As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner. On the first
Elizabeth is a 40-year-old woman currently going through a divorce after her husband left her for another woman. Elizabeth has been married for 15 years. She has been actively involved in her church community. Elizabeth is feeling depressed and guilty for not being able to make her marriage work. Sh
Not unless you are using the wrong ones!Each generation, it seems, has a preferred way of communicating. Researchers call people born between 1928 and 1945 the Silent Generation because they have traditionally limited their communication. But Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) are more inclined to
As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner. I watched th
On the night of Dec. 6, 1273, priest and theologian Thomas Aquinas had a mystical vision of God. It was such a life-changing, category-breaking, perspective-altering experience that Aquinas never wrote another word. His greatest work—Summa Theologica, which he had been working on for 20 years—was le
If God loves the world (John 3:16), why are we told not to love the world (1 John 2:15)?It is clear that “the world” (cosmos) is being used in different ways in these two passages: “the world” as created order versus “the world” as a fallen kingdom. In the first sense, God loves every created thing
I’ve always found it interesting that Jesus started his preaching ministry with a call to repentance: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matt. 4:17). Is this call to repentance, then, what Matthew characterizes just a few verses later as “the good news of the kingdom” (v. 23)? How ma
As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner. The Banner h
In our last issue, I wrote an article, “Misreading Scripture Cross-culturally,” (Oct. 2023) in which my overall point was that we need to be careful and humble in interpreting and applying Scripture given the historical, linguistic, and cultural gaps between us and the Bible’s original audience. One
As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.Denominations
What is cultural appropriation? Why is it wrong? How do we avoid it?Definitions vary, but cultural appropriation usually involves unbalanced power dynamics. It is understood as borrowing something distinctive from another cultural group in ways that either disrespect that cultural group, fail to giv
To send letters to the editor, please see our guidelines at thebanner.org/letters.Tough LoveRegarding “Tough Love” (March 2023), my experience is that tough love is never blunt, rude, nor abrupt. Bluntness, rudeness, and abruptness lack love. Tough love is loving. Janet Smit // Toronto, Ont.Culture
There are six simple machines that help us do work: wheels and axles, pulleys, levers, wedges, screws, and inclined planes (ramps). Simple machines help us by following the simple rule God made for them: When you increase the distance over which force is applied, you decrease the force needed. Here
십 대인 제 아이는 늘 어리석은 생각을 하고, 결국 저희는 끊임없이 다투게 됩니다. 이 악순환을 끊을 수 있는 방법이 있나요? 십 대는 성인의 정체성으로 성장하면서 자연스럽게 자신의 관심 분야를 탐구하게 됩니다. 십 대 자녀의 토론 능력은 자아에 대한 주인의식이 성장하고 있음을 보여줍니다. 자신의 욕구를 알고 표현하는 능력은 실제로 좋은 일이지만, 의사소통을 하는 방식에 있어서는 조율이 필요할 수 있습니다.가정 내 의견 충돌에 대한 기본 규칙을 명확히 정해야 합니다. 서로를 존중하는 선을 지키며 서로를 대하세요. 사람 혹은 성격적
My teen is always coming up with foolish ideas, and we end up arguing endlessly. Any thoughts on how to break the cycle?Teens naturally explore their areas of interests as they stretch into their adult identity. Your teen’s ability to debate shows a growing ownership of self. Their ability to know a
If I could do my life over again, is there anything that I would change, leave out, or add? Am I happy with how my life took shape? Or do I wonder how it could have been shaped had I chosen a different path?In Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” the protagonist is confronted with such a choice
As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.It was a love
Even though national park workers are surrounded by the immense beauty of God’s creation, the secular nature of the job does not make the parks obvious places for vocational formation in ministry. Still, I can hardly imagine my becoming a pastor without having experienced the life of a parkie for th
Besides having an uncountable number of books to borrow, our local library has started to loan STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) kits. One of these kits is a backpack filled with all the equipment needed for a budding ornithologist: a map of local parks and waterways, a bird identifi
Many young families have enrolled their children in various sports programs, which are healthy but often conflict with Sunday church services. Consequently, we don’t see these families in church often. What can be done? How should the church handle this?There is a temptation to tell the families the