My spiritual either/or detector seems to be picking up more activity these days. I can’t help but notice in church hearing various pastors and leaders sometimes make comments which, in my estimation, unnecessarily pit one thing against another. It seems like the person is usually trying too hard to sound spiritually insightful. It usually goes something like this:

• “We don’t love God because of … we love him because …””
• “We don’t pray because we … we pray because …”
• “Church isn’t about … it’s about …”

My spiritual either/or detector kicks in and I start wondering if that is actually a solid biblical teaching or a strained effort to sound insightful. These kinds of comments also often feel unnecessary and sometimes even harmful. In my view, Christianity is more of a both/and religion, and one filled with unavoidable paradox.

• Facebook
• X
• Bluesky