Everybody who goes to church knows the basic rules of Christian living. Of course, often as not, they default to the Hebrew code when asked to describe them, but that’s another issue entirely. At least they’re in the right ballpark—the Bible—and not offering up civil law.

Who’s your worst enemy? Not knowing a single thing about your life, I can make a pretty good guess. It’s not your boss, your mate, your rival, or that fifth-grade teacher who always had it in for you. No, our own worst enemy is usually ourselves.

Let’s have a show of hands here: Who likes to eat? If you’re sitting next to someone who didn’t raise a hand, check their pulse! Eating is not just another physiological function we’re obliged to perform, like blinking or swallowing or sleeping (or going to the bathroom). Eating is a cheerful obligation, a happy necessity.

How many love songs does the world need? If you can come up with a number, then maybe you’ve never been in love. The great songwriting duo John Lennon and Paul McCartney had an argument over this equation.

Native american writer Sherman Alexie wrote a compelling book of short stories arguing against the absurdity of racial stereotypes: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. The title suggests irreconcilable forces that carry their grievances all the way to eternity.

God’s ways are not our ways. God’s thoughts are not like ours. You can say that again—and Isaiah does, insisting that the divine perspective is as up, up, and away from ours as heaven is from Earth.

Consider forgiveness as the currency of eternity. It’s absolutely free, so spend as much as you'd like. It’s like having your own money printing press in the cellar. Go on: Forgive seventy-times-seven times and it won’t cost you a penny!

Culture-wide, we have lost the art of dialogue. There’s no such thing as a thoughtful sharing of perspectives for the purpose of advancing understanding.

The gospel, as we know, hit the ground as a story in process. Believers proclaimed it for three decades and more before anyone thought to write it down. Writing, of course, makes a story more fixed and inflexible, and a written work takes on an aura of instant infallibility by virtue of being in print.

Who do we say Jesus is? Identifying Jesus has never been as easy as it looks. Walk into any Catholic church and the most prominent image will be his: either as suffering Savior or triumphant Lord.