Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical

2022-04-15T09:38:49-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Good Friday and Good Pain

Last updated on: April 15, 2022 at 9:38 am By Paul Louis Metzger

Today is Good Friday, which recounts Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. I cannot imagine the depths of pain Jesus experienced. Nor can I really comprehend the pain many people throughout the world experience today, including the pain my family and I endure. I have been thinking a lot about pain the past several days in view of Jesus’ passion on Good Friday and my son Christopher’s ongoing suffering resulting from his traumatic brain injury. It has led me... Read more

Uncategorized

2022-04-10T11:57:17-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Longing with Lament and TBI: Holy Week and Beyond

Last updated on: April 10, 2022 at 11:57 am By Paul Louis Metzger

Longing with lament marks so much of life. Take for example the Christian story. Today is Palm Sunday, which marks Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem as the long-awaited king and deliverer (See Matthew 21). The people welcomed him with shouts of joy. By Friday, he would be dead. They sensed such longing for peace and freedom, but the fulfilment of their hopes was dashed or delayed. It’s a comfort to know the story does not end there. According to the... Read more

Uncategorized

2022-04-03T09:24:21-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Hit the Pause Button: On Feeding Conflicts

Last updated on: April 3, 2022 at 9:24 am By Paul Louis Metzger

It is important to hit the pause button at key times when addressing conflicts. In stressful situations involving tensions with others, we need to pause, collect ourselves, and readjust in the attempt to address the conflict appropriately. Esteemed psychiatrist and concentration camp survivor Viktor Frankl wrote: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” Hitting the pause button is fostering the... Read more

Uncategorized

2022-04-02T19:59:19-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

EEG’s, Abnormalities, and ‘Uneventful’ Days and Nights

Last updated on: April 2, 2022 at 7:59 pm By Paul Louis Metzger

I accompanied my son Christopher and his medical transport to the hospital this past Wednesday for an EEG. What is an EEG? I’m glad you asked. John Hopkins Medicine defines an EEG as follows: An EEG is a test that detects abnormalities in your brain waves, or in the electrical activity of your brain. During the procedure, electrodes consisting of small metal discs with thin wires are pasted onto your scalp. The electrodes detect tiny electrical charges that result from... Read more

Uncategorized

2022-03-19T11:00:13-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Audition: Flourishing in Life

Last updated on: March 19, 2022 at 11:00 am By Paul Louis Metzger

I was away for several days this past week due to speaking at a faith and science conference. My paper focused on traumatic brain injuries, neuroplasticity, and human flourishing. The conference was hosted by Pentecostal Theological Seminary in Cleveland, Tennessee as part of a grant initiative the seminary is doing through the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s DoSER program titled “Science for Seminaries.” Theologians and scientists came together to make it an extremely meaningful event. In all my... Read more

Uncategorized

2022-03-12T09:51:52-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Hope Springs Eternal with Every Day and Year

Last updated on: March 12, 2022 at 9:51 am By Paul Louis Metzger

I turned another year younger on my birthday this past Wednesday. Like my father before me, I have a unique way of doing mathematical equations and scientific experiments. Call it the ageless theory of relativity. Such ‘creative’ mathematical and scientific explorations with my ‘time machine’ come in handy when life wears you down. All too often, I feel like my son’s traumatic brain injury in January 2021 and its aftermath in the ensuing months have put years on my life.... Read more

Uncategorized

2022-03-10T08:23:23-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

How Many Angels Can Dance on Pins and Needles?

Last updated on: March 10, 2022 at 8:23 am By Paul Louis Metzger

People associate us who are theologians with asking irrelevant questions like “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” Honestly, I have no idea what the ‘correct’ answer is. In fact, I’ve never asked that irrelevant question, though I may have asked similar ones. That said, there was nothing irrelevant about the question I asked myself in preparing for a neurology visit today. It’s been more than a year since the incident—what happens if the neurologist shares... Read more

Uncategorized

2022-03-06T10:20:45-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

There’s No Expiration Date on the Inspiration to Live

Last updated on: March 6, 2022 at 10:20 am By Paul Louis Metzger

The inspiration to live never gets old. There’s no expiration date on the inspiration to live, no matter how much perspiration. Our son Christopher is battling to recover from his traumatic brain injury that he suffered over a year ago. He’s an inspiration to me. There’s no getting around the fact that Christopher has a very long way to go in pursuit of what he might consider meaningful recovery. But one neurologist told us on two separate occasions that he... Read more

Uncategorized

2022-03-05T08:54:27-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Wait Pray Hope: Life with TBI

Last updated on: March 5, 2022 at 8:54 am By Paul Louis Metzger

Many years ago, I watched the movie Eat Pray Love. It stars Julia Roberts. I thought about the title this morning, as I was reflecting on our experience with Christopher and his traumatic brain injury. As I recall, the movie and the book from which it hails is about a woman’s journey and quest for meaning and purpose in life following a divorce. Like a divorce, a tragedy involving a child can be devastating to a family’s wellbeing. By the... Read more

Uncategorized

2022-02-21T06:13:27-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

On Divine Call: Personal Jesus

Last updated on: February 21, 2022 at 6:13 am By Paul Louis Metzger

Last night, the nurse stopped by Christopher’s room to tell me that Christopher intentionally hit the call light button during the day. The call light went on twice. The nurse was in the hallway the first time it happened. He wondered out loud to the CNA how that could be. After all, Christopher has largely been stationary since his traumatic brain injury in January of last year. Curious to find out what had happened, the nurse went into Christopher’s room... Read more

Uncategorized

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Shalom" mean in Hebrew?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Peace Love Joy Blessing

Books by This Author Books by Paul Louis Metzger

See All Titles »

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Evangelical