7 Things To Adore About John Calvin

John Calvin, 1554

1. He was a step-dad                    

2. Bitchin’ hat

3. Predestination*

4. He was French

5. Genevan Bible and its treatment of the tyrannical nature of kingship (Calvin didn’t author the Genevan Bible, but its production took place in ‘his’ Geneva)

6. His own recognition that he was a man of his time, a recognition that allowed for the possibility of women in leadership within the church in future because of his view that the biblical admonition that women keep silent in church was a thing ‘indifferent’ (meaning not an essential tenet of the faith)

7. Emphasis on education:  Calvin was a small ‘d’ democrat, insisting that all must have access to education - and that included girls


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*Paving the way for Karl Barth's exposition on predestination and election as God's expression 'for' humanity in the person of Jesus the Christ and the idea that thereby, God can claim all of humanity (and not merely those 'chosen', as it is Jesus himself who is the object as well as the subject of God's choosing).

Step-Parents' Day

There is no such thing as step-parents’ day.  Maybe there should be.  So today in honor of the day that isn’t, I give honor to a woman who isn’t . . .  (technically) a step-parent at all.

Sisters Beth & Bev with Seth, Anna & Ben

Bev Habeb is my son Ben’s step-mom.  That’s their story, and they’re sticking to it.

Their relationship gave birth back in the late 1980's, when I married Bev’s ex-husband Bob and became step-mom to two great kids, Seth and Anna.

Ben was thrilled to have a new brother and sister, but in the days before the wedding, he was trying to clarify how this would all work:

So, you’ll be Seth and Anna’s step-mom, right?

Yes.

So that means Bev’ll be my step-mom too, right?

W - e - e - e - l - l - l . . . not exactly, said I.

But that’s not fair!  I want Bev to be my step-mom!

And so I called Bev and ‘proposed’ on Ben’s behalf – would she be Ben’s step-mom?  And she replied, “Of course.”

And ever since, she has been, being there for Ben when I could not or would not do and in ways too myriad to count.

To Bev, my sister in experience as well as faith: thank you for loving and taking care of our boy.