Out of Despair and Into DeLight

It’s time to start giving back. After years of researching, writing, reading, and studying in the fields of psychology, theology, philosophy, ethics, and spiritual formation, I have decided to become a spiritual life coach for men. My personal conviction is that coaching is modeling. And modeling is coaching. My heart is to see Christian men…

…the linguistic problem hammers the last nail in the coffin of the traditional setting of “the inn” being some sort of hotel. In Greek, katáluma is translated “lodging place,” “upper room,” or “guest room.”[6] Only a few translations call it something other than “the inn,” which lends itself to misinterpretation by Westerns who think of “the inn” as a kind of hostel or motel.[7] But Matthew’s gospel makes it clear that the Maji entered a “house”: “And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”[8] So, the traditional telling of “no room for them in the inn” should be translated “no room for them in the guest room upstairs.”  

When Josh Brolin gave Thanos a humanity, it sent shock waves not only into the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also into ours. That is, when personified evil is torn over killing half the world’s population but sees it as a necessity, his character becomes believable, which is terrifying to watch. After accomplishing what he thinks…