Revelation 21

People do not float through life in the bubble that is their skin. We are grounded, dependent beings that live through the lives and deaths of others.

I want the kingdom of God to be civilized. If possible I'd like to be able to keep sleeping in my own bed.

I want the kingdom of God to be civilized. If possible I'd like to be able to keep sleeping in my own bed.

I want the kingdom of God to be civilized. If possible I'd like to be able to keep sleeping in my own bed.

These days, we need a strong current of theological explication of Christian eschatology. Richard Middleton has stepped forward—and his book doesn't even mention zombies.

These days, we need a strong current of theological explication of Christian eschatology. Richard Middleton has stepped forward—and his book doesn't even mention zombies.

At our first outdoor procession, I felt awkward. I’d led liturgies before, but my church life and my real life didn’t usually intersect so publicly.

At our first outdoor procession, I felt awkward. I’d led liturgies before, but my church life and my real life didn’t usually intersect so publicly.

Many churches, including mine, will mark All Saints Day this Sunday. Of course, politics will also be on everyone’s mind. At first it seemed to me that the two have little in common, but then several connections occurred to me.

While Christian scholars have long questioned body-soul dualism, it remains common in church circles. This may finally be changing.

While Christian scholars have long questioned body-soul dualism, it remains common in church circles. This may finally be changing.

Medieval mapmakers, with their limited knowledge of distant lands and uncharted seas, sometimes depicted dragons on the far edges of their maps. Hic sunt dracones (“Here be dragons!”), they warned. Dragons do not appear on our modern maps. But bodies on the rail lines of Madrid and the streets of Fallujah leave no doubt that Something Ferocious stalks the edges of our political and religious maps. Nationalism, tribalism, empire and religion mutate in draconian forms, and we sometimes fail to recognize the beastly genes in our own DNA.

"A virus breached the campus computer network last week and the entire system crashed. Repair has been difficult, but I bring a word of hope.” The director of information technology at the college where I was about to lecture on eschatology added, “This has been frustrating for everyone. Files have been corrupted and programs do not run properly. Please be patient. Some files have been restored. . . . Any day now we will be back to full operation.”

Psalm 148; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35