During my sophomore year of college, I looked up the entry in a theological dictionary on “angelology.” It suggested that we know very little about angels, and that the best places to get acquainted with the theology of angels were Augustine’s City of God, Anselm’s Why God Became Man, and select writings from Pseudo-Dionysius. That turned out to be massively unhelpful, because my confusion about angels began from having read those three authors that year....
I recently got married to Stanley Ng last August 6, and it has truly been a whirlwind. Despite the stressful prep time before the wedding, I thoroughly enjoyed our wedding day. It was an amazing and joyous day, full of tears and much laughter. Celebrating such a momentous occasion with the people we love was wonderful, and knowing that we were making such a huge commitment in the presence of such a supportive community was amazing....
Lately I’ve absent from Two Cities due to some intense life stuff. I wrote this blog trying to process a few things last week. My Facebook friends know the insane details of our difficulty with Melodie’s illness. This is the flip side of what has been happening in my life: Last month was, perhaps, the most difficult month of my life. Just thinking about it now is actually a bit depressing but, if there is...
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 If we imagine Paul writing this to the churches in America today, we might add: “Neither Republican, nor Democrat.” At a time when the church appears to divide along political, social, and racial lines in painfully visible ways, Paul’s appeal to unity is profoundly...
I am a Christian who struggles with depression, anxiety, and chronic pain, and Jesus Christ has something to do with it. To reconcile the resurrection of Jesus Christ with the persistent rebellion of my body and mind is an absurd thing. It has become abundantly clear that I cannot understand the whys and hows of my suffering. I’m thrust into a Kierkegaardian framework wherein true faith stands opposed to human rationality, and the gospel to...
Ten years ago this month (September) I first became a Calvinist. I’ve never discussed here at The Two Cities how I became a Calvinist so I thought I’d use this anniversary of sorts as an opportunity to reflect on that. It all happened at the beginning of my Sophomore year at BIOLA University. During my first year of college I was undeclared without any clear passion for any particular subject of study. The only thing I was...
Four weeks ago, I was one of four people standing in front of Biola’s Heritage Cafe, laughing in the low sun of late morning. Before taking a brief walk, Jessica and I had stopped to enjoy some time with Stewart and Erin, two good friends who had met to mull over C.S. Lewis’ essay, Education in Wartime, before leading a freshman seminar discussion. We had just a moment ago seen my good friend Andrew and...
Why is Abraham called a friend of God? Here are some ideas: Isaiah says it, and James says that “doing good” has something to do with it. (Isa. 41:8; Jas. 2:23) Augustine describes friendship as a “sharing of the counsels of the heart.” (Edward C. Sellner Like a Kindling Fire: Meanings of Friendship in the Life and Writings of St Augustine. Spirituality Today, Autumn 1991, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 240-257.) God asks, rhetorically, “Shall I hide from...
“You deserve to be happy.” “You deserve someone who treats you well.” “You deserve to be taken care of.” “You deserve the best in life.” Problem: These don’t seem to be happening with much consistency. If there was any cry under which modern culture united, it would be the one that preaches humanity deserving to be happy and all the things attached to that idea. There’s plenty of problems that stem from the ambiguity, such...
Reading scripture has deadly implications. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13 When we bear witness to truth and justice,...
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