Recent Articles
Grieving Process Takes Time, Requires Tenacity
Any loss brings grief due to the loss of connection with something or someone. To journey through the grieving process, we must realize that it cannot be rushed and requires tenacity to make it through.
Major U.S. Supermarkets Failing on Plastic Reduction
Major supermarkets in the U.S. are not doing enough to reduce single-use plastics and the resulting waste, a report said. None received a passing grade in the four areas of assessment.
April 12, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Experts Explain Possible Causes, Impact of Christian Nationalist Vaccine Hesitancy; Major Catholic Funders and Power Brokers Spearhead Voter Suppression; D.C. Church Wins Default Judgment Against Proud Boys for Torched ‘Black Lives Matter’ Sign; Your Guide to Avoiding COVID-19 at Church and Other Religious Services; and more
People of Good Faith: Marv Knox
Marv Knox founded Fellowship Southwest in 2017 after a four-decade career in journalism. He is currently serving as the chair of the Good Faith Media news and opinion strategic advisory board.
Easter Exposes the Idol of “Normal”
Returning to ‘normal’ is an understandable desire during a global pandemic. Yet, this longing often overlooks injustices and inequities plaguing society. Easter exposes the idol of ‘normal.’
Look Back | Tax Policy Can Help Promote Racial Equality
Tax policies can help move the U.S. toward racial equality and mitigate the negative impacts of racism, a report said. Discriminatory policies, then and now, have created a racial wealth gap.
April 9, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: The Search for the Missing Dead in a Historic AME African American Church Cemetery; Intelligence Forecast Sees a Post-coronavirus World Upended by Climate Change and Splintering Societies; Faith in Numbers: Trump Held Steady Among Believers at the Ballot – It was the Nonreligious He Lost in 2020; Middle East: For Evangelical Tourists, Pro-Israel and Anti-Vaccine Sentiments Sentiments Might Collide; and more.
Opportunities from Church Decline
As church membership continues to decline in the U.S., Christians have an opportunity to reset and re-calibrate. This will necessitate repenting from patriarchal and nationalistic ideologies, and repenting to love, grace and mercy.
Why You Should Consider ‘Harvesting Life’
“Harvesting life” should be a focal point for us not only as we age but also throughout our lives. Here’s one example of how this process works.
Police, Prosecutorial Misconduct Create ‘Innocence Epidemic’ on Death Row
There is an “innocence epidemic” on death row, a report said. Nearly 200 inmates on death row have been exonerated following their conviction due to prosecutorial misconduct or false testimony.
April 8, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Their Lawsuit Prevented 400,000 Deportations. Now It’s Biden’s Call.; Black and Asian Christian Leaders Discuss Role of Church in Fighting Racism; New Research Documents the Severity of LGBTQA+ Conversion Practices – and Why Faith Matters in Recovery; Leonard Pitts: Small Wonder the Church is Shrinking; and more.
Too Few People, or Too Little Jesus?
Fewer than half of U.S. adults are now members of a church, mosque or synagogue, a Gallup survey found. What accounts for this downward trend that began several decades ago?
Starlette Thomas Now a GFM Contributing Correspondent
Starlette Thomas is joining Good Faith Media as a contributing correspondent. She will write articles for the website and Nurturing Faith Journal, as well as develop season two of “The Raceless Gospel” podcast.
Gardening Mistake Offers Insight on Hope, Patience
A gardening mistake following a winter storm led to a less vibrant hydrangea plant. This experience has offered insight into how God brings new life from our slips and stagnation.
April 7, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Fears of White People Losing Out Permeate Capitol Rioters’ Towns, Study Finds; How a Protest in a North Carolina Farming Town Sparked a National Movement; Holding on to Religion: USU Professor Studies Religion and its Impact on Sexual Minorities; and more.
Living Free From Stranglehold of Fear
Fear is often a defining factor of one’s faith, especially beliefs and practices that seek to restrict grace and withhold mercy. Such faith tends to see enemies in the unfamiliar and to attribute God’s blessings to self-interests.
When Spiritual Counsel Wounds Your Traumatized Soul
People in faith communities struggling with trauma and mental health issues often encounter spiritual leaders trying to help, but they don’t have a trauma-informed lens. A new podcast is here to help.
Emerging Voices | Can Churches Save Decaying Culture? – Part 2
As the US faces seemingly overwhelming systemic issues, now is the time for churches to reinvigorate and reimagine their legacy for the 21st century. We can accomplish great things together if we have the vision.
Why Your Spiritual Formation is Like Composting
Spiritual formation can be wearisome, placing you in a storm-tossed boat and demanding more than you think you can bear. It is almost never convenient and can be unnerving. It is not risk averse. It’s a lot like, well, composting.
April 6, 2021
In today’s news and analysis headlines: ‘Anti-American,’ ‘Pushing Marxism,’ and More: Do You Recognize Your College Here?; 82-Year-Old Woman on Why She Dresses in Her Sunday Best for Online Church Services; Lack of Tourism at the Vatican During the Coronavirus Pandemic Has Caused a Drastic Drop in Revenue for the Catholic Church; and more
Cradle to Tomb, You’re a Collection of Words
Shakespeare had it right in Romeo and Juliet when Juliet asked, ‘What’s in a name?’ When it comes down to it, we are all a collection of words. This is why language is important, and why we must speak thoughtfully and thoroughly.
Emerging Voices | Can Churches Save Decaying Culture? – Part 1
The US faces complex problems. Schools are struggling, churches are in decline, tent cities for the homeless are springing up. How churches respond to this litany of crumbling institutions will prove to be a do-or-die moment.
State’s Bill Puts Restrictions on Gender Transitioning
Arkansas has become the first state to propose a bill that would prohibit health care providers from assisting minors who are seeking gender transitioning treatments. The 10-page bill now awaits the signature of Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
The Shameful Easter Massacre You Never Heard About
A mob of mostly white men massacred at least 150 Black Americans in Colfax, Louisiana, on Easter Sunday 1873. Churches and their leaders were seemingly silent in responding to the shameful ‘racial carnage’ at the time.
April 5, 2021
In today’s curated news and analysis headlines: Poor People’s Campaign Foot-Washing Symbolizes Washing Away the Filibuster; Georgia’s Black Churches are Horrified by Republican Voter Suppression – and Ready to Fight Back; America’s 2nd COVID-19 Easter Marked by Low Church Attendance; SC Church Goes to the Ballpark for Easter; and more.
The Curious, Adventurous Life of Gene Espy
Gene Espy first heard of the Appalachian Trail in seventh grade, two years after it had been completed. He set out to hike the entire trail in 1951 at age 24, becoming just the second person to “thru-hike” the entire trail.
Nationalism and Holy Week
Nationalistic ideas informed the actions of both Judas and the crowds that jeered at Jesus in his final days. During this Holy Week, let’s make certain to take another path, following the way of Jesus.
New Podcast Focuses on ‘Discovering Wholeness’
A new collaborative podcast will drop at Good Faith Media next week. “Discovering Wholeness: Healing Trauma, Unearthing Self” will focus on a variety of topics that address what it means to heal from trauma.
Are Vaccine Mandates Legal, Ethical, Advisable? – Part 2
The idea of vaccine mandates is being discussed as vaccinations increase across the U.S. This raises ethical questions about how to balance individual freedom with public health concerns.
Look Back | Why You Should Be Glad Easter’s Always Moving
Easter, the most important day on the Christian calendar, determines when most of the other important days will be observed. The “movability” of Easter, then, reminds us that it is the controlling event for other days.