History, literature, and the present day are filled with characters pursuing happiness or, as Aristotle calls it, a life of “eudaimonia.” But how does one achieve this ideal life? Each of us have our own values and thoughts that drive our actions regarding this question. Philosophies and worldviews similarly have values that create answers to […]
Don’t Pray for Humility (unless you have nothing to lose)
Sometimes I wish I had never prayed for humility. Humility is the virtue I forgot. Growing up a cradle Catholic, I knew I made mistakes. I knew I didn’t pray enough, and that I shouldn’t have been rude to my little brother or made a joke about my teacher behind her back. Regardless, I believed […]
Finding Meaning in a Mysterious World: A Guide to Following the Religious Sense
Why are we here? Does my life have a purpose? Is my existence an accident? These questions have haunted the human consciousness since there was such a thing as the human consciousness. The desire to make, find, or otherwise access meaning in our existence is in many ways innate to human psychology. Whether or not […]
Unconditional Grace: How Humanly Forgiveness Reveals God’s Grace
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you -Ephesians 4:32 Forgiveness is difficult for everyone involved. Anger, disappointment, hurt and resentment strain the forgiver’s ability to move past committed wrongs. Those forgiven, knowing they caused the forgiver anger and hurt, feel guilty and undeserving. Furthermore, when […]
Behind the Fogged Door: On Mental Illness vs. Sin
Imagine that you arrive at a friend’s house. The two of you are about to leave for dinner. He or she is running late but opens the door and invites you inside. You walk around and make yourself at home. You have been here many times before and casually observe the professionally taken family photos, […]
Love and Sorrow: A Look at Twenty One Pilots’ Tear in My Heart
“Sometimes you gotta bleed to know, that you’re alive and have a soul.” 1 Rolling Stones calls Twenty-One Pilots “one of the hardest acts to categorize in recent memory.” The Columbus, Ohio based musical duo consists of 27-year-old frontman Tyler Joseph and his best friend, drummer Josh Dun. Joseph himself has acknowledged their strangeness; “It’s […]