Don: We have discussed forgiveness as a key element of community, and saw that Jesus made clear there should be no limits on it. He also, in the Lord’s Prayer, made clear that we must forgive others before god will forgive us. Scripture links forgiveness to confession, yet on several occasions— most notably and sweepingly,…

Don: Even today, the concept that illness may be a result of sinful behavior is somewhat prevalent. Patients diagnosed with cancer often tell me they have led relatively blameless lives and have done nothing to deserve it. Jesus developed the relationship between healing and forgiveness extensively in his ministry. There are more than three dozen…

Don: Last week we read from Isaiah 43:25 that god forgives and forgets our sins for his own sake. Psalm 23 says “He leads me through the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” The notion that god does some of what he does for his own sake is common in both the Old and…

Don: I am dwelling on forgiveness in part because as a physician, I understand the pathology of forgiveness–or, to put it another way, the pathophysiology of unforgiveness. Guilt, bitterness, anger, resentment… all tend to have very disabling effects. We see it in patients on almost a daily basis. The effects have been studied. Adenergic hormones…

Hi everyone, I thought of sharing something I have written, these are just some thoughts that I had on Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory. I hope you can share your opinion and maybe help me improve it! The Hierarchy of Fears Since I have learned about it, I happen to mostly agree with Maslow’s Hierarchy…

Don: Last week we determined that forgiveness may be one of the core pillars of community. We discussed the relationship between forgiveness and the “unpardonable sin,” the “blaspheming against the holy spirit” that Jesus talked about in Matthew 12. That question arises because after giving the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6, and again at the…