I don’t know how many Christians live in Seattle, but most days it feels like there are roughly fourteen of us. On Christmas and Easter, that number can surge to maybe thirty-seven … thirty-eight max.

I’m not a very impressive Christian. I find some people hard to love. I drop f-bombs under duress. I can beat anyone, with the exception of my friend, Robin, in a Mike’s Hard Lemonade chugging contest. Once, when my daughter was two years old and she wouldn’t get in the car and we were late for summer camp at our church (where I was teaching her class), I yelled, “Get in the f-word-ing car NOW!” #ShiningJesus’Love

My faith is the most important part of who I am, but that doesn’t mean it’s always so strong. Because many close friends and relatives don’t share my faith, I frequently find myself questioning and wondering. Doubting too.

There’s quite a lot to question and doubt. Jonah inside the big fish. The virgin birth. The empty tomb. The Garden of Eden. If the Bible didn’t contain so many outrageous stories (and if Christians loved more often than they judged), church pews everywhere might be a little fuller.

But faith requires a big leap. Faith wouldn’t be faith if there were proof.  [Read more…]