Matthew 5

The pastor and mentor to Martin Luther King formed a vision of resistance around prayer, not politics.

How my attraction to other religions deepened my love of my own

Gabriel Said Reynolds puts the two sacred texts into respectful, honest conversation.

Poverty of spirit, like any kind of poverty, is unenviable but survivable.

I came into the world cursed with the ability to see all sides of an issue.

The prescription for the persistent malady of God’s people

The preacher is still green! Maybe we'll hear something hopeful.

Deuteronomy 30:15–20; 1 Corinthians 3:1–9; Matthew 5:21–37

Isaiah 58:1–12; 1 Corinthians 2:1–12; Matthew 5:13–20

I don’t like this. When I mourn I want to not mourn anymore.

Two refreshing new books place the storyteller within the story he tells.

Readers who found Pastrix to be a long, cool drink will find more refreshment here. Those who have tired of Nadia Bolz-Weber's cranky schtick will tire of it here as well.

To be a follower of the one who promised that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed is to expect a blessed in-breaking of peace.

If you happen to read the Message translation of Matthew’s beatitudes, you’ll notice that instead of saying “blessed” the word is “happy.”

Yoder defined violence in terms of violating someone's dignity. This sounds ready made as a description of his own abusive behavior.

Growing in prayer is not simply acquiring a set of special spiritual skills. It is growing into Christian humanity.

Each week my church includes a prayer for the families of American soldiers who have died. As the names are read, I try to hold them in prayer. But I have wrestled with these prayers.