Jesus first gained fame as a healer and wonder-worker. If making the blind see and the lame walk weren’t enough, surely the reputation of turning water into wine or feeding thousands would be enough to make anyone popular. But the real purpose of miracles seems to have been to draw crowds and make them more…
All posts by Jay Nelson
About Jay Nelson
An independent Christian hermit, Jay is a writer, historian, mystic and artist.
God in the Machine
It is doubtless a sign of these apocalyptic times that Artificial Intelligence is being applied to everything — including religion. While many fascinating potential uses come to mind, ranging from novel translations to seeking hidden codes, the immediate applications seem directed at replacing actual clergy in counseling and consoling. There are several very good reasons…
For God, There’s Always Plan B
Does God have regrets? Does he ever change his mind? Has he ever wished he had not done something? Has he ever had to improvise something on the fly? Has he ever needed a good friend to talk him out of a bad idea when something didn’t go right? Most Christians today and throughout most…
The Fate of the Sons of Thunder
Jesus called two of his first disciples, the fishing brothers James and John, “Boanerges” which supposedly means “Sons of Thunder”. Why is not sure, but it’s thought that they earned it with their impetuosity, zeal, and general loudness. We all know, or have, brothers like that. Perhaps, along with “Rocky”, that is, Peter, they may…
Nero, his Frog, and the Pope
The Roman emperor Nero was not well-liked, but he was greatly feared. He was, after all, the original Antichrist, as the numbers associated with the letters of his name in Greek add up to 666. Even after his death, it was widely believed that he would somehow return. So weird legends grew up around his…