The Road to Shalom

     Do you see yourself as a "peace-maker" or a "peace-keeper"? What difference would it make if you got this right? Or wrong? In any worldview that believes peace-keeping should be the priority, change is viewed with suspicion. Even change in the right direction. Threats to our personal peace and way of life—if uniformed by the purposes of God—result in us fighting for what's important to us, rather than ...

     Shalom is the "way things are supposed to be"…everywhere…among everyone…all the time. It's absence is what's wrong with the world. But because the whole idea of shalom is foreign to us as believers, we don't naturally ask life questions within its frame of reference.

     For example, do you think there are places where it's "more absent" than in other places? Or more absent among some pe...

     One of the things I've come to realize, after 51 years on the "Jesus Road," is that the Bible is new every morning. It's an example of a not so famous saying by Buddy Hinton in Kee Sloan's book, Jabbok: "The more I learn this, the truer it gets." In an age of glance, swipe and poke, hearing or reading something more than once is actually a good thing…because it's also a God thing.

     Wi...

     If  one of your older Bibles has maps in the back, you'll notice that this image doesn't match the Dead Sea in your Bible. That's because the water from the Jordan River is being syphoned off for irrigation before it reaches the Dead Sea. And as a result, Dead Sea is becoming "deader" for lack of water. It's become two separate bodies of water, one of which is disappearing.

     In this third shalo...

     In this second interview with shalom-makers—men and women who see themselves as agents of shalom because they're beneficiaries of grace—Fran introduces  Sarah Jackson. The product of a turbulent childhood in a loving home, she found herself being drawn to those we have marginalized, even forgotten, in our ceaseless pursuit of the next new thing. Sarah is a hospice nurse.
     Even though for most of us, pursuing Sarah...

     This is the first of a series of interviews with shalom-makers who've learned to live on the flip-side because they understand the front-side of theology. Tracy Hipps' childhood was horrific and traumatic. Yet, he discovered that his own pain made him empathetic rather than merely pathetic and angry. He found his greatest joy in giving away rather than getting even.
     You'll find hope and encouragement fo...

     You've probably heard  a Christian described as someone who's "going to heaven when they die," because they "invited Jesus into their hearts." It's a pleasant thought. But, it's also incorrect. It reduces salvation and faith to two points on a line, one at the beginning and one at the end. Unfortunately, it leaves out the  line itself! A person's entire life on earth.
     What ...

Why do you think Yeshua spoke about "doing" righteousness? Why did the prophet Amos talk about righteousness rolling down like "an ever-flowing stream"? Why would Paul tell a young pastor, a beneficiary of Christ's righteousness, to "pursue righteousness," and that the Scriptures are "profitable for...training in righteousness"?

     Maybe it's time that we mature beyond our one and ...

     There’s an unspoken question staring us right in the face on at least thirteen pages of our Bible. Why do you think the Apostle Paul opened each of his letters with a sort of a Hebrew blessing, “grace to you and peace from God our Father…”? Why would Paul ask God to give his listeners two things they already had?— “Grace” from God, and “peace” with God? In particular, what could possibly prompt Paul to pray that God would mult...

     The "Peace Movement"—if there really is such a thing—did not originate with the Sixties youth culture. It's as old as the heart of God Himself. In fact, it's at the very center of His purposes. That means "peace" is an enormous word in the One Story of the One God.     
     Paul used the word over forty times in his letters. He wrote the Greek word for peace, eirēnē, but his mind was marinati...

     Do you know who's image is on the front of a $100 bill? Lots of folks do. How about the back? You probably didn't do as well on that one. It's odd, because the back of the $100 bill is more colorful and the numbers are bigger. So, why don't we know? Most likely because we're comfortable knowing just the front.
     For many of us in the faith community—perhaps most—we tend to take the same approach...

     When it comes to the One Story of the One God, unfortunately, many believers have their bookmark stuck in the wrong place. They've know some of the Story, but not the whole Story. And as a result, there are counterfeit stories that captivate some of us.
     Drawing on his metaphor of a Five Act Play from the previous two episodes, Fran explores what happens when we get stuck at the wrong spot in God's Story, and...

     If someone were to ask you, "What is the Bible?" How would you respond? Would you say, "It's the Word of God"? What if they asked you another question, like, "About what?" What would you say then?
     Our perspective on the Bible not only determines what we think about it. It dictates what we do with it, and why. Is the Bible really an anthology of books and letters? Or is it a textbook ...

     The people of God have had a perennial problem trying to discover a sense of identity within the cultures they have found themselves throughout history. They have, in the words of Fran Sciacca, often "resembled a cast of characters in search of a plot." And when the road in search of a plot ran dry, more often than not, they settled for an agenda rather than a plot. Or worse, chose a plot that served their own purpos...

     There's so much happening so fast, in so many places, to so many people it seems like the world's coming to an end. People of faith have always wondered if their generation would be the one that witnessed the return of Christ. There's nothing new about asking that question.
     In this episode, Fran walks us into this question through what he calls, "the side door." Instead of the “ front door” of...

     When you hear the word, “gospel,” do you think immediately of evangelism? If someone asked you, “What is the gospel?” would your answer have to do with personal salvation, or something bigger? Is there a relationship between the gospel and justice? What’s the difference between systematic theology and biblical theology? What do all these things have to do with you? Well…if you want your gospel to be the whole gospel, you might...

     What do fasting, pasta, Alexander the Great, and abortion have in common? You might be surprised. In this provocative episode, Fran lays bare the words that we as evangelicals either misunderstand or are misusing to describe ourselves. And in so doing, he exposes some tender areas of neglect when it comes to the part we're supposed to play in restoring shalom.
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OTHER  RE...

     Fifty years ago, Richard Bolles wrote a book designed to help people find their way into the world of work. It was called, What Color is Your Parachute? The book has sold over 10 million copies in 22 languages. And...it has been updated 48 times since. Once each year, since 1975. Finding a career in a changing world apparently is a challenge.
     Unfortunately, many people seem to find themselves in the same dilemma regar...

Did you know Elijah was facing a pandemic…of sorts? Did you know that Elijah quarantined himself after he spent some time under the zoom tree?** During these “unprecedented” times, there’s a word for us from our ancient past. I don’t think God wants us to miss the point, at just the time when He’s trying to make one. Life will be different after the pandemic. Will we? Will you? We don’t have to social distance with God. He’s not si...