Nathan E. Lewis

If you have never heard Francis Callier and Angela Shelton, known as Frangela, the Comedic Translators, go to NPR, Day to Day radio interview, “Should Black Woman Support Hillary or Obama,” for a light-hearted laugh about politics. You may not agree with their thoughts on who should be our next President, but they present the topic of discussion in such a way that you can participate as a listener without taking offense, without contributing to the polarization paralyzing the country.
Francis and Angela refer to themselves as “Afro-Saxons,” in response to the interviewer asking them, “Is Obama black enough.” Continue reading »

October 2 marks the first anniversary of the Amish school shooting at Nickel Mines (PA) and the subsequent forgiveness story. I thought you might be interested in the attached findings from a research project that explored the meaning of Amish forgiveness. See the attached findings or visit www.amishgrace.com. This site introduces a new book, “Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Trascended Tragedy.” Not too long ago I posted on this story summarizing the article that Bettie Mitchel of Good Samaritan Ministries wrote and subsequent convserations I enjoyed with her, titled, “Bettie Mitchell, the Amish and the Gospel of Forgiveness.” Let us pray for the community of Nickel Mines, PA. For them, this is not a passing media piece but part of the fabric of their life. Continue reading »

“Most cherished in this mundane world is a place with no traffic; truly in the city there can be mountain and forest.”
Wen Zhengming (1470-1559)

One of my friends, Rod, told me at Ava Coffee this morning that he read about Portland described as “the nation’s biggest small town.” For years I have discussed with Portland enthusiasts, flocking to our city, their glowing descriptions of Portland as a “city.” Many of us who have lived here for some time have an aversion to the urban sprawl and to the cold, brash feel of large, American cities. Our thinking and contributions have produced “the biggest small town.”
Today, I received a prayer update from Pat Roach and Jason Little, who are planting a new congregation in Southest Portland. Pat has discovered in the little time he has lived here that Oregonians are candid when it comes to spiritual issues. When people discover that he is a minister of the gospel, they will say, “Well, I’m not religious.” Continue reading »

My dear friend, Loren Wiebe reminded me that yesterday was T.S. Eliot’s birthday. Here are a few of my favorite lines from “The Hollow Men.”

Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the shadow
For Thine is the Kingdom

Between the conception
And the creation
Between the emotion
And the response
Falls the Shadow
Life is very long

At our Tuesday men’s coffee this morning, my friend, John Werner, connected me to an Yahoo article full of practical tips on personal finances. . Check it out. Here is one tip to whet your appetite: Call 1-888-5OPT OUT to cancel all of these solicitations for credit cards we receive in the mail. Here’s another tip: call your credit card provider and haggle down your interest rate! You will find more details and tips in the article.

Check out my three videos on Youtube: 1) “The Creator/creature Distinction; 2) “Transcendence/immanence; 3) “How Can We Know God?” Continue reading »