What We Read This Week

Each week, we bring you interesting stories from around the web. Here’s what caught our eye this week!

CULTURE

It’s Time for More Christians to Address Gun Violence

From Relevant Magazine

WORLD

I’m a Climate Scientist that Believes in God

I’m a climate scientist. I’m also an evangelical Christian. And I’m Canadian, which is why it took me so long to realize the first two things were supposed to be entirely incompatible. I grew up in a Christian family with a science-teacher dad who taught us that science is the study of God’s creation. If we truly believe that God created this amazing universe, bringing matter and energy to life out of a formless empty void of nothing, then how could studying his creation ever be in conflict with his written word? Read Full Article

From New York Times

LIFE

Fr. Chris Alar on Finding Hope After a Loved One’s Suicide

In 1993, Chris’ grandmother died by suicide. The family’s heartbreak was amplified by what they perceived to be the Church’s teaching on suicide. “I had always learned that if you take your own life, it’s damnation,” he says. “And for years our family never talked about it because no one wanted to have the burden of discussing our grandmother who we believed was in hell.” Fr. Chris explains that it wasn’t until he started practicing his faith years later that he learned that this was not the teaching of the Church. Read Full Article

From Busted Halo

JUSTICE

The Difference on Loving and Making Peace

“Blessed are the peace lovers,” for they shall be called righteous — on the right side. They will be known for what they will not do, for being against war, for preferring peace, for not fighting, for staying out of conflicts.

But that is not what Jesus said. The text in Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” Making peace is not the same as avoiding conflicts. Making peace means moving into conflicts, trying to resolve them, to uncover their causes, to restore relationships, to heal the wounds, to seek a just peace. Peacemaking is conflict resolution. A positive sign I see is how many young people I meet who are being drawn into the vocation of conflict resolution as both a science and an art — based in a way of life — in a lifestyle of non-violence. Read Full Article

From Sojo

FAITH

4 Ways the Modern Church Looks Nothing Like the Early Church

I often hear Christians say that we should be more like the early church. And I must admit, I’ve been one of those Christians. But if we linger on how this would look, I wonder how many of us would rather stay put in our 21st century churches. After all, first century Christians clung to a set of values that differs quite radically from most Christians today. Read Full Article

From Relevant Magazine