Baptists have a hard time grasping how God might be God not only to a believer but also to his children. But a human analogy is readily at hand: Suppose I have a faithful friend who has helped me out of various difficulties, protected me when I was under threat, defended me against slanders, lent money and assistance when I needed it. Now, what is that friend’s attitude going to be toward my children? Suppose my son gets into financial difficulty and I am unable to help him. Can I reasonably expect my old friend to assist my son? Of course. That’s what friends do.
God shows His lovingkindness from generation to generation because he is a “family friend.”
Notes on Anosmia
One morning several years ago, as my wife, Wendy, and I were having breakfast together, I had…
Empire of Unreality
Shiva Naipaul (1945–1985) was the author of three novels and two books of mordant dispatches from places…
The Dreadful Christ of Pär Lagerkvist
It’s dangerous to meet a god,” says the disgraced Pythia in Pär Lagerkvist’s The Sibyl. Her observation…