Recent Articles
Mitigating the Chaos: Survival Guide to the Trump Administration
After eight years of experiencing Trump’s turmoil, I am well prepared to endure and thrive over the next four years. As I wrote before he took office, when Trump moved into the White House, I evicted him from my head and heart. Here are some suggestions for combating Trump’s chaos and imagining a brighter future.
A Dream of Lady Liberty
In a time of full employment, “they” are taking our jobs. In the wake of thirty years of decline in violent crime nationally and statistics showing that immigrants, regardless of legal status, are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans, “they” are dangerous criminals, murderers and rapists.
A Ground-Level View of Trump’s Federal Spending-Freeze Chaos
As a Christian, I was compelled by the gospel, the words of Jesus, to use my life to try to diminish suffering for the world’s most vulnerable. This has been more than a career—it has been a vocation where my greatest gifts have met the world’s greatest need. I have had no radical agenda other than the notion that no child should die from a mosquito bite.
The Person in the Ditch Knows Exactly How to Interpret the Parable of the Good Samaritan
If the parts of the Bible between Bethlehem and Calvary are primarily about contrasting the perfect life of Jesus and the imperfect lives of humans, then the teachings of Jesus become nothing more than object lessons about our failures.
International Voices | Baptists, Community Organizing, and Social Justice in the United Kingdom
In Wales and England, there have been over 400 years of conversation about what it means to be Baptist. However, in the UK we have less than 40 years of conversation about what community organizing means for churches.
Bishop Takes King: American Pastor in Paris Reflects on Mariann Budde’s Historic Sermon
While Christian Nationalism thrives on fear, silence, and complicity, true faith has never been about following the loudest voices. The backlash proves how threatening the call to human dignity is to those who wield religion for power, not love.
2025 Q Christian Fellowship Celebrates Queer Resilience
LGBTQ+ Christians gathered in Atlanta from across the country to participate in Q Christian Fellowship’s annual conference. The gathering creates a space where LGBTQ+ Christians can bring 100% of their queerness and 100% of their faith, no matter their theology.
The Soul of America is Outside of Washington, D.C.
Yes, our anger at what is happening can motivate and help us rise and stand up, but once we rise, we must act and push, not using anger but love for our fellow citizens and a desire for deep connection.
They Don’t Own The Rights To My Imagination
In fairness, human innovation—our ability to adapt, create, and problem-solve—has often been a survival tool. But we don’t need to rob or oppress to survive. And yet, we believe we do. The systems we trust telegraph this idea constantly.
When Should Faith Leaders Get “Political”?: Differentiating between God-given Identity and Political Agency
We are all political agents because we live in a society, plain and simple. Our God-given identities, on the other hand, are not political. Those are gifts you cannot politicize away.
119th Congress Increases Diverse Representation
Despite increasing levels of representation, Congress is significantly more white than the general population. While almost three-fourths (74%) of Congress is white, only 58% of the U.S. citizenry is–a gap of 16%.
Common Sense Arguments Against Hardline Immigration Policies
If breaking one law makes someone illegal, many of our heroes were “illegals.”
Remembering the Holocaust 80 Years Later
On this day eighty years ago, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp, was liberated by the Red Army in 1945. This dim and ruinous time in human history claimed the lives of more than six million Jews, along with millions of other people victimized by the German Nazis.
Lunar New Year: Celebrating Beauty and Diversity
Living in the United States, I believe it is imperative that we embrace differences rather than fear them. Festivals like the Lunar New Year offer us an opportunity to step into the lives of others, learn about their histories and practices, and appreciate the intricate tapestry of cultures that make up our shared human experience.
Pete Hegseth: Religious Extremism in a Brooks Brothers Suit
As Secretary of Defense, a role that puts him in charge of the agenda and policy for the entire U.S. military, Hegseth’s dominionist beliefs put the “power of the sword” in the hands of an ideological extremist.
Resisting Using Directness and Kindness
This week’s flurry of activity could have sent me into a dark, despairing trance, but I refused to follow that path. While I am as outraged and frustrated as others, I also want to focus on the future when the country realizes the consequences of putting Trump back in office.
Faith and Justice Coalition Gathers to Reignite “Beloved Community” BYLINE: Aretha R. Flucker
Is the beloved community still a possibility? Christians, Jews, organizations, institutions, and congregations sought to answer this question at “United in Hope: The Beloved Community,” hosted by the Faith and Justice Coalition of Tarrant County on January 19.
Stewarding Pathos: Mariann Edgar Budde’s Rhetoric Lesson
I don’t know Mariann Edgar Budde, but I suspect that the integrity of her words, which we soaked in so cathartically, flowed from the maturity of scars, not open wounds.
Trump Administration Immigration Concerns: A Conversation with Fellowship Southwest’s Stephen Reeves
On this side of the border, for the last week or so, our partners have received goodbye messages from Department of Homeland Security officials they had worked closely with for years who were resigning, effective Monday. There is a general sense of fear for the migrants and uncertainty about the future.
Our Second Gilded Age: TikTok Bans and the Capitol’s CEO Convention
If someone purposefully set fire to your house and then handed you a fire extinguisher, would you thank them for saving it? TikTok users are asking this question this week after the app sent out a pop-up notice praising President Donald Trump for ensuring the app is...
Calling Conversations Over A Beer
2025 marks my 11th year in congregational ministry, and I couldn’t be more thankful for all the voices, both good and bad, that have brought me here. Now, I have the opportunity to do the same—to be that affirming presence for someone, to tell them they belong and that their perspective and voice are needed.
Pew Study Finds Women and Men Experience Loneliness at Similar Rates
Amid elevated media attention to what has been labeled the “male loneliness epidemic,” a new Pew Research study has found that men and women are almost equally likely to feel lonely. When asked if they feel lonely “all” or “most of the time,” 15% of women and 16% of men surveyed said “yes.”
Resist Violence
There is an increasing likelihood that violence will knock on your door, seeking to recruit you. It will present its grand vision and a ruthless payment plan laid out for generations.
Drawing Wider Circles: New Athlete Ministry Offers Expansive, Inclusive Faith Communities
Throughout my athletic career, I attempted to build community through sports ministries that met for Bible study in locker rooms, on the road and over coffee. These ministries are global powerhouses that offer Christian athletes a sense of community and faith formation at all levels of sport. However, they don’t affirm or bless LGBTQ+ athlete identity.
New Pew Report Finds Economic Inequality Is of Global Public Concern
When asked to name their top public concern, economic inequality found widespread consensus among 36 nations, with the affluent’s political influence topping the list of lead causes.
The National Day of Racial Healing Seeks Answers to How We Heal From the Effects of Racism
Tomorrow, January 21st, is the ninth annual National Day of Racial Healing (NDORH). This year’s theme is “How We Heal” and seeks to address the effects of racism. Working to create a sense of belonging and shared connection, participants are invited to learn about each other’s backgrounds, cultures, perspectives and lived experiences.
Toward Better, Not Quieter Discourse
Good political conversation is life-giving. It is also a crucial form of peacemaking.
Standing at the Door: Facing a Second Trump Presidency
The next four years will be trying, but let us not move forward in despair. People of faith must unite to find solidarity in the beauty and love in this world. As people of good faith, we can move forward, focusing on the lights that push out the darkness.
DEI in the Church
What I know to be true–especially now–is that if churches want to live out the Gospel in their communities, they have a responsibility to create safe spaces for marginalized people. And to do that, change is not an option. It is a requirement.
Amid a Perfect Storm
On January 20th, we will observe two significant national events–Trump’s inauguration and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I don’t know that I could ever imagine a greater dichotomy than that represented by these two men: their lives and legacies, their character, personality, faith, differing commitments to equality, non-violence, loving one’s neighbor and the common good.