“Hate the sin, love the sinner” is a phrase familiar to everyone in the arena of faith. It’s a phrase that on its surface seems holy — godly even. It seems like a way to be both lovingly accepting of…
Confessional Christianity and the choice Jesus offers
If you were listening to R&B in the early 1990s, especially in Cleveland, you may recall Chris Bender’s hit song “Who Will I Choose?” In the song Chris has a dilemma, he has two love interests contending for his heart….
The holy work of Holy Week
For Christians all over the world, this week is Holy Week, not just because of what God did in antiquity. It is holy because of what God is doing today. By divine providence, there is a consecrated convergence of Holy…
‘Don’t fence me in’
In 1997, Mercedes Benz launched an exciting ad campaign in an effort to rebrand themselves as more relevant and fun-loving. The series of ads was set to the Gene Autry song “Don’t Fence Me In,” and those commercials live rent…
Christians must reassert themselves in the public square and demand behavior consistent with belief
Upon meeting each other, the brothers in my esteemed fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, have a unique way of greeting and engaging that establishes and proves membership. We’ve learned interrogating to establish membership is crucial because there are a lot of…
Idolatry is alive and well today
For much of the Hebrew Scriptures (what many Christians call the Old Testament) idolatry was the bane of Israel’s existence with God. As a product of the church, I always wondered how a people who experienced the power of God…
Guys, guns and gods
I am an unabashed 1980s baby. My childhood was blessed with He-Man, Transformers, G.I. Joe, and the then-wrestlers from the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation. I grew up memorizing movie lines and moves by…
We’ve been sold a sampled gospel
Sean P.Diddy Combs is held by many today as a talented if not iconic hip-hop producer. He rose to fame and prominence however through sampling — the practice of taking an old song (one that is typically already very popular)…