simply, Christian

on holy innocents: King Herod and Uncle Sam

Silvrback blog image
Today the church remembers and honors the Holy Innocents: the male toddlers slaughtered by King Herod in his attempt to kill Jesus, the newborn king who threatened Herod politically (or so he thought) by his mere existence.

As recorded by St. Matthew:

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, . . .

Read More

December 28, 2017

Trump's inauguration: his call for jihad

the perpetuation of unChristian American exceptionalism

Along with much of the world, I watched this morning as Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. We watched with baited breath, wondering what he would say and how he would act after such a divisive and vitriolic election. We wondered if he would seek to unite America and be a harbinger of peace to the world or if . . .

Read More

January 20, 2017

our illegal was against ISIS

why Congress and the President need to take accountability

As a chaplain, I’m a theologian, not a lawyer. But as a commissioned officer, I’m also trained in military strategy, political science, and the ins-and-outs of making war. I have master’s degrees in both theology and military science but not law. Clearly, I am more interested in the philosophy of war—especially the notion of a just war—than I . . .

Read More

September 06, 2016

refugees: when theology and patriotism conflict

Since the horrendous terrorist attacks in Paris last weekend, calls for stopping the proposed admission of Syrian refugees to the United States have reached a deafening roar. Over half of all state governors have released statements defending their right to refuse entry to any refugees the United States admits into its borders. Numerous . . .

Read More

November 18, 2015

pastor, France is not Serbia

thoughts on violence and terrorism

Silvrback blog image
In the wake of the horrific terror attacks in Paris on Friday, Christian pastors had a difficult situation to face last Sunday.

  • All rightly called out these evil deeds for what they were
  • Most rightly pointed out that Christianity also has its share of sinful atrocities in its past
  • Some wrongly placed Christian . . .

Read More

November 16, 2015

Archive

This update link alerts you to new Silvrback admin blog posts. A green bubble beside the link indicates a new post. Click the link to the admin blog and the bubble disappears.

Got It!