by Rich Hansen | Nov 17, 2020 | Provocative Questions
“God bless the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”(Matthew 5:3) In his most famous teaching, Jesus Christ begins the Sermon on the Mount by blessing and congratulating the same people many of us are tempted to pity, ignore or (in some cases) even...
by Rich Hansen | Nov 2, 2020 | Provocative Questions
Brett McCracken, writing in the evangelical website The Gospel Coalition, clearly describes our situation as America faces the most consequential election in many of our lives We live in “all or nothing,” “us or them” times. You’re either all with us—toeing the party...
by Rich Hansen | Oct 13, 2020 | Provocative Questions
Note: A previously published version did not include the 8 principles at the end. My apologies. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matt. 5:6) First observation: anyone who has been really hungry or...
by Rich Hansen | Sep 24, 2020 | Provocative Questions
The downtown church I served in California had a bar and nightclub across the alley behind the church building called Bogarts and Lulu’s. I was invited to attend a party to celebrate the bar’s two-year anniversary. Jill, the manager, took the microphone to speak to...
by Rich Hansen | Sep 17, 2020 | Provocative Questions
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” According to the Bible, how does someone become merciful? A prostitute came into a house where Jesus was having dinner hosted by a morally upright Pharisee, who was scandalized that Jesus would allow such a...
by Rich Hansen | Sep 8, 2020 | Provocative Questions
In my last article, “We Need More Meek (not Weak) People Today,” I argued that “Blessed are the Meek” is wrapped around a biblical view of power, the kind of power we see Jesus display throughout his ministry and especially in his sacrificial death on the...
