Recent Articles
America, I’m Exhausted
Recently, I have watched progress go back fifty years, whether from a countercultural reaction to feminism or record-breaking inflation. It is hard to keep going and have any sort of hope beyond myself.
Love and Justice Wait for Us
Justice is love. The place to find the love we need is among those least served by the justice system.
Good Faith Media Remembers Tony Campolo
The team at Good Faith Media (GFM) is mourning the death of Tony Campolo, an influential author, speaker and sociologist who passed away on November 19, 2024.
Transgender Day of Remembrance: Why I’ll Keep Sharing My Pronouns
The so-called “identity” issue getting the most post-election attention is the effort to make life more just and inclusive for LGBTQ+ Americans, particularly transgender individuals.
Whose Rights Are the Right Rights?
There is no savior coming to our rescue. Even if Jesus descended from the heavens, we’d fight over what he “should” be or do. In one way or another, he wouldn’t tick off all the boxes we’ve put him in, so we would most likely ignore his message and shoot him as the messenger. Again.
Support for the Death Penalty Declining, Generational and Partisan Gaps Widening
Support for the death penalty in the U.S. has declined slightly over the past two decades. However, according to recently released data from Gallup, the gap between how younger and older citizens view the practice has significantly widened.
Howard Thurman Home Offers Pilgrimage to Honor Thurman’s Legacy
The Howard Thurman Home—New Birth Inc. held a special “Pilgrimage Celebrating the Birthday of Howard Thurman” on Monday, November 18. The event, held in Daytona Beach, Florida, on the 125th anniversary of Thurman’s birth, honored the man who has been called “the pastor of the Civil Rights Movement.”
From Misfeasance to Willful Malice: What Election Post-Mortems Get Wrong
Do Democrats need to do better? Do they need to work on their language and policy priorities? Of course. But, if we think that’s the main story, we’ve lost the plot.
On Staying Curious
One thing I’m learning is that I have a lot to learn. When I open my eyes and heart each day to the morning light, I ask myself, “How can I be curious and not judgmental.” (Even though I’m a big reader and love all things literary, I must admit I learned this Walt Whitman quote from Ted Lasso.)
Happy 125th Birthday, Howard Thurman: A Patron Saint of Somebodiness
Today would have been the author, mystic, pastor and one of the greatest theologians of the twentieth century’s 125th birthday. A patron saint of somebodiness, Thurman believed, “At the core of life is a hard purposefulness, a determination to live.”
Church of England Abuse Report Sends Shockwaves Through Anglican Communion
On November 12th, the Archbishop of Canterbury announced his resignation in response to the publication of a report that detailed decades of unreported and unchecked abuse within the Church of England (COE).
Stark Political Disparities In Views on the Prevalence of Crime
From 1989 to the early 2000s, there was little statistical difference between how Republicans and Democrats viewed the state of crime in the nation. Since then, people who identify with each party have diverged, with beliefs about crime shifting with the political winds.
A Call to Action for the Confessing Church
We must not fool ourselves into thinking what happened in Germany can not happen here. Today, if you purchase a copy of “Mein Kampf,” most will include an introduction explaining why the book is still in print — it serves as a warning to future generations.
Why We Need Howard Thurman Now
In this season in the life of our nation, caustic-partisan rhetoric is the order of the day. Much of what we hear in the secular marketplace of ideas and sacred pulpits is marred by a xenophobia and divisiveness that has created an “us versus them” dualism. As all this has resulted in deep chasms in our communities, churches, and even some families, we again need Howard Thurman’s work and witness.
By the Way | The Enemy Is Us
Now, we must come to terms with the fact that Donald Trump is who we are. In the immortal words of the Pogo comic strip, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
Emerging Voices | Serving Our Communities Through Congregational Advocacy
Social work provides tools and frameworks the church can glean from as they process these questions.
That Dang Trying
I have found that it’s in the labor and struggles (and that dang trying) that we often meet a side of God and ourselves that we’ve never met before.
Good Faith Media Unveils Good Faith Magazine
Earlier this summer, Good Faith Media (GFM) announced changes to our print offering, transforming Nurturing Faith Journal (NFJ) into Good Faith Magazine. We are nearing the completion of the magazine’s January-March issue and are excited for it to be in the hands of readers in the coming weeks.
What’s the Deal With White Women?
In the United States and many places around the world, women are acculturated to see our value in relationship to the men who surround us: our fathers, our husbands, and yes, the masculine version of God gifting Jesus as Savior.
Conclave: A Cinematic Call to Light and Connection
It is the job of people of faith, especially those of us with unique power and status, to let light in. We are responsible for breaking down our arbitrary divides and doing good even when human-made systems create fear, stress and confusion.
A Red River Race to Dismantle the Establishment Clause
Oklahoma and Texas are just two examples of many in the ongoing struggles to ensure quality education is available and easily accessible to all children without undue influence from or preference for any single faith tradition.
Just As I Am: An Invitation to Salvation for U.S. Evangelicals
I do have good news, my dearest white evangelicals. You, too, can be saved. Salvation is just as much for you as it is for those you have relegated to your margins.
International Voices | The Cross Denounces Abuse
Churches must break down the walls of silence and shame. Violence and abuse must be named and denounced, and victims must not be seen as guilty of the violence against them.
Writing Until We All Get on the Same Page
“I’m writing until we all get on the same page.” I said this during my introduction to a writing session for Good Faith Media’s Writers’ and Readers’ Retreat at St. Francis Springs Prayer Center in Rockingham, North Carolina. An unplanned mission statement, I immediately knew I had successfully articulated my reason for writing.
Look Back | Veterans Day Reflections from a Christ-Following Marine
The military does not defend God. Active-duty personnel and veterans need not carry that burden, nor should they harbor that pride, however exemplary their courage and noble their motivation might be.
America May Be Irredeemable – But That Doesn’t Release Us of Our Obligations
It might not seem like much comfort, but it’s the best way forward I can see right now. After all, as much as my faith in my fellow Americans has been destroyed, and as much as I just want to sit in my grief and mourn, I am still called to defend those with less privilege and power than I have right now.
The Prophet Plato Speaks Today
It was said that when Benito Mussolini ruled Italy, the trains ran on time. It was also said that the streets were so safe in Nazi Germany you could walk them during the predawn hours. The desire for order trumps liberty. The desire for a better economy trumps justice. The desire to “own” the opposition trumps democracy.
The Spiritual Necessity of Cooking In Perilous Times
If I’m having a particularly bad day, I can smash garlic, punch bread, or stab a pork belly. It’s hard to feel anxiety about an election when you’re trying not to impale yourself or to worry about your unemployment status when you’re trying to slide a pan of hot water into the oven for your sourdough bread.
Nurturing Trauma Sensitive Congregations
Editor’s Note: The following appears in the November/December issue of Nurturing Faith Journal (NFJ). In 2025, NFJ will become Good Faith Magazine and will be a free resource for all Good Faith Advocates. — “When I crawled into bed that night as the storm was coming...
Election Reflections from a Queer Pastor
In the coming days, I want to challenge us to be intolerant of discriminatory actions while holding space for growth. That’s such a huge ask, I know. But we are long past the time of relying on like-minded book studies and echo-chamber prayer groups to fix anything.