Comments on: Showing Us Another Way

By: Liam Poulsens

Liam Poulsens — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 11:13:48 +0000

I’m glad that there are still people whose opinion coincides with mine!

By: Dawn Baker

Dawn Baker — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 16:27:44 +0000

Always speaking right to the heart! THANK YOU for this…and the John Donne Devotions! YES!!

By: Gretchen Wollert

Gretchen Wollert — Sat, 19 Dec 2020 19:39:27 +0000

As I read through the responses to this blog I try to sense your readership. I also try to sense your sensibilities, as well. I loved your books twenty years ago and only yesterday re-opened the book Finding God in Unexpected Places. I loved your wisdom and wonderfully expressive writing. My favorite book is The Jesus I Never Knew. I believe I will reread it one of these days. But I am not quite as impressed by the words.
I went back a moment ago and read a brief article on your confusion as to why evangelicals voted for Trump. 80 million Americans voted for him this time, I wonder, do you understand anymore than you did in 2016? Perhaps you should ponder the possibility of finding God in unexpected people. As a historian I see the workings of God in our nation and its past and I can discern those patterns of familiarity from one generation to the next. History clothes the same human natures in different eras, but tendencies inevitably resemble the book of Judges. Man is good and mindful of God, a deteriorating society rejecting God experiences some type of punishing force, at which time society cries out to God and He raises up a judge to guide/deliver the people. I don’t presume that America may claim God’s promises to his chosen people, but I do believe that Christian people are heard by Him. We are a very polarized nation today and it is not something that is unique. It happened 150 years ago; But instead of permanent division, a specific man for the time fought with grit, determination and purpose to not only keep the nation from division but righted a great wrong (Slavery.) It was a fight for freedom, not just for a race of people but also for a nation that was up to then only dedicated to a proposition that all men are created equal. Abraham Lincoln amended our Constitution to offer a more permanent fix. But inevitable moral decay followed by punishing times of suffering often subsided because of great awakenings and Christian revivals of faith. We have experienced a many-decades descent into depravity that our nation has not seen since 1860. Only now it is an unborn population denied the freedom to live. More horrific than any of our past national sins in every way. Is it beyond comprehension to believe God may be using flawed men in His plan to allow America a renewed Christian revival? True, it is not 80 million Christians who voted one way; but I wonder how many Christians voted for a pro-choice candidate because of some disconnection between what truly matters to God and what is real wickedness hidden in a whitewashed tomb. That God would use a Samson, a Moses, or a David is a confirmed truth. That God could use a Trump is somehow preposterous? Based on the wisdom of the past, our nation will pay for abortion. When and under what circumstances is the million dollar question. If Lincoln(the real man, not the myth) a very flawed and often un-Christian fighter, could oversee the abolition of slavery and the horrendous price our nation paid for it; then perhaps God might use a fighter of a similar sort to usher in Grace to a nation on the brink again.

By: Roy David Stafford

Roy David Stafford — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 03:24:28 +0000

In the hope we can forgive and reunite this country with God’s help, I read your blog about forgiveness and it struck a deep chord within me. Since it now looks as though we will survive Trump and have a new president, one of the worst most intractable problems Biden will face in reuniting this nation will be instilling in people the importance of seeking truth to problems confronting our nation. In the last four years we as a people have been subjected to the worst president in our history. A national nightmare. The internet and its social media outlets have been used as a weapon for his obsessions and his fanatical followers. His greed, selfishness, all consuming ego, narrow minded, bigotry, and pathological lying, have consumed his every waking moment. How do we get people to seek truth instead of conspiracy theories. How do we get all americans to have empathy and forgive each other. America and the world are facing a deadly pandemic and a climate crisis at the same time. How do we get Americans to gather information from diverse reliable sources and evaluate and weigh the information to determine what is true. If an individual relies on a single source of news, that person is going to feel comfortable in their ignorance, and believe only that news sources bias because it gives them just what they want to hear and not the truth. My father was a newspaper man that worked at many newspapers in his life before he married. During the years I grew up he worked for the Herald American in Chicago. He told me as a young man to never rely on one newspapers information and the importance of gathering facts from many sources. So, now we live in a time of antiscience, just when it is the most important thing to our very survival. I so want to see America become a nation seeking truth, justice, empathy, and love for one another. After hearing President elect Biden’s acceptance speech, I am thrilled and once again filled with hope. His empathy, his faith, his call for unity, justice, and forgiveness are now hopefully going to lead us out of this darkness. We must learn to practice forgiveness and empathy for all Ameicans. I hope every American seeks unity now and prays for this new president.

By: Unabis

Unabis — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 10:58:02 +0000

It’s a very tragic story, I don’t know why I haven’t heard anything about it before. It’s scary, as in principle, all the other protests this year. Discrimination on the basis of race is an issue that has unfortunately been resolved for centuries and I think it will not be resolved yet shortly. It is very sad. And from your article, I am sincerely surprised by the example of Anthony, who was able to forgive this. Because really forgiving the enemy is always the most difficult task and for this, you need to have a very big heart. I don’t know if I could do that, probably not.

By: Maria Guerrero

Maria Guerrero — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 00:13:44 +0000

What a shame on evangelicals that in 2016 they elected the opposite of Obama and continue to support him today. They questioned Obama’s faith but have no problem with the president who never goes to church.
There will be a lot to answer for in the evangelical church.

By: Annette

Annette — Sun, 25 Oct 2020 10:58:47 +0000

We in South Africa, where the government try to keep all the murders on our farmers away from the world, need this message very much. May the Lord help us to forgive likewise..

By: Judy

Judy — Sun, 25 Oct 2020 05:38:14 +0000

On October 22, Mark posted this comment: “In this blog, Yancey is actually supporting the idea that blacks must endure trauma and violence stoically and with grace while whites are allowed to fight back. It’s a continuation of the systemic racism in this country, and highlighting it in this way is harmful.” I was unable to get the “reply” button to work, so this post is my reply to Mark. I hope he sees it.

Yancey’s blog did not suggest stoic endurance. Rather he highlighted the power of grace to transform society. He mentioned two examples of white people forgiving: an Amish community after the brutal deaths of ten of their children, and Corrie ten Boom who forgave a Nazi prison guard. The blog primarily featured the actions of Anthony Thompson and some powerful results of Anthony’s forgiveness: 15,000 people joined in a peaceful demonstration and the South Carolina governor removed the Confederate flag.

At no point does Yancey excuse the injustices or brutality. He highlights the power of the spiritual weapon of forgiveness. Forgiveness may appear similar to stoicism, but it is immeasurably more powerful.

By: Helmut Wagabi

Helmut Wagabi — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 17:58:14 +0000

Forgiveness is alright but does not mean the offender goes unpunished. Justice must be seen to be done to pacify the offended party. Psalm 35 is clear in its emphasis that God will continue to fight against those who fight the godly.
What’s more, God forgave Israel of old for all their transgressions but allowed them to live in captivity or seventy years (Jeremiah 29: 9,10). When Israel forgot the wonders of the Lord and became lustful, God forgave them but only after sending them trouble in their lives (Psalm 106:13-15

By: Sharon Pegany

Sharon Pegany — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 17:52:36 +0000

What a story. In recent years, we have been fire-hosed with stories of hate and violence. Only the grace and goodness of God moving in the hearts of individuals can turn these terrible stories into stories of hope and inspiration. Thank you so much for always searching the sea of humanity for reminders that God IS moving by His Spirit in this broken world. For now, we see through a glass darkly, but we will one day see Him face to face, all things will be made right and our questions as to His mysterious ways will finally be put to rest. God bless you as you spread the beautiful message of grace and hope. My family always looks forward to reading/hearing your insightful ponderings.