Recent Articles
Good Morning, Gorgeous
We must be willing to walk away from doctrines, theologies, dogmas and ideologies that tell us that our blackness is worthless. We must detach from anyone or anything that treats our bodies like objects and not as a testament to divine creativity.
The Power of Doubt
When we get stuck in echo chambers, repeating the thoughts of others, we will never stand on our own two feet. It prevents us from developing a deeper relationship with God.
My Pentecostal Smartwatch
I’m a daydreamer. I have been known to drive many miles past my interstate exit. I can get so far into my imagination that my GPS’s spoken directions are no more than a combination of white noise and the voice of Charlie Brown’s teacher.
The Cheers, Tears and Jeers of Holy Week
On this Palm Sunday, carve out time to listen to the tears and jeers beneath the celebratory cheers because it is in those sounds we hear the work of God, suffering and struggling with the powerless.
Advice from a Jewish Teenager on Combatting Rising Antisemitism
Someone saying something hateful to you is not an excuse to attack that person. If you truly want someone to understand that something they said hurt you, sit down and talk to them about why it hurt you.
10 Practices to Help Us Cultivate a Jesus Worldview
Cultivating a Jesus worldview is an ongoing journey that requires dedication and intentionality.
How Good Faith Media Will Cover the 2024 Presidential Election
Regardless of how much we disdain the term “politics,” everything about how humans order our lives in relation to each other is political. It is, in fact, the very definition of the word. No one could avoid politics if they tried.
Rev. William Barber Shares Insights from Ezekiel, Proposing a ‘Third Reconstruction’ to Baylor University Audience
The Rev. Dr. William Barber II spoke to a crowd at Baylor University on Tuesday, encouraging them to follow the lead of the poor and marginalized in the United States in creating a ‘Third Reconstruction’
The Role of Religion in American Life Is Diminishing
Religion is losing its influence in American public life, according to a recent Pew Research Center report. Eighty percent of Americans surveyed say the role of religion is shrinking, the highest percentage on record.
By the Way | My Career as an Influencer
I gather that every influencer has a niche—food, fashion, home design, identifying tropical bird calls, tut-tutting on the finer points of grammar, or something—so I need to find a niche.
New Report Suggests How Democracy Can Be Improved
In a new report from the Pew Research Center, respondents from twenty-four countries say what they think would improve democracy where they live. The think tank asked 30,000 people to weigh in and three themes surfaced: addressing basic needs, improving the system and overhauling the system.
In Speech to White Evangelical Broadcasters, Trump Lays Out His White Christian Nationalist Vision
In his rambling 75-minute speech, Trump delivered his most thorough articulation of his vision of white Christian nationalism to date. It was received by an enthusiastic crowd, many of whom sported red hats emblazoned with the words “Make America Pray Again.”
No Name Calling Unless You Are Disciples in Name Only
“Once a word leaves your mouth, it leaves your control” is an African dictum. So be careful what you say because your words can go a long way.
An Invitation to Dinner: Family, It’s Time to Talk
“One of the things the Western church does not train people to do is tell the truth.”
A Matter of Life and Death: The Demise of Rural Hospitals
Rural hospitals face these challenges because the country’s rural population is shrinking, ultimately generating less revenue to keep rural hospitals afloat.
Rejecting the Bible as Ransom Note
One question I hear often is, “How do you reconcile the contradictions within the Bible?” My answer is often surprising: I don’t.
X-Men ‘97 and The Paradox of Tolerance
You don’t have to agree with someone—their beliefs, lifestyle, or anything else—to protect them against political violence.
“Let’s Get Back II Eden”
God created humans and charged us to be life-giving, not death-dealing.
March 15, 2024
Nex Benedict, Oklahoma Nonbinary Teen, Died by Suicide, Medical Examiner Rules; A Small City in Oklahoma Elected a White Nationalist. Will it Be Able to Vote Him Out?; Church Pews are Sitting Empty. Can They Become Affordable Housing?; Movie Review: ‘Dune 2’ Portrays the Danger of Mixing Religion and Politics. It Doesn’t Know the Half of it. (and more)
The American Judas Experiment
While I will hold the possibility that many have convictions about abortion and sexuality, the strategies and tactics they implement to advance their cause appear to preference chaos and division over conversation and commonality.
The Gospel According to James Baldwin: An Interview With Greg Garrett, Part 4
My interview with Greg Garrett, author of “The Gospel According to James Baldwin” concludes with a discussion of the future of James Baldwin’s work in colleges and universities and gleanings from a would-be syllabus, the reasons why Baldwin remains “America’s great prophet” and with race no longer a part of the conversation, what he would talk to Baldwin about when they met in the New Jerusalem.
Roots of Resilience: A Vision for Food Justice
Claiborne Towner’s journey from bondage to landowner in post-Civil War Mississippi encapsulates a saga of courage and resilience in the face of systemic exploitation.
March 14, 2024
Who is Leaving the LDS Church? 8 Key Survey Findings; Bible Quotes Didn’t Help Columbia Anti-Abortion Protester. Federal Judge Found Him Guilty. (The State)
Sex Abuse Survivors Dispute Southern Baptist Leadership and Say Federal Investigation is Ongoing (and more)
Losing Sleep Over It: The Temptation of Team Loyalty
The emotional bond between a fan and their school is a distinctly American phenomenon. Many of us order our entire lives around it.
The Gospel According to James Baldwin: An Interview With Greg Garrett, Part 3
In part three of my interview with Greg Garrett, author of “The Gospel According to James Baldwin,” we talk about the idea of “white sanity” and the cost of maintaining it. We also discuss Baldwin’s grace and radical hope, the 2024 election, “the welcome table” and the New Jerusalem built upon truth-telling.
History Will Damn Joe Biden
The starving, unhoused, cold, sickened, terrified and defenseless people of Gaza are surrogates for God.
March 13, 2024
Florida Teachers Can Discuss Sexual Orientation and Gender ID Under ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill Settlement; In States With Laws Targeting LGBTQ Issues, School Hate Crimes Quadrupled; Hidden Jewel for Sale Along Florida Coast Was Once a Baptist Church. Take a Look. (and more)
The Problem Isn’t Their Age, It’s Their White-Savior Complex
The problem is not that Biden or Trump are too old, but a political system that privileges incumbency rather than making room for others to have a viable chance of getting elected.
The Gospel According to James Baldwin: An Interview With Greg Garrett, Part Two
My interview with Greg Garrett, author of “The Gospel According to James Baldwin” and a professor of English at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, continues. Now we delve into the diagnostic abilities and medicinal benefits of art, “the soul cost of white supremacy” and the future of the “white church.”
A New Lifeway Research Study Finds American Evangelicals Want Both Immigration Reform and More Border Security
Most American evangelicals want both immigration reform and more border security, according to a new Lifeway Research study sponsored by the Evangelical Immigration Table.