On May 10, a 19-year-old student at the University of Washington died in the laundry room of an off-campus apartment complex, Nordheim Court. This student did not die from natural causes, from drug use or cancer. Juniper Blessing died after…
12 ways to shepherd courage in divided communities
In early 2026, I was invited to participate and help facilitate a conversation with clergy from around the country as a part of a Zoom conversation hosted by Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. My breakout session was on how…
Why Jennifer Knapp’s newest album ‘resonates’ with me
On Sept. 4, Jennifer Knapp’s newest recording venture hit the market. In this five-song extended play collection, Resonant, she pulled together some of her favorites covers. The term “resonant” refers to a deep, clear echoing of sound, and these songs…
Unless Congress intervenes, Trump will cut funding for LGBTQ crisis hotline
In August 2019, the Federal Communications Commission proposed to Congress the need for a crisis hotline that would connect people to suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors. On Oct. 17, 2020, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020…
‘Why don’t you wear a suit?’
Late last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the United States to meet with American officials about the ongoing war with Russia. Most significant was a meeting between the heads of state that took place in the Oval Office….
Creating a sanctuary in times of fear
“Can’t we just agree to disagree?” This has been a common thread lately on social media and among conversations with people I know. Certainly, we can. I like vanilla, and you prefer chocolate ice cream. I cheer for my alma…
Falling again
Today, I just sit. Taking a pregnant pause from the constant demands of life on this early October afternoon, I find myself sitting on a simple wooden bench in the woods outside an abbey in southern Missouri. I am taking…
So easily offended
We are so easily offended. Let’s say you are scrolling across social media and you see a post where someone shares a meme you do not agree with. What happens inside you? Is your first thought, “Well that person is…
At Wild Goose Festival, ‘I found my flock’
Attending the 2024 Wild Goose Festival at Van Hoy Farms in Harmony, N.C., was a first for me. Even though I’d heard about the annual gathering of progressive post-evangelicals, I really did not know what to expect. However, as David…
Wonder Woman vs. Sovereign
Tom King is a modern mastermind behind the DC Universe. In 2018, King received the Eisner Award for Best Writer due to his graphic novels about Mister Miracle and Batman. In 2023, DC Universe announced his comic book series Supergirl:…
From the Protestant Reformation to Columbia University, some thoughts on protests
Typically, historians view Oct. 31, 1517, as the beginning of the period known as the Protestant Reformation. Ordained as a Roman Catholic priest a decade earlier, Martin Luther came to a deep conviction of the need for reform in the…
Is this the end of the world as we know it?
Back in 1987, the alternative rock band R.E.M. sang their hit song: “It’s the End of the World as We Know It.” The song clamors of catastrophic events devastating the earth (such as earthquakes, hurricanes, fires, continental drifts and military…