2 Corinthians

The blind kitten I adopted seemed to walk by faith instead of sight—the perfect companion to take to divinity school.

2 Corinthians 8 contains the only New Testament reference, outside the infancy narratives, to Jesus being poor.

The Transfiguration provides a window through which the Christian narrative may be viewed.

The Transfiguration provides a window through which the Christian narrative may be viewed.

Why does Paul resort to both shame and pride to raise money for the Jerusalem church?

The closest I get to the kind of religious experience the apostle Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 12 is the occasional Sunday when the music and the congregation merge in worship that is unrestrained praise. I especially enjoy communion, since the Eucharist itself is designed to anticipate heaven. With our sins confessed and forgiven, peace made and prayers prayed, we experience an unusual unity with God and with each other. It’s a taste of paradise.

I don’t want to leave my body or its loves. I wouldn’t rather be at home with the Lord; I want to be right here.

I struggle to make peace with Jesus ordering the sea into peace. If we were to stumble across a time traveler’s videotape and find that it all happened just as Mark reports, I’d still be troubled. Because this isn’t the way the world works. People don’t go around saying, “Peace! Be still!” to the wind and the waves, and find that the wind and the waves obey. And I don’t like the “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” business. Of course Jesus’ disciples are afraid!