Whenever I speak about Jesus as the Prince of Peace, enemy-love, or the nonviolent way of Christ, eventually someone reaches for the same story: “But Jesus made a whip and cleared the Temple.” It is often treated as the great exception — as though Jesus taught us to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, turn the other cheek, put away the sword, and overcome evil with good… but then, for one afternoon in Jerusalem, became somebody else. As though the Prince of Peace temporarily became...

“One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.” Like millions of others, I have always loved Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. At the center of his epic is a single object that promises absolute power. The Ring claims authority over every other ring, every kingdom, every ruler. Everything else is brought under its influence. Of course, Tolkien’s Ring is a picture of domination. It rules by fear. It corrupts everyone who grasps for...

Man-made religion often thrives where we have learned religious vocabulary but forgotten the heart of God. Religion tells us repentance means, “Try harder to stop sinning,” so we become preoccupied with our failures. Religion tells us confession means, “Continually rehearse everything wrong with you,” so we spend our lives reviewing what Christ has already forgiven. Religion tells us holiness means, “Stay away from sinners and protect yourself from the world,” so we withdraw from the very...