I used to publish regular round-ups of recent writing on this blog, but fell out of the habit a few years ago. Here, instead, is a list of my favorite essays, each one paired with something more recent or slightly longer that rounds out my thoughts on the subject.

1. When an Abortion is Pro-Life – The New York TImes

I was very grateful that the New York Times let me share about one of the hardest moments of my life and how that moment helped me to appreciate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ more than ever before. Companion piece: If Anything is Pro-Life, Nothing Is

2. Arcs of Life – The New Atlantis

I have come to believe that an appreciation for the value of human life is one of the most critical virtues to cultivate in medical providers. We live in a culture that seems more and more every day to ignore this truth, and so it is all the more important that we call people to care for the most vulnerable around us so that they are not alone in their suffering. Companion piece: Dependence is Normal

3. Run Towards the Pain – Comment

A lot has changed since I wrote this one a decade ago, especially in the church community that my family was a part of at that time. However, I still believe that everything here is still true, and that the best way to help people in need is to be their neighbor. Companion piece: When the City of Man is Redlined

4. Send Us Your Surplus – Plough

This one was originally called “The Blemished Lamb Syndrome” and included the entirety of Leviticus 22:20-21 as an opener. It’s about a lot of things, but mostly about how to be grateful despite the fact that there is so much waste, pollution, and excess that it’s making us all sick. Companion piece: Fear the Lifestyle that Will Kill Body and Soul

5. Racism and Whiteness: Bad Words We Have To Live With – Mere Orthodoxy

There’s been a lot of talk about race in America in the last decade. I’ve done my best to keep my contributions constructive, but this more or less summarizes my opinions on most of the hot-button topics. Companion piece: The End of Protesting

6. Conservatives Need a Health Care Agenda – Commonplace 

Healthcare in America is a mess for a lot of different reasons. (I’ve certainly become more grateful for certain aspects of it after working in Africa!) One thing that I think would probably help a lot of things all at once (though by no means fix every problem) would be to focus on providing less of the wrong kind of care. Companion piece: Democratizing Community Health

7. Kichijiro Was Right – Mere Orthodoxy

The Judas figure in Shusaku Endo’s book Silence has long fascinated me, especially when he says that he would have been a good Christian had he been born in a different time. When I was younger I would have been thoroughly categorized as a “radical” with an unhealthy desire for martyrdom, but now that I am older I am far more sympathetic to Kichijiro’s viewpoint. Companion piece: Rich Christians in an Age of Competing Obligations

8. The Medicated Soul – Plough

I have a whole book coming out about mental health, so there’s a lot more I have to say on this subject. However, this was my attempt to reflect on how dealing with the evils of a fallen world might predispose some of us to needing psychiatric care and how to appreciate God’s love through that care. Companion piece: This Demon Only Comes Out by Prayer and Prozac

9. How to Think About Using Government Funds for Christian Charity – Mere Orthodoxy

Christianity has, from the beginning, turned the world upside down. Especially when it comes to poverty. Modern governments have taken on much of the work of dealing with poverty—but are they supplanting the Church’s role? I wrote about how to think through these issues, drawing on the Bible and church history. Companion piece: Ten Theses on the Bible, Poverty, and Justice

10. Is Addiction a Disease? Yes, and Much More – Christianity Today

Addiction is an extremely challenging problem on all levels—personal, social, and everything in between. I wrote about how looking at addiction as a disease and as not just choices but much more helps people struggling with addiction to recover. Companion piece: Freedom from Porn Addiction