The first Labor Day was celebrated Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, thanks to the efforts of that city’s Central Labor Union. Leading up to that first Labor Day, there was a massive march by sweatshop workers in…
Before you protest at a Pride parade, look closely at what the Bible actually says
I look forward to marching in the Pride parade with my church each year. We have had a float in the parade almost from the parade’s beginning. Each year there are protesters. Almost always, there is someone holding a Bible;…
Fundamentalism is not the only religious voice unless we give up
The Psalmist writes: “Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.” Using the tools of biblical criticism, we…
Holy Week cannot be about personal salvation and nothing more
They entered the city on March 24. Many came by foot. Some of them from the mount, not of Olives but the various mountains and hills that surround Nashville, Tenn. They came with modern palm branches — protest signs. The…
This Christmas, they can try to control the Bible, but they can’t have Jesus
I wanted to be an R.A. They had so much more fun than the G.A.s. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, for many years in Southern Baptist churches, Wednesday night programing for children was…
If Jesus could be changed by a sass-mouthed woman, maybe legislators and governors can be too
In Texas, vehement castigations of Critical Race Theory are being thrown around when a last grasp at holding onto white supremacy is what was actually passed in the Legislature. This bill seeks to deny our hard truths, our painful history,…
Pharaoh is the model for American politicians who want to forget our history
The stories we tell matter. The stories some try to silence matter, too, maybe even more. Legislatures across our country are using the rhetoric of fear to push through bills that seek to control the story of our country. So…
To live into Easter, we need to keep writing a new song
Easter is here. But before we move too far into this season of hope, we need to pause and remember how Jesus died. Jesus was not the first person of color to be murdered by the authorities; his death was…
Right now, we need angry Jesus
I need angry Jesus because, Jesus, I’m angry, too. I need angry Jesus turning over the tables. I need angry Jesus, whip in hand, driving out injustice. I need angry Jesus to inspire me to flip the tables of oppression…