’t end up doing something...
What is the difference between praise and worship?
Have you been to a church where at the beginning or end of every service they do “worship”? This usually is a session of three or four songs in praise to God that everyone sings together led by a group of musicians onstage. This is an important part of most church...
How to disagree respectfully when it seems like no one else wants to
These days, it seems like disagreements and arguments are a normal part of everyday life. Human beings have always disagreed with one another over countless things, but the internet, especially social media, have enabled us to disagree and argue with hundreds of...
Five tips for being kind to others
Kindness is good. It is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate toward others. However, there are people who believe kindness is a sign of weakness. They believe it is a compromise. They believe that what they believe is more important than...
Holding on to hope for the future during times of uncertainty
The year 2020 has been rough. Worse for some than others, but all of us have had to deal with new challenges and struggles this year. Working from home ... or losing a job. Paying rent. Going out for food when you’re at high risk for illness. And those are just...
Hard questions about God even the most devout Christians have — part 6
Having faith in God is easy for some (it’s described as a spiritual gift in the Bible), but for many, it’s very difficult. People have a lot of hard questions about God, even the most devout of Christians. Take a look at some hard questions about God in the sixth part...
Speaking Christianese: Breaking down common Christian phrases — part 6
If you’re a Christian, you might not have noticed that we have a lot of weird Christian phrases. If you’re not a Christian, then you have definitely noticed some of the strange sayings we like to use. We’re here to help people decipher the mysterious language of...