Honest Reflections on Faith

I write to share what it's like to live by faith as Harvey Ramer—embracing doubt, weariness, and wrestling alongside love and trust. These are stories from my life, not teachings or advice.

Some are what you may expect an essay to be in length and rigor, and others are shorter with less organization. But every piece is an essay in the sense of "to try" to make meaning of the thoughts tumbling through my mind. Readers can expect honest reflections on childhood trauma, workplace faith struggles, daily spiritual practices, and glimpses of grace in ordinary life.

  1. Writing Blind

    My inner world is just as important as my outer world. How I live inwardly will bring context and meaning to my daily life.

  2. On Negation

    God has promised us this. He says everything will work together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose. God says, 'No!' to our deepest hurts and turns our wounds into wisdom.

  3. On Taking the Next Step

    Each next step is not a referendum on my value as a person but an avenue for growth. I am one small person among many, so my next choice, no matter how earth-shattering it may seem to me, is relatively unserious.

  4. Noticers, Rememberers, and Storytellers

    Our busyness, which we may think marks our importance, might actually be a travesty if the reason we are here is to notice all the details of living—to feel, hear, taste, and see the truth of being alive.

  5. The Reformation, Individualism, and the Fractured Church

    I'm not sure he was right.

  6. Turning the Corner

    I want my work to be my salvation—spiritual, physical, relational. Though I know that 'godliness with contentment is great gain,' I have a lust for more.

  7. Right Doctrine and the Wrong Spirit

    I love to be correct, and when I feel I have understood something thoroughly, I can occasionally become belligerent in argumentation.

  8. Brilliant Minds Chasing Ancient Demons

    We dismiss the Living God as primitive while we chase the ancient spirits worshiped by primitive man.

  9. Sip of Coffee, Moving Pen

    Writing habit is, simply put, vulnerability. Exposing my deepest self and most tentative ideas is a habit that costs me. So I'd rather read someone else's writing than create my own.

  10. Skipping Church

    Maybe we are gods, but our kingdom is much smaller than His. We live in a world we think we fully control, but one emptied of meaning.

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