Tag: Love

  • Mom, My Favorite Rose by Patrick Carden

    The morning of April 12, 2005, I was packing my bags to take a trip that I had taken numerous times the previous 2 ½ months. At least once a week (occasionally more often) I would make the drive from Birmingham to Phil Campbell, AL to visit my mom and dad and spend as much…

  • The Hero I Loved by Patrick Carden

    Another chapter of my life has come to a close. Today we laid my hero to rest. I already miss him greatly and know I will miss him more in the coming days. But I also rejoice in knowing he finished his race and is receiving his reward. Even though he grew weary and tired…

  • The Exclusively Inclusive Love of God by Patrick Carden

    I’m sure almost everyone can agree on one thing, Jesus sided with the outcasts and oppressed.  He was at odds with the Pharisees and hung around the poor, weak, outcasts, foreigners and prostitutes.  Jesus was himself from the edge of society with a ministry to those who were considered the least. Jesus didn’t choose only…

  • Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner? by Patrick Carden

    So many times Christians use phrases and justify them by saying “it’s in the Bible” or “scripture says” but a lot of these phrases really aren’t in scripture.  The one that I really have a problem with is “hate the sin, love the sinner.” Nowhere in scripture will you find the idea of “hate the…

  • Speak Softly and Love Loudly by Patrick Carden

    Christians have an image problem.  “The very word “Christianity” is a misunderstanding – in truth, there was only one Christian, and he died on the cross.” – Friedrich Nietzsche That’s a bold statement!  But sadly, I think in some ways it’s true even though it is painful.  And I don’t think Nietzsche is the only…

  • Unconditional Love: A Love that Conquers All by Patrick Carden

    People have a hard enough time figuring out what love is, and then there’s unconditional love, which some will argue is the only kind of real love.  According to Merriam-Webster, “unconditional” means not conditional or limited: absolute, unqualified.  So it stands to reason that unconditional love means a love that is not conditional, not limited;…

  • Do Others See Jesus in You? Really?

    Growing up in a Southern Baptist church, the old hymn “Let Others See Jesus in You” was a standard. While this is a good song, I’m not sure that people realize what they are saying as they sing it. If Christians really believed and meant what was implied by this song, there would be no…