Recent Articles
The Goose is Loose
Wild Goose is “a 4-day festival at the intersection of justice, spirituality, and art.” It was inspired by American Christians who attended the Greenbelt Festival in the United Kingdom, an outdoor music festival with spiritual and justice-oriented undertones.
Reading Between the Lines of the Bible
Stories can be dangerous when they don’t come directly from the source. When hearing a story secondhand, it is easy to assume the outcome.
We Need the Truth and Healing Commission
Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate will consider the passage of the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act of 2023. This act would be an important step toward national accountability for government policies that sought to destroy tribal communities and cultures by tearing families apart.
Calling on Jesus Ain’t Enough: When ‘I Rebuke You’ Falls Short in a Broken World
Our dearly departed sister, Sonya Massey, called on that name, doing what many prophets told her to do. Still, this beautiful black sister was murdered in her home, in a country that prides itself on being a nation built on so-called “Judeo-Christian values.”
Rising Numbers of Americans Believe Life Evolved Without God
A recent Gallup poll revealed a split among Americans on three distinct ideas about human origins.
The GOP’s Kayfabe Christianity
Last week in Milwaukee, kayfabe solidified its influence on another dominant American institution at its nominating convention: the Republican Party.
Between “I Get It” and “¡Ay bendito!”: Imposter Syndrome in Ministry
The struggles of daily routines, staff meetings, administrative expectations, and conversations about church lead to a haunting question, “How is your church doing?” When we respond truthfully, we are usually met with either, “I get it” or, “¡Ay bendito!”
Joe Biden Has Given Democracy a Fighting Chance
Biden’s decision to end his re-election effort was difficult and heroic. He has worked since 1987 to be elected President.
American Public’s Perception of Christians Continues to Decline
A Lifeway Research study finds the image of Christians is in decline among Americans. Churchgoers believe this is the responsibility of both Christians and the country’s citizens.
A Hug From God
In September of 2005, I happened upon an article explaining the concept of a prayer shawl ministry. The idea was that a shawl– lap robe, scarf or hat– would be knitted or crocheted. While it was being created, the person knitting would be in prayer for the recipient whose shoulders that shawl would eventually cover.
Simone Biles, J.D. Vance, and America’s Relationship with Trauma
When I witnessed the events of Tokyo 2021 as a trauma therapist and a survivor of developmental trauma and sexual assault, I knew what I was seeing: A trauma response of a body no longer cooperating with a brain that had reached its breaking point.
We Need Safer Words: A Passage to Somebodiness
We need safer words. Last week, I said this to the conversation partners who gathered under a tent at the Wild Goose Festival to hear my rifts on somebodiness.
The Sacrament of Community: Reflections on the Wild Goose Festival
What makes community holy is not its perfection but its acknowledgment of its own imperfections and its commitment to growth. Not growth that is concerned with monetization and profit, but the growth that invites us to become better people.
Wisdom Wherever You Find It | Everybody Hates the Jews
The speech and drama team from Evanston High School, with whom my New Trier team shared a bus, loved singing this song on the way to tournaments. I must have heard it fifty times over the years, and each time, the lyric in question was sung with particular gusto, followed by laughter that mystified me because all those kids had sung it themselves so many times.
Trump: Thankfully Alive But More Dangerous Than Ever
While Trump immediately told reporters that his message after the assassination attempt would be one of unity, the rhetoric coming from the Republican National Convention this week— and his pick of J.D. Vance as his running mate—suggests he is doubling down on his divisive and dangerous message yet again.
Outgrowing Your Flower Pot
When I arrived at college, it only took me a few weeks to learn more about myself than I ever did in my hometown. But it took me months to understand the person I was growing into.
Political Violence Is an American Tradition– But It Doesn’t Have to Be
Because the ruling class has turned minoritized identities into political identities, all violence against us is political violence. Given that history, America has been a politically violent nation from its inception.
Women Ministers and Leaders in the Church Need to be Celebrated
This June, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) faced a pivotal moment, declining to accept a proposed amendment that would have severed ties with any church led by a woman pastor. While this decision might seem like a step forward for women’s ordination, it simply...
What JD Vance As Trump’s VP Means
The MAGA movement has its successor.
Pushing Limits and Finding Community at Any Age: A Conversation with Gwendolyn Bounds, Author of “Not Too Late”
A revelation sent Gwendolyn Bounds down a rabbit hole of midlife-crisis-related questions…One of the answers led her on a journey into the world of competitive obstacle course racing (OCR). She chronicles this journey in her latest book, “Not Too Late: The Power of Pushing Limits at Any Age.”
By the Way | Southern Baptist Follies
In my Religion in North America class, I often refer to the Southern Baptist Convention as one of only two major examples of religious groups in American history that elected to diminish their numbers in fidelity to doctrinal purity.
We Can’t Let Political Violence Be Used to Silence Concerns about Rising Political Violence
Calling out threats to democracy is not inciting violence; it’s an act of patriotism that invites our fellow citizens to protect a society that ensures pluralism, equality and security for all.
Losing Jesus’ Religion
Many North American Christians have missed the point of Jesus’ teachings and lost the plot of his resurrection. He’s not coming back for a church in three locations that is just a short walk to amenities and adjacent to the North American empire for easy accessibility. Capitalism, neocolonialism, and the hyper-politicization of community have co-opted Jesus’ gospel.
Louisiana’s Ten Commandment Truthiness
HB71 continues Christian nationalists’ terraforming of the United States, conflating “American” with “Christian” to refashion the country in their image. To make this equivocation successful, they must profess fealty to their trinity of sacred texts: the Bible, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
What Christians Get Wrong About Deconstruction & the Rest of Us: A Response to Lecrae’s Recent Podcast Interview
Recently, Christian Rap artist Lecrae shared an interview link on Threads featuring a self-identified gay Christian, sparking intense discussion in the comments…[His] recent post addressing queerness has troubled many Black queer Christians who previously supported him during attacks from white evangelicals.
Letter from the Editor: This Moment in the American Story
This moment in the American story feels like that time in class when the teacher told everyone to be quiet and listen. You remember. You were there. There was a student, or maybe two or ten, who wouldn’t stop talking. They were in a conversation or laughing about...
Can We Close Pandora’s Box of Disrespect?
Who will be our modern-day leader of peace? What will it take for that kind of display to go viral and change societal norms?
GFM Statement on Incident at Trump Rally
The team at Good Faith Media, without equivocation, is praying for former President Trump’s health and safety. We also pray for his family, the attendees at the rally, and our country.
Riding On Sundown Drive
Those who have listened to the Good Faith Weekly podcast over the last few months will recall that Missy and I decided to sell our house and downsize to a hundred-year-old home near downtown Norman, Oklahoma. It was an excellent decision until the “hundred-year” part...
Movie Review| We Still Need to Talk About Possum Trot
The large number of children still in need of adoption today makes the conversation about what happened at Possum Trot, Texas, just as important as when it first occurred.