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In Pursuit of the Sublime Michael Jinkins It took years to find the right word for what I felt when, one fall morning, walking our children to school in Aberdeen, I passed by a garden in which there were small flowers of the most intense deep blues I had ever seen. The feeling they evoked […]
Love and Truth Michael Jinkins The prophets of Israel, the great Abraham Heschel, once indicated, suffered an exquisite divine pathos. He wrote: ‘The emotional experience of the prophet becomes the focal point of the prophet’s understanding of God. He lives not only his personal life, but also the life of God. The prophet hears […]
The Devil’s Theology Michael Jinkins On Reformation Heritage Sunday I preached a sermon in which I referred to one variety of what I call the Devil’s Theology. If I might define that term, I would say that the Devil’s Theology is any use of religious beliefs to provoke or justify the destruction of any […]
The Unkindest Cut Michael Jinkins Kindness has taken a beating in recent years. It’s never had an easy time of it, but the past several years have been especially brutal. Lately I suppose kindness has a tough time of it, in part, because it chooses not to wear any armor plating at all. It […]
Re-Enchantment Michael Jinkins My grandchildren are all young enough to live in an enchanted world. Our back garden on Saint Simons Island is inhabited by faeries. This is an established fact. My grandchildren have empirical evidence for this fact. When Grace or Clara or Anderson visit, they know that if they leave a gift […]
What Children Should Be Taught Michael Jinkins Debbie was in a Michael’s store recently, appropriately masked and adhering to social distance guidelines. She was checking out at the register. The checker noticed a number of craft items that looked like something a teacher would buy. She asked Debbie if she was a teacher. Debbie […]
The Truth Will Set Us Free Michael Jinkins There seems to be an assumption out there among some folks in our society that if you critique something then you must not love it. I don’t even know how to respond to this idea. Maybe the reason I don’t know how to respond to it […]
The World’s Unbearable Beauty Michael Jinkins I find myself looking up at the sky more these days. I’m lucky. I live in two places that have the most amazing skies, New Orleans and Saint Simons Island. And even in the midst of these pandemic days, both are open for business 24/7. Tennessee Williams once […]
Restless Michael Jinkins I’ve recently fallen into the habit of restlessness. This is not a good habit. The last time I recall being conscious of feeling restless was a couple of years ago, but I recognized the feeling immediately when I realized it was happening again. The time before was when I lived at […]
Ordinary Things Michael Jinkins There is extraordinary beauty in ordinary things. The trick is noticing them. Poet Mary Oliver, in an interview with Krista Tippett, once said, “Attention is the beginning of devotion.” True, but I’m not sure the word “devotion” translates well in today’s culture. Maybe better “awe,” or “wonder,” or “reverence.” In which […]