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Fatal Spelling Errors: Some Thoughts on Gun Violence

Any time there is a shooting of an innocent person or people in this county, we always hear the same talking points. There are those who claim guns are the problem and want to use the emotional momentum to spur on the debate over gun control policies. Then there are those who want to shut down all the discussion and accuse the other side of “politicizing” the tragedy.

After all, “guns don’t kill people.” It’s not a gun problem, it’s a heart problem. (Says the only country in the industrialized world with this level of gun violence.)

One common “argument” I hear, read, and mostly see in memes goes something like this: If guns kill people, then this pencil misspelled the word and this spoon made me fat.

I get it. We want the human responsibility to take front and center. A gun, after all, is just a tool. Well, a weapon actually. Its only function is to harm, maim, or kill. If it’s a tool, then it is a tool made for violence and destruction.

But let’s think about those analogies a little more seriously.

Yes, pencils are not to blame for misspelling words. I’ve misspelled plenty of words just in typing this. I’m thankful for spell check (most of the time). It’s not the pencil’s or the keyboard’s fault. It’s human error and mistakes. If I misspell a word, that’s on me.

Kind of.

See, I was taught how to spell. I was instructed for YEARS on how to spell correctly. And even then I cannot for the life of me spell license right on the first try. Even then, it autocorrected for me.

What if….every time I misspelled a word there were a non-zero chance of someone being fatally wounded? What if I had to spell license correctly (I did it!) or else someone could get injured, necessitating a trip to the ER? If that were the case, then I would hope and pray we would be smart enough not to let someone write anything with a pencil unless they were 100% accurate in their spelling.

If misspelling words had a real world chance of killing people, you know there would be people misspelling words on purpose in order to cause others harm. And so we as a society shouldn’t ban pencils altogether; after all, there are plenty of cases in which they are needed. But we should make absolutely sure no one has a pencil unless they were trained, and then we should keep tabs on those who do have them in order to make sure they aren’t negligent in their handling of the pencils and written words.

And yeah, spoons don’t make you fat. But if there were a legitimate chance you could kill yourself by overeating at a meal, then it would behoove your family to remove all eating utensils unless you were closely monitored.

Yes, I have the 2nd Amendment guaranteeing my right to bear arms in order to keep and maintain a well-regulated militia. But as a Christian I am a citizen of a kingdom whose ideals transcend violence and bloodshed. I follow a teacher who told his followers to put down their weapons. I serve a God who gave us a vision of a future in which weapons of war were smelted, beaten, transformed into tools of creation.

I 100% agree we have a heart problem. But that doesn’t mean we don’t also have a gun problem. It isn’t a corrupt heart that leads police officers to gun down innocent citizens in their homes at night. It isn’t a corrupt heart that leads a child to accidentally shoot himself or a family member.

It is a heart problem that caused Peter to swing a sword in defense of his rabbi. If there is corruption and evil in my heart, the last thing I need in my hand is one of the most violent weapons in human history.

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Is Ignorance Bliss?

The more I learn about cognitive biases and see them in myself and others, the more frustrated I get when others just go on blindly following the faulty “logic” in their brains. How could they NOT KNOW? How could they not WANT to know? It’s hard for me to put myself into the shoes of someone else who doesn’t know what I know.

And that’s called the “curse of knowledge” bias. It’s like once you see something and you can’t unsee it (like a “face” in your favorite chair), but then you show it to someone else and they just can’t see it. They don’t have your perspective, and you can’t see how they can’t see it!

Or like those Magic Eye 3D Images from back in the day? If you looked “through” them, or crossed your eyes, or took your gaze ever so slightly out of focus, a 3D image would suddenly pop out of an otherwise abstract, staticky looking page. But once you see it, you can’t unsee it. And you can’t really remember a time not seeing it, and you get frustrated at other people who just can’t see it.

This bias leads us to judge and look down on others for their ignorance, even though they’ve never been taught. It’s like that teacher in high school who was a math genius but had a hard time actually teaching the basics of Algebra to 13 year olds. And where there is judgment, there is no room for empathy.

But, oh how many times I’ve seen those “Um, actually….” arguments in the comments section. Look, we all appreciate someone who wants to help us learn, but the “curse of knowledge” bias destroys any empathy for those who don’t know what we know even when it’s not their fault. I think we can learn from each other and help each other stay informed, but not when our “conversations” are seasoned with sarcasm, disdain, contempt, and a major superiority complex.

Jesus said that whoever wants to be his disciple must become like a little child. He told us to develop faith like a child. But children don’t know anything! Have you ever spent time around a four year old? They know nothing. But they’re always asking and trying to find out more. Can you imagine being like a little child? Can you imagine having to admit that you don’t know everything and don’t have all the answers?

It’s like Yoda once said, “You must unlearn what you have learned.” We are all children in a way. None of us will ever know all there is to know. We all have different skill sets and knowledge bases. We’ve all been exposed to different forms of education and instruction. You know some things I don’t know, and I might know some things you don’t. So let’s all try to develop empathy for one another and give each other grace.
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For a quick guide to more cognitive biases, I recommend this article from Business Insider: 61 Cognitive Biases that Screw Up Everything We Do
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REVIEW: Re/entry, by Josh Ross

Reentry: How Pain, Roots, and Rhythm Guide Us from Darkness to LightReentry: How Pain, Roots, and Rhythm Guide Us from Darkness to Light by Josh  Ross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I started reading REENTRY, I was preparing for a Wednesday night youth group class series about mental health issues. I wanted to be hope-filled in my approach to teaching these students about the different disorders, symptoms, treatments, etc. Little did I know just how relevant this book would be for the year 2020.

Though it was published in 2017 and prominently features a trip to Barrow, Alaska, that Josh made in 2014, the lessons he learned and shared are more timely now. Everyone is in the same situation. We are currently in the midst of a global pandemic with now clear end in sight. But we know we will get through this. The question is, what do we do once we’re on the other side of this thing?

Josh learned that for the citizens of Barrow, the months of darkness are not the hardest part of the year. The greater challenge is when the sun comes back over the horizon, the light returns, but nothing changes. It’s still as cold and bleak as ever.

For people recovering from addiction or mental illness, for those coming off a spiritual high, for those who have just gone through the valley of the shadow of death, reentry can be more challenging than we realize. Josh learned from the people of Barrow the importance of roots and rhythm.

We need to be firmly established and rooted. For God’s people, those roots should be in the love of God in Christ, the Word of God, and the community of believers. This gives us the firm foundation on which to stand as we get our bearings upon reentry. But we also need rhythm in our lives. Josh points to the rhythm of Jesus’ ministry: solitude, community, ministry, repeat. Most of us have been stuck in the solitude section for months now. We are ready to be back in community. But we also need to use our time of solitude with God and encouragement from the community to propel us into action for God’s kingdom.

This book really has me thinking about what the church is going to look like in the coming months as we reenter society. As our states reopen and people venture out into the world again, what role is the church going to play? What things are worth leaving behind and what is worth bringing with us into the future? How can we help our church members develop the roots and rhythm they need in their own lives?

This is an excellent, relatable, timely book that would be well worth it for anyone involved in church leadership and ministry.

View all my reviews

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I’m Safe Because Reasons

It’s nearly certain that by now (May 13, 2020) you know someone who has contracted COVID-19. You’ve seen the numbers and the statistics. Millions have tested positive, tens of thousands have died – but that all happens to someone else.

The Optimism Bias causes us to believe that even though bad things happen to other people, we are somehow safe or protected from the risk for some reason. Our house would never get hit with a tornado. I’m a safe driver, I would never get into a fatal car accident. My child would never get cancer.

We underestimate the risk we face for certain negative outcomes and therefore fail to prepare or take necessary precautions – like forgetting to buckle up, or neglecting to change the batteries in our smoke detectors, or….not wearing a CDC-recommended face covering while in public during the pandemic.

I am the first to admit that we shouldn’t live our lives in fear of what could or might happen. It can be absolutely crippling to let our worry and anxiety limit our freedom. HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be prepared for negative events to catch us off guard.

Sometimes Christians can be the worst about this. Churches refused to suspend their in-person worship assemblies. Christians ranting and raving about their religious freedoms being trampled by the state due to the stay-at-home orders. I get it. We want to show that our faith is bigger than our fear. But whose responsibility is it if someone gets fatally sick after attending an ill-advised choir practice (like what happened a while back)? We should prepare. We should have plans in place and take the necessary actions to save lives. Just when we think we’re untouchable, that’s when the worst can happen.

“Whoever thinks he stands must take heed lest he fall.” God never promised us a life free from struggle or disaster or tragedy. But we are promised that his presence would go with us into the storm. Faith in God doesn’t make us immune from COVID-19 or cancer or car wrecks. “Drink a little wine for your stomach,” Paul advised a young Timothy who was struggling with digestive issues. Why? Because his ministry couldn’t continue if he didn’t take the necessary precautions.

Sometimes God calls us to lay down our lives for our faith. Sometimes God calls us to protect the weak, the innocent, the oppressed, and those most at risk.

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For a quick guide to more cognitive biases, I recommend this article from Business Insider: 61 Cognitive Biases that Screw Up Everything We Do

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Great Minds Think….Differently

Echo! echo… echo… echo…
That’s exactly what our social media feeds have become. We are living in online, self-made echo chambers. We have the freedom to choose who we see and what voices we listen to. But that’s not always a good thing.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m rarely more satisfied than when I hit that “unfollow” button on Facebook or Twitter. But I intentionally try to remain open to voices that challenge me and think differently than me. Many of the problems I see online stem from the fact that we are just used to everyone thinking and believing the same things we do. So when someone states an opinion or shares an article that we disagree with, we take it upon ourselves to shut down the opposing voices.
If everyone would just think like me, then the world would be much better off!
We read books by authors who think like us. We watch 24hr cable news that we agree with politically. We rid social media feeds of any so-called “friends” who would dare to hold a differing opinion. We believe that we are rational beings, and we think __X___, therefore anyone who disagrees is either ignorant, irrational, or evil.
When we surround ourselves only with voices we already agree with, or when we go searching out information in order to prove our pre-conceived notions, while ignoring any information to the contrary that might challenge our beliefs and opinions – that’s called Confirmation Bias.
I’m not saying we should keep toxic people in our lives. I have unfollowed many people whose posts do nothing but raise my blood pressure and make me think not good thoughts about them. So I would rather just not be exposed to that stuff and preserve the actual relationship. HOWEVER, from a biblical perspective, we must remember a few things.
One of the most famous Proverbs says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” There is no growth without some conflict or resistance. Where two people agree on everything, one of them is unnecessary. We should seek out other voices and perspectives, even if we don’t agree with them. Maybe it will reveal an area in our own lives that we need to change. Maybe it will hone our arguments for why we believe what we believe. At the very least it will help to promote empathy and understanding.
This is exactly what the early church struggled with. Nearly every book in the New Testament deals in some way with bring together groups that varied widely to say the least. Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free men, Roman citizens and non citizens, men and women, merchants and laborers, poor and wealthy. Diversity truly was the strength of the early church. It’s what made the rest of the world take notice and scratch their heads in disbelief. You can’t tell me they always got along and never disagreed about anything. They most certainly did. But in the best cases, those disagreements led to a stronger community as a whole.
As Christians, we should be willing to see any side of an issue and seek to understand and empathize. Exposure to new ideas and differing beliefs is not a bad thing. If all Truth is God’s Truth, then what do we have to fear? Let’s be intentional about getting outside of our echo chambers and fight against our confirmation bias.
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For a quick guide to more cognitive biases, I recommend this article from Business Insider: 61 Cognitive Biases that Screw Up Everything We Do
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Dunning-Kruger: A Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing

Have you heard of cognitive biases?

Everyone has them. If you think you don’t, then that’s called the Blind-Spot Bias.

In some ways we couldn’t function without them. Cognitive biases are kind of like shortcuts in the brain. We take in so much information throughout the day that we have to find a quick, somewhat efficient way to make sense of it all. Add to that the fact that we are highly social beings and we desire almost above everything else to be a part of an “in group.” So we will overlook and ignore some things in order to keep our own personal beliefs and actions in line with the group to which we want to belong.

I would argue that most cognitive biases are not inherently bad, so long as we recognize them and can become more aware of when we are relying on them too heavily. But if we are aren’t self-aware, if we just kind of live on autopilot and let our cognitive biases take too much control, then what starts out as a shortcut can quickly turn into a train wreck.

As a Christian and one who pays attention to the social fabric of our world, I am simply astounded by  the types of cognitive biases I see derailing our lives and conversations, especially online. Let’s try to take a faith-informed look at some of the more common biases so we can become more aware of how they affect our lives and what we can do about it.
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I’M NO EXPERT, BUT…


One of the more interesting cognitive biases is named the Dunning-Kruger Effect. It’s a psychological phenomenon where the less a person knows about a particular subject, the more confident they are in their perceived understanding. In other words, they know just enough about something to be dangerous with it. But if they actually put in the time and effort to thoroughly study a topic, their overall confidence decreases with more knowledge. At some point along the way, as they approach expert status, their confidence slowly climbs back up. The graph looks like this:

If you pay attention to all the different voices coming our way about this pandemic, you will see the Dunning-Kruger Effect in full swing. Those who know just a little bit are often the loudest, most confident, with the most certainty in their statements. But actual experts in the field speak with seemingly more uncertainty. They aren’t as apt to give straight-forward answers, and they readily admit that there are a lot of unknowns. Because here’s the thing about experts – ONLY EXPERTS KNOW WHAT THE UNKNOWNS ARE. And if they really are experts, they will admit where the knowledge base is unclear on any given topic.

Unfortunately, this preys on our bias towards ascribing credibility to those who sound confident in their arguments. Plenty of falsehoods are being spread from loud, confident-sounding novices, and that gets our attention.

As people of faith, we should always be somewhat skeptical of anyone claiming to have all the answers, especially if they are simply trying to out-shout the other voices. Jesus often got into arguments with the religious leaders of his day – men who knew just enough about the Scriptures to be dangerous. There is a level of humility that comes with true knowledge. If anyone thinks they have “arrived” and know all there is to know about a certain topic, then that’s when we must be on our guard.

One of the best examples of this is when Paul went through his conversion. He started off as a know-it-all Pharisee. Then the resurrected Jesus rocked his world and showed him how little he actually knew. This same Paul would go on to write, “I determined to know nothing among you except Christ and him crucified.”

When it comes to the pandemic, health and safety, or even religion, I would rather listen to the humble expert than the overconfident novice.
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For a quick guide to more cognitive biases, I recommend this article from Business Insider: 61 Cognitive Biases that Screw Up Everything We Do

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UNCLEAN! (Or the biblical case for social distancing)

One preacher that has blessed my life from afar is Patrick Mead. Many of you may know him or have heard of him. He is the preaching minister at Fourth Avenue Church of Christ in Franklin, TN. I’ve been listening to his sermon and class recordings for the past several years.

His teaching about the Buick in the Pyramid really stuck with me. He poses a hypothetical situation in which archeologists are uncovering a long lost tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh. They dig and break through into the treasure room, and there among the chests of gold and the intricate statuettes sits a luxury automobile. There’s no way that should be there. There’s no way it could have gotten there, but it’s there. You cannot dispute it. It’s a car in an ancient tomb.

That’s kind of like the book of Leviticus.

Patrick Mead knows far more than I do about science and the human anatomy. He has degrees in that stuff. According to him (and others I’ve heard) reading through Leviticus is like finding a Buick in the Pyramid. There are things that just shouldn’t be there. We read certain laws about cleanliness and disease control that simply don’t make sense unless you understand germ theory and disease transmission – things human scientists wouldn’t know about for literally thousands of years after the writing of Leviticus.

Did you know that touching an animal carcass made you “unclean?” Leviticus did. If an Israelite touched a dead body he would have to wash his body and his clothing and remain “unclean” for the rest of the day. In other words – personal hygiene and social distancing.

Did you know that humans can get diseases from animals? Leviticus did. There are lists of “unclean” animals that they were not allowed to eat. Most of these we know to be carriers of diseases, and if not cooked thoroughly enough can cause major health problems.

Did you know that newborn babies and their mothers are really susceptible to disease and infections? Leviticus did. That’s why new mothers and their babies went into a sort of quarantine for a few weeks after birth. Even today we know this is a good practice just to ensure that everyone stays healthy.

Did you know that the best way to stop the spread of highly infectious diseases without the use of vaccines to quarantine and self-isolation? Leviticus did. That’s why people with leprosy had to leave the camp. That’s why people who were sick with certain diseases had to stay away from other people – and anything they touched would be “unclean,” too. And once the symptoms went away, they couldn’t just go back to life as normal on their own. They had to get the all-clear from a priest.

Did you know that certain types of viruses and bacteria can live on hard surfaces and transmit diseases to a person who touches that contaminated surface? Leviticus did. If an unclean animal fell into a pot or a dish, then it had to be broken and never used again. The bed of a sick person would also be considered unclean. Clothing, bedding, vessels, utensils – these all had to be kept pure and free from contamination by those who were sick.

You can read all about these cleanliness codes and more in Leviticus 11 – 18. The food laws, cleanliness codes, and sexual practices outlined in these chapters were all about keeping the people pure and free from diseases. These sound tedious and boring, but they should really give us pause.

It wasn’t until very recent history that we realized blood-letting was a bad idea. And maybe we shouldn’t toss our poop out onto the street. And maybe doctors shouldn’t dissect cadavers and then immediately deliver babies. And maybe it wasn’t “bad air” that caused respiratory disease. And maybe people should wash their hands with soap and running water frequently and bathe themselves regularly.

If doctors and scientists (and the general public) had understood the reasoning behind the cleanliness codes of Leviticus, many lives throughout the centuries could have been saved (including George Washington).

But we humans have a way of ignoring the experts and listening to our own “gut”/intuition/instincts. I believe God is behind the Bible. I believe God knows what he is talking about. Right there in Leviticus we see the importance of cleanliness, hygiene, and “social distancing” in order to stop the spread of infectious disease.

So when experts (scientists, doctors, researchers, etc.) tell us the same thing that God has told his people for the last few thousand years, I’m inclined to listen and take heed.

Together we can all do our part to slow the spread and resultant loss of life due not only to SARS-CoV-2, but also the flu, the cold, and other illnesses that may hit the most vulnerable members of our communities the hardest.

Remember that it’s right in the middle of all these cleanliness guidelines that God tells us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 18:19). And I think one of the most relevant applications of that Great Command is found in Philippians 2:3-4,

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

I try to live my life with this guiding question: “What does love require of me?” And right now, love requires me to stay home as much as possible, to wash my hands, to keep my distance when I’m out, and to not put myself, my family, or others in a position of unnecessary risk.

May God cleanse our land. May God heal our world. And may we all do what we can do to stop the spread of the virus and instead spread love and hope.

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The Enneagram Strikes Back

One of the first rules about the Enneagram is that you should never tell someone their type. Never try to type other people. Admittedly, that’s a rule that I’m sure all of us have broken at some point, especially early on. However, if we want to try our hand at understanding the different types in context, using fictional characters can be good practice.

So today we’re trying to discover the Enneagram Types of our favorite Star Wars characters.



The Force and the Enneagram have a lot in common. There is a light side, and a dark side. It brings out the best and the worst in people. It takes years to master, requires great patience, and can lead to profound wisdom and insights.

And sometimes it seems like it’s messing with your mind.

So let’s dive right in, shall we?

(And let’s be clear. I could be dead wrong about some of these. If you disagree with me, then I would love to hear what types you think these characters are.)

LUKE SKYWALKER……….Type Six


Sixes are the Loyalists, and Luke is nothing if not loyal. His friends and family mean everything to him. He lays his life on the line for the cause of the Rebellion. Our first meeting with him in A New Hope shows how anxious to leave Tatooine and join his best friend as a pilot for the Rebels. But he is also prone to worst-case scenario thinking, as is common with Sixes. He has to confront his fear in the cave – his greatest fear that he would be pulled to the dark side and become just like Darth Vader. It’s his fear of something terrible happening to Han and Leia that drives him to cut his training with Yoda short. And it’s his fear of leading others astray that causes him to close his Jedi Academy and lead a life as a hermit.

At his best, Luke is a voice of reason and preparedness. He is committed to his friends, family, and cause, but he also lets his fear drive his reckless decisions. And while he is committed to the cause of the rebellion and to becoming a Jedi Knight, he is also distrusting and argumentative in his relationship to his teachers – both Obi Wan and Yoda. We find him playing “devil’s advocate” quite a bit with them, doubting their teachings and methods, thinking he knows better than they do.

In the end, he literally lays down his life for his friends, the ultimate show of loyalty despite his angst, bitterness, and fear.

LEIA ORGANA……….Type Eight


Leia is that classic strong female character. She is brimming with confidence, and remains self-assured even in the face of great threats from Vader and Tarkin. She is not afraid to take charge, and doesn’t want anyone to slow her down. (“Will somebody get this walking carpet out of my way?!”) Leia ends up needing to rescue her rescuers, holds her own in arguments with Han, and isn’t afraid to grab a blaster and head to the front lines of the battle. Her passion for justice and her confrontational fire make her a powerful force in the Galactic Senate and later the prominent General in the Resistance Army.

At her healthiest, she fights for the cause of the underdog and does whatever she can to help whoever she can. She never stopped fighting for her son, even when she was fighting against him. Her relationship with Han was always a little rocky, but even then she never stopped loving him. It’s easy to see why Leia was so beloved by everyone in the Rebellion, the New Republic, and the Resistance – and also by fans around the world.

HAN SOLO……….Type Four


I have a bad feeling about this. I must admit that Han gave me some trouble. He is pretty hard to pin down – which often means Type Four. On the outside we may think he is a headstrong Eight or an adventurous Seven. But I really think he is a Four. I mean, it’s right there in the name – Solo? Individualist? Anyway, Han is a loner that struggles with commitment. But it’s not really that he is always looking for the next adventure. He just never feels like he really belongs. He tried to runaway, and it didn’t work out. He tried joining the Imperial Army, and it didn’t work out. He tried being a smuggler, and it didn’t work out. He tried being a general in the Rebellion and a husband of a Senator, but it didn’t work out. Do you see a pattern?

Han never felt like he fit in with anyone or anything. Fours go to Two in security, putting the needs of others above themselves and looking out for the good of other people. We see this in full display in A New Hope. Han gets his prize money and runs because he doesn’t think he belongs with the Rebellion. But then he comes back, puts his own life on the line, and helps Luke and the Rebels destroy the Death Star. But in stress, Fours go to One. When the poodoo hits the fan, Han immediately goes into fix-it mode. He has to get everything perfectly right. That’s fine when it comes to the Millennium Falcon, not so much when it comes to relationships like with Leia.

Fours have a push and pull approach to relationships a lot of times. They pull you in and then push you away. They let their emotions run the ship, and in Han’s case that ended up driving Leia away. Fours and Eights are a difficult pairing in a relationship. Eights tend to be pretty cut off from their feelings. Fours ARE feelings. Han may try to put on a tough exterior, but he often lets his emotions surface and drive his actions. (“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”) He would rather be on his own perfecting his art – in this case piloting the Falcon.

DARTH VADER / ANAKIN……….Type Eight


Is this any surprise? Anakin let his anger drive him. But anger is often a “secondary emotion.” In other words, anger is the tip of the iceberg, what you see on the surface. Below the surface was immense fear – fear of losing his loved ones (his mom and Padme), fear of being betrayed, fear of missing out on his fullest potential. Yoda was exactly right. Fear leads to anger, and that anger drove Anakin.

The transition to the dark side truly began and came to completion because he felt betrayed by the Jedi. He felt like they were holding out on him, that they were keeping him from achieving his goals. Palpatine played on those feelings of betrayal and manipulated Anakin into letting his anger and hatred take over. But in the ultimate redemption arc in the Star Wars Saga, Vader turns back into Anakin for the final moments of his life, saving his son and defeating the Emperor – an Eight going to Two.

OBI WAN KENOBI……….Type One


Hello there! Obi Wan is arguably the best thing to come out of the prequels. I love his character. Obi Wan is a One, but he is pretty healthy. He likes to play by the rules and do everything by the book. The Jedi Code is everything to him. As he trains Anakin, most of his energy is put into keeping Anakin in line. Obi Wan sees the galaxy in binaries – there is right and wrong, good and bad, the light and the dark side. We often find him telling others what they should and should not do – and he’s very often exactly right.

As he gets older we do see shades of gray bleeding into his black and white thinking. His choice to tell Luke the “truth” about his father “from a certain point of view” does not go over well with Luke. But in the end Obi Wan never varied from his firmly held beliefs. He is a model of integrity no matter the cost.

EMPEROR PALPATINE……….Type Three


Success, winning, power, fame, notoriety – these are the only things Palpatine cares about. He has that win-at-all-costs mentality. The ends justify the means for him. He has to be the best. He has to get things done. It doesn’t matter if he cuts corners or cheats his way to the top. Palpatine was only successful because he could easily become whoever he needed to be in the moment for whatever group he was trying to win over. He wore so many masks and wore them so well that no one could really see though his disguise.

CHEWBACCA……….Type Two


Always there to help and lend a large, furry hand, Chewy is the classic Two sidekick. He is loyally devoted to Han (because of a whole life-debt thing that we don’t have time to get into). But he is also there to help Luke and Leia and Lando and C-3PO and Rey…. He is faithful, reliable, always willing to help, and not afraid to rip someone’s arms off to protect those he loves.

REY……….Type Five


Rey got a lot of pushback online for being a “Mary Sue” – a character who is overly skilled and good at too many things. But really, I think of her as a Five. Fives are often knowledgable about a lot of different subjects because they like to investigate and research. So as a Five, it would make sense for her to know about scavenging for parts and piloting ships and rewiring electrical systems. And it would make sense how she was able to hone her force abilities so quickly. Once she takes interest in a subject, she goes very deep very quickly. She took the ancient Jedi books – and read them! Not even Luke did that.

Rey is comfortable being alone and finds her “fortress of solitude” wherever she is. And while she may be accustomed to solitude, she is also not afraid to fight for what she believes in – Fives go to Eight in security and begin to use their “powers” for the good of others, especially the underdogs.

KYLO REN / BEN SOLO……….Type Three


Ben Solo had drive and ambition. He wanted to live into his full potential and be the best. He thought the Dark Side could help get him there. When he realized that Luke wouldn’t help him achieve his goals, he left. For unhealthy Threes, relationship last only as long as they are useful. Threes care about what they can get out of any particular relationship. Kylo Ren used Luke, he used Rey, he used his Dad, he even used the long-dead persona of his grandfather – all in order to get what he wanted. Only in the end was he able to set aside his own personal goals and join in with a cause that was bigger than himself. Then he was able to leave the masks behind and become fully and truly himself, not just the persona he wanted others to see.

POE DAMERON……….Type Six (Counter-Phobic)


Poe is extremely loyal and devoted to the cause of the Resistance, but he is inherently distrustful of leadership. This is most clearly seen in The Last Jedi. He is so devoted to Leia that he couldn’t stand it when General Holdo took charge. In his unhealthy state, Poe tends to fall into the darker side of Three, wanting to be a hotshot flyboy, showing off and taking unnecessary risks. But in health, like when Leia put him in charge, he went to Nine and brought everyone together around a common goal.

FINN……….Type Two


Finn is also a classic Two sidekick like Chewbacca. He is always willing to help out when needed. He is fiercely devoted to Rey as a friend. At his best he is willing to stand up and fight for what he believes in. But at his worst (Twos go to Four in stress), he tries to sneak his way out of the conflict.

Ok, let’s rapid fire through a few others:


YODA…………………..Type Nine
PADME………………..Type Three (?)
LANDO………………..Type Seven
QUI GON JINN……Type Five
C-3PO………………….Type One
R2D2……………………Type Seven
JAR JAR BINKS……..Type ??

So what do you think? Do you disagree? Did I miss anyone that you want to know about? Let’s discuss.

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Easter and the Enneagram

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the heart of the good news, i.e. the Gospel, of what God is doing in the world. Christianity centers on the resurrection, new life, the fact that death doesn’t get the final word.

I’ve heard it said, and I wholeheartedly agree, that the Gospel isn’t good news unless it’s good news for everyone. I believe that it is. I believe everyone can find hope, love, forgiveness, belonging, and transformation at the foot of the cross and at the door to the empty tomb. It is good news for everyone! So let’s take a look at how the resurrection is good news for each type on the Enneagram.

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Type Ones, The Perfectionists/Reformers

Good news: There was only perfect person – and he’s not you – and we killed him for it. The empty tomb tells us that we don’t have to be perfect to be loved and accepted. We don’t have to make everything just right in order to enjoy God’s blessing. We don’t have to earn God’s grace – we already have it.

Ones often see the world in binaries – black and white, good and bad, perfect and imperfect. The cross introduces the gray – the only perfect man didn’t make everything right in the way we would expect him to. He was the best that humanity could be, and he died because of it. And if the cross introduces the gray, then the empty tomb introduces the color. The story of God is so much bigger than right and wrong, dos and don’ts, thou shalts and thou shalt nots. Our imperfections are what make us human. We cannot become perfect on our own. We can never be good enough. But God has done all the work for us in setting the world to rights. Because of the resurrection, we get to be a part of bringing God’s good and perfect will into reality on earth around us. We can forgive ourselves and show mercy to others.

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Type Twos, The Helpers

Good news: Your needs matter. Your emotions and feelings matter. Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection from the tomb validates the full range of human emotion and experience, including our own insufficiencies and needs. I think of the words the crowd yelled out, “He saved others. Let him save himself!” Twos probably feel that in their souls. But Jesus shows us there are times when we must rely on God alone.

Twos have a deep need to be needed. They thrive when others depend on them. This can become a really unhealthy dynamic in relationships if we aren’t careful. When we seek our validation by pleasing people and only feel as valued as our own ability to contribute and take care of people, then we often forget about ourselves. The resurrection reminds us that we are not God. God alone is to be relied upon for our greatest needs. The cross and resurrection lead us to surrender our need to be needed. We are forced instead to shift our focus on simply being in the presence of God. I’m reminded of the story of Mary and Martha (a classic Two). Jesus and the disciples were at their house. Martha got upset that Mary, her sister, was abandoning her in the kitchen and sitting at the feet of Jesus with the other disciples. Jesus rocks Martha’s world by affirming the choice Mary had made. Simply being in the presence of God is enough. God doesn’t need anything from us. He needs us. Rest a while in his presence.

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Type Threes, The Performers/Achievers

Good news: You are loved for who you are, not for what you do or accomplish. The resurrection shows us that what may look like failure to the world can ultimately be used by God for great purposes. The cross allows us to die to the world’s definition of success. By all worldly measures Jesus was yet another failed Messiah. He had failed in his mission to overthrow Rome and assume the throne in Jerusalem. But what looked like failure was ultimately the greatest victory that could have been won.

Threes fear failure and have a strong desire to be (or appear to be) successful. They can be whoever they need to be in the moment to get the job done. Productivity and achievement are the whole ballgame. The cross allows us the freedom of downward mobility. Jesus is our greatest example of what it means to empty oneself of all privileges, distinctions, and honors. He hung out with the outcasts. He associated with the lowly. He bucked the traditional definitions of success, and became a servant of all. There is great freedom for Threes in downward mobility, learning how to lose and “fail.” The grave teaches Threes how to wait and sit without working or doing, simply being. And the resurrection shows us that the greatest success and victory isn’t won by our own volition, but in relying upon God to turn our failures into something beautiful.

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Type Fours, The Romantics/Individualists

Good news: You are not broken. You are not a misfit. You are a beloved child of God, uniquely gifted and wonderfully made. Fours are very comfortable with melancholy. They resonate with the description of the “Suffering Servant” as a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” The sorrow and bitter emotions of the cross may be where Fours are tempted to stay. There is a time and place for that “dark night of the soul.”

But there must also be resurrection. If we aren’t careful we can retreat so far into ourselves that we shut out the world. We get too comfortable with the darkness and seclusion. We mistrust the world while still wanting to be an accepted part of it. When Jesus was resurrected, he didn’t just become like everyone else. In fact, people didn’t recognize him at first. There was something uniquely different about the resurrected Christ. When we come out of that dark, sorrowful solitude of the grave into resurrection, we can fully embrace what makes us different and unrecognizable to so many. We can truly be who God created us to be, with all our flaws, quirks, idiosyncrasies, and imperfections. Let the life-giving Spirit of God fill that longing emptiness within you. Step out of that tomb into a new, fresh day.

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Type Fives, The Observers/Investigators

Good news: You are competent and capable. You are safe. Relationships take risks, but they are well worth it. Fives, more than just about any other type, tend to close themselves off in relationships. They aren’t very in tune with their emotions or those of others. They can feel intimidated by feelings and vulnerability. They tend to be more at home in the realm of academics, knowledge, and expertise. They like to know something about everything and everything about something. They tend to be more analytical and “logical” in their processing, because there is safety and security in knowledge.

The cross can be detrimental to a Five, because the cross reminds us that the world does not work in a logical, systematic way. The innocent man was executed while the rightfully convicted man goes free. The cross of Christ is illogical. How much more so the resurrection! People don’t rise from the dead. The tendency of a Five may be to go in search of empirical evidence for the resurrection. But it’s not something that can be scientifically proven or historically validated beyond a reasonable doubt. Easter Sunday calls all of us, and especially Fives, to take that scary leap of faith into the unknown. Will you follow Christ to the cross? Will you sit with him in the tomb? Will you place everything on the line for the hope of resurrection? The good news for Fives is that there are some things that defy explanation or logic. But we can gain experiential knowledge of Christ by participating with him in his death, burial, and resurrection as we follow him.

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Type Sixes, The Loyalists

Good news: You are safe. There is nothing left to fear. You may be focused on the worst-case-scenarios. But guess what! The worst thing imaginable has already happened. Christ has been crucified. But there is life on the other side. You may try to prepare for the worst that life has to throw at you, but you can never be fully prepared for the unexpected tragic events. Fear is the enemy of faith. Throughout his ministry Jesus chastised his disciples for living in fear rather than living by faith. That’s the choice we all have to make. The resurrection of Christ shows us that we have nothing left to fear.

FDR famously said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” But what are we do afraid of? Death. Pain. Suffering. Losing loved ones. Living in need. Sickness. Demons and forces of evil. Natural disaster. We probably have a list a mile long. But the death and resurrection blows all those fears out of the water. When we participate with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection, we know that we have already died. The worst-case-scenario has, in a way, already happened. We know that if Christ has been raised then we also will be raised to live with him. And nothing that we fear in all creation will separate us from the most important thing – the love of God in Christ Jesus. Fear and death have been conquered. Christ is victorious.

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Type Sevens, The Enthusiasts

Good news: You can stop running. Sevens are a ton of fun to be around. They are often extroverted, the life of the party, with tons of stories to tell. They are always looking forward to the next big adventure. But there is a reason they are always moving onto the next thing. Sevens have a deep need to avoid pain. They are afraid that if they stay in one place, one situation, one job, one relationship, etc. too long then they will have to wrestle with the pain of their past.

The cross and the tomb force Sevens to sit with their pain, to be still and reflect on the darkness and brokenness of life. Particularly in this time of lock-down and quarantine, Sevens are probably going crazy. We aren’t able to go and do and plan and have adventures. We are forced into stillness. The resurrection tells us that true life only comes through the pain. There cannot be life without death. There cannot be joy without pain. There cannot be celebration of Easter without the devastation of Good Friday. Life is worth living and savoring – even the boring, the uncomfortable, the mundane. and the painful.

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Type Eights, The Challengers/Enforcers

Good news: God will never leave you or betray you, even in death. You don’t have to fight anymore. You don’t have to take charge. You don’t have to be right about everything. I’m reminded of the story of Exodus when God tells the people of Israel, “You need only to be still. I will fight for you.”

Eights fear being betrayed and appearing weak or vulnerable. For Eights, all those fears are realized in the cross. Jesus was made to be weak. He was beaten and mocked. He was too weak to carry his cross. He was stripped naked and lifted up on the cross for all to see and judge. And after it all, Jesus cried out the words from Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Weak, vulnerable, and forsaken. But the resurrection shows us that God can take our weakness and turn it into strength. Even though Jesus felt betrayed, he never really was. God may not be there for us in the way he wanted or needed, but God was there when he needed him. God allowed Jesus to go through the worst humanity had to offer, but resurrection awaited. When we are weak, then we are strong. When we are vulnerable, then we are most able to let down our guards, tear down our walls, and let people see the real us.

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Type Nines, The Peacemakers

Good news: You matter. You are valued. Your presence is noticed and matters. Nines are able to see all sides and all perspectives. That can be useful tool, but it can also be disorienting. Nines can lose the ability to differentiate themselves and their opinions from those of others. When faced with potential conflict, many Nines would rather fade into the background than to face it head on.

In the cross we see the greatest Peacemaker face down the greatest conflict of all time – the conflict between the evil ways of the world and the good and true way of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus did not shy away from the confrontation he faced. He knew that true peace could only come from enduring the pain of the cross. He came to bring peace, but it was not in the way the world brings “peace.” The world brings peace by taking lives. Jesus brought peace by giving up his life. The conflict came to a head at the cross, and the victory was won through his death. He laid everything on the line. When we wake up to the injustices in the world and the battle worth fighting, then we can truly work for the things that bring peace. Peace is not necessarily the absence of conflict. True peace comes from those who are willing to lay down their lives in the effort. These peacemakers will be called Children of God. And if we share in a death like his, we know that we will also share in a resurrection like his.

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So what do you think? If you know your Enneagram type, what is something you learn from the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus?

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AM I OK? // Loss and Grief

So, how is everybody doing?

Let’s practice those self-check questions:

  • Have you been sleeping well?
  • How has your diet been?
  • Have you been active and having any fun lately?
  • Have you connected some way with people who love you?
  • Have you spent time connecting with God lately?
Think about what we’ve been saying. You cannot love others fully unless you are also loving and taking care of yourself. Right now we have an opportunity to practice self-care for the sake of others. Staying home and keeping your distance from other people is one of the most loving things you can do right now.
But let’s be honest. It’s really hard. This has been a really difficult week for most of us.
In our series on mental health, I was going to spend this week discussing the stress and anxiety of life caused by busyness, demands, and pressures of life. But now all that is gone. We went from 60 to Zero in no time flat. We’re all suffering from a kind of social whiplash. What a difference one week can make!
So instead of talking about busyness and stress, we thought it appropriate to talk a bit about Loss and Grief.
We are all going through loss right now. Every one of us has lost something. And globally we are mourning the disruption to daily life.
When we lose a loved one or go through a breakup or lose a job, that loss rocks our world. We don’t know how we’re going to carry on. Daily tasks feel impossible. Life as you know it will never be the same.
That’s called grief. And we are all feeling it right now. Concerts and events have been cancelled. The school semester might not even happen. Sports seasons are cancelled. Championships, tournaments, plays, vacations – gone. Every single one of us has something we were looking forward to that is either not happening or won’t happen for a long time. We can’t make plans because the future is so uncertain. We can’t go anywhere because everything is closed.
It’s hard to have hope.
It’s hard to be ok.
And that’s ok.
As I’ve said many times, your “now” is not your “forever.”
But in the meantime, it’s ok to grieve the loss of all the things you love, enjoy doing, and were looking forward to. Here’s what that might look like.
Maybe you’ve heard of the five stages of grief. You may not experience all five. You may not experience them in any certain order. You may experience the same stage more than once. But this probably explains a lot about what you may be feeling right now.
1. Denial & Isolation
“Denial is a common defense mechanism that buffers the immediate shock of the loss, numbing us to our emotions. We block out the words and hide from the facts. We start to believe that life is meaningless, and nothing is of any value any longer. For most people experiencing grief, this stage is a temporary response that carries us through the first wave of pain.”
Maybe you’ve thought it’s really not that bad. Maybe you’re trying to be cautiously optimistic (or naively optimistic) and doubting the truth behind the news reports. That’s ok for a while, but there comes a time when we need to be realistic about what’s happening so we can face reality in a healthy way.
2. Anger
“As the masking effects of denial and isolation begin to wear, reality and its pain re-emerge. We are not ready. The intense emotion is deflected from our vulnerable core, redirected and expressed instead as anger. The anger may be aimed at inanimate objects, complete strangers, friends or family.”
I know I’ve found myself overly irritable lately. I let little things bother me more than they usually do, and I end up lashing out at the ones I love the most. I’m angry that schools are closed and concerts have been cancelled. I’m mad that I can’t get outside because it’s cold and rainy. Anger is a natural human emotion, and it’s ok to feel anger. But we must remember that no one person is the cause of our anger and no one deserves to be treated badly because of our bad mood. (Talking to myself on this one!)

3. Bargaining
“The normal reaction to feelings of helplessness and vulnerability is often a need to regain control through a series of “If only” statements, such as:
  • If only we had sought medical attention sooner…
  • If only we got a second opinion from another doctor…
  • If only we had tried to be a better person toward them…
This is an attempt to bargain. Secretly, we may make a deal with God or our higher power in an attempt to postpone the inevitable, and the accompanying pain. This is a weaker line of defense to protect us from the painful reality.”
I see a lot of blame being thrown around. We can’t play the blame game anymore. The virus is here. This is happening. And it’s up to us to deal with it in the best way we can. However, bargaining can be particularly dangerous for Christians. We may be tempted to bargain with God. By all means – pray! Pray that God will bring healing to our country and the world. Pray that God will intervene to slow and stop the spread of the virus. But don’t bargain with him. Don’t try to make deals with God. Don’t “put the Lord your God to the test” as Jesus said.
Let’s take a page from the book of Daniel. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were facing their deaths. The knew that God was able to deliver them. But even if he didn’t….they wouldn’t bow to the king’s idol. God is able, but even if he doesn’t… Let that be our prayer.
4. Depression
“There are two types of depression that are associated with mourning. The first one is a reaction to practical implications relating to the loss. Sadness and regret predominate this type of depression. We worry about the costs and burial. We worry that, in our grief, we have spent less time with others that depend on us. This phase may be eased by simple clarification and reassurance. We may need a bit of helpful cooperation and a few kind words.

“The second type of depression is more subtle and, in a sense, perhaps more private. It is our quiet preparation to separate and to bid our loved one farewell. Sometimes all we really need is a hug.”
It’s ok to be sad. It’s ok to cry. If you need a hug, ask for one. One of the hardest parts about this time is the need for social isolation and distancing. We are being told to stay away from each other. And that’s good advice for slowing the spread of the disease, but it’s really terrible for our mental and emotional health. Not only are we mourning the loss of all our favorite things, we can’t even really be around our friends to talk about it. Reach out. Be sure to keep those connections alive as much as possible. Hug your parents. Hug your siblings. Do things together. Talk through your grief together.
5. Acceptance
“Reaching this stage of grieving is a gift not afforded to everyone. Death may be sudden and unexpected or we may never see beyond our anger or denial. It is not necessarily a mark of bravery to resist the inevitable and to deny ourselves the opportunity to make our peace. This phase is marked by withdrawal and calm. This is not a period of happiness and must be distinguished from depression.”
You may hear the phrase “new normal” quite a bit. And that’s true. This will be our “normal” for a while. But again – your “now” is not your “forever.” We will eventually come to accept the changes of life for the time being, and we will settle into a routine. We will reach equilibrium, but it will take time. We will probably bounce back and forth between denial, anger, bargaining, and depression like a pinball some days. And that’s ok. Just keep doing the next right thing.
Wilderness
There is the concept of “wilderness” all throughout Scripture. The wilderness is a place of loneliness, isolation, threat, uncertainty, survival, testing, and more. Nobody wants to go through the wilderness – physical or metaphorical. But that’s where we find ourselves. The wilderness can be really hard and challenging. But it can also be a time of reconnecting and reforging. When we disconnect from the rest of the world, when our schedules are cleared out, when we have nothing but time on our hands, that’s when we can hear God speak.
God may be trying to get your attention during this wilderness experience. He may be trying to tell you that you take your grades way too seriously. He may be trying to tell you that you are working too many hours. He may be trying to tell you that you say “yes” to too many things. He may be trying to tell you that your sport isn’t as important as you think. He may be trying to tell you to spend more time with your family.
I am in no way implying that God caused this virus. I don’t think God often causes people to experience the wilderness. But God can and does use wilderness experiences to reach out and reconnect with his people. It can be a time of transformation and reevaluation.
Nobody knows what comes next. The future is uncertain. But we know that God’s got this.
Peace, perfect peace
Our future all unknown
Jesus we know
And he is on his throne