by jakeowensby | Feb 10, 2023 | 6 Epiphany A, Forgiveness, Matthew 5:21-37
The parents of a newborn daughter overheard their toddler talking to his baby sister in her crib. The little guy said, “Tell me what it’s like to be close to God. I’m starting to forget.” This story has made the rounds. And even though it may not report an event that...
by jakeowensby | Jan 28, 2022 | grace, Luke 4:21-30
Polls tell us that a lot of people are angry these days. Habitually, set on steady-boil angry. We’re not talking about a measured righteous indignation at injustice or the momentary blood pressure spikes at life’s little indignities and frustrations. No, the research...
by jakeowensby | Feb 14, 2020 | Matthew 5:21-37
As I was passing through the Atlanta airport last week, a married couple wearing matching surgical masks rushed by me to catch the train to another concourse. It seemed unlikely to me that both of them suffered from a compromised immune system. So I began to wonder if...
by jakeowensby | Dec 6, 2019 | Matthew 3:1-2
Driving home one late afternoon I was puzzled to see what I took to be an enormous wall of cumulus clouds stretching across the horizon in the direction of my house. The forecast had called for clear skies all day. Suddenly my heart leapt into my throat. Those weren’t...
by jakeowensby | Feb 10, 2017 | 6 Epiphany A, Matthew 5:21-37, Uncategorized
Fire warms us in the cold and pushes back the darkness at night. Those same flames can reduce our homes to ashes and consume our flesh. So when Jesus talks about fire, maybe we shouldn’t rush to erase the ambiguity packed into fire imagery. Instead, we can learn a...
by jakeowensby | Jun 17, 2016 | Non-Violence, Uncategorized
Looking back on it now, the 1973 movie “The Exorcist” is laughably cheesy. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, you probably know the story. A demon possesses a twelve-year-old girl named Regan. Under demonic control Regan spews pea green projectile vomit on a priest,...
