Recent Articles
Becoming Peace
When we blame, criticize and condemn others, it is often an attempt to justify the pain that resides deep within our own souls.
December 12, 2023
A St. Paul Church Opened Six Tiny Homes for Those Experiencing Homelessness; ‘The Mission’ Directors Discovered Killed Missionary John Chau was ‘Possessed of Two Faiths; Religion and the LGBTQ+ Community: Choosing an Inclusive Worship Home (and more)
“As It Is in Heaven?”
I came to the Christian faith by way of the Holiness Pentecostal tradition. Holiness or hell, some would say it was an easy decision. But these days, the North American church makes me look sideways at my religious experience.
2023 Advent Reflection: Peace
I grieve the conflict in the world that renders the lives, homes and cultures of some less valuable than mine. I grieve the death of beloved institutions that needed to die. I grieve the consequences of my own behaviors producing the planet my children will inherit.
Hope and Loss: The Social Justice Gap Left by the Church
These students balance hurt and hope beautifully. They recognize how they have been oppressed and harmed by the church and systems in our world but have a deep sense of hope that things will get better.
December 11, 2023
University of Pennsylvania’s President, and Board Chair Resign as Antisemitism Draws Backlash; Retired NYPD Cops Visited Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birth Home to Take a Picture. They Caught an Alleged Would-be Arsonist; The Guns Were Said to be Destroyed. Instead, They Were Reborn. (and more)
Brittney Griner, Baylor and Running Out of Time
The hermeneutical gymnastics required to include powerful, wealthy men under the umbrella of “Biblical Christianity” are far more complex than those needed to include LGBTQ+ individuals under the same umbrella.
Taylor Swift: The Soundtrack to My Life
Swift is a generation-defining artist who has impacted the music industry and the world for the better.
An Open Letter to Those Who Grieve
In the fullest expression of the incarnation, Jesus came to live among us. In that life, even he understood what it meant to stand before the grave and contemplate his grief. But Jesus also understood that death was not the final word.
Missed Warnings at Pearl Harbor: Lessons for the Church and Country
The way of justice, peace and love are in danger if these signs go unwarranted. If the church loses her witness for love and justice and the country loses democracy, the attack will not be a surprise.
Gaza and the Pitfalls of Binary Thinking
In this fairy tale, there is no room for the Palestinian Jew living along the Gaza Strip or the Israeli Muslim praying for the violence to cease. Everyone gets shoved into an ill-fitting box or erased to maintain a simple plotline.
Lifeway Report Finds All Churches Have Returned to In-Person Worship Post-Pandemic
Nearly all U.S. Protestant churches are meeting in-person since the end of the pandemic, according to a report released by Lifeway Research last month. Churches have also returned to pre-pandemic numbers and a new normal.
November 7, 2023
Got to Have Faith: Religion Finds it Moment at COP28; First Baptist Abilene Dedicates $10 Million Community Center; ‘Jesus, How I Love Thee’: Kansas Public School District Warned About Bible Lessons, Worship Songs (and more)
Below the Surface: A Conversation with Jaimee Harris
“It’s hard for me to separate Christianity in particular from any piece of my life because, when I was younger, I was so ‘in,’” Harris reflected. She added, “The church gave me my first opportunity to be involved in music. It gave me a social group. It gave me a place to be accepted.”
New Report Finds Most Asian American Lives Shaped by Discrimination
U.S. stereotypes of Asian Americans as a “model minority” and “forever foreigner” fuel discrimination, according to a report released by the Pew Research Center on November 30.
Film Review: Napolean
Maybe you will find more here than I did. But I can say that the only thing about this movie that I enjoyed was that my wife liked it.
December 6, 2023
Studies: Social Media Does Not Change Minds; Christian Scholar Sues Bible College After Being Fired Over Social Media Post on Homosexuality; In Solidarity with Gaza, West Bank Church Cancels Christmas Celebrations (and more)
Handing Over the Hammer
Since taking on a $ 1.60-an-hour dishwashing job as a teen, I’ve been continuously employed in some capacity. While I can’t imagine doing nothing, facing a stage of life without the current deadlines, meetings and other commitments is inviting.
A Growing Number of Americans Get News on TikTok
More Americans are turning to TikTok as their news source, according to a Pew Research report released on November 15.
Concerning the Jesus Gene
When people work to put in place public policy which helps create a more equitable and welcoming society for all persons, I don’t call that “wokism.” I call it baptism.
December 5, 2023
‘Why are We at Each Other’s Throats?’: Panel Unpacks Role of Polarization in the Church; How Religion Places into Ron Densantis’ Public Image – From ‘Armor of God’ to a Bible Ordered in Amazon; Panel Discusses Protecting Human Rights in Palestinian Territories (and more)
No Enemy Lines
While we draw hard lines to mark who we are for and against, Jesus didn’t cross anyone off his list. The story of Saul and Stephen is a fitting example of this.
The Cooking of the Greens
There would be multiple green things involved, after all, but we finally agreed on “Hanging of the Green,” even though some thought it sounded a bit uppity.
2023 Advent Reflection: Hope
But what if hope is never lost? What if it is an anchor with a line that feels tight and taut, right next to our hearts, and also a line that sometimes goes slack, with God holding fast through it all?
December 4, 2023
Police Raid Gay Venues in Russia After Top Court Bans ‘International LGBTQ Movement’; New Study Links Christian Nationalism to Increased Prejudice Against Atheists; My Father, My Faith, and Donald Trump (and more)
“Your ‘Kin-dom’ Come”: An Advent Podcast Series Reminds Listeners That We Are Family
“Your ‘Kin-dom’ Come” moves listeners from a Sunday morning prayer to a practice of relating that says we are ready—not just for Jesus but for each other. Gathered around the story of Jesus’ birth, the Advent series from The Raceless Gospel podcast invites listeners to remember our relatedness and reconnect as family.
I Am Vermin
At this rate, the question is becoming less “if” but “when.” When will the powder keg upon which our society rests explode into massive violence?
Look Back | Is Anti-Zionism Antisemitism?
Jews affirm that one can criticize Israel without being antisemitic. Where is the line drawn? A little context is necessary before an adequate answer can be given.
December 1, 2023
The National Association of Christian Lawmakers: The Christian Nationalist Machine Turning Hate Into Law; U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to Address Christian Nationalist Lawmakers Group; Oregon Church Gifts Land Back for Indigenous Tiny Home Village
An Indigenous Lesson
The gesture seemed to be one of respect and honor, a feeling that was certainly reciprocal. It was hard to pull away from such sacred majesty, but their actions left me feeling great pride.