Today, months of organizing comes to a climax as balloting ends in the quest to unionize some 6,000 workers at the Amazon fulfillment plant in Bessemer, Ala. The campaign — in this deep-red, right-to-work state — has enormous implications for…
The Black church and the salvation of the world
“The Black church will be the salvation of the world.” I’ll never forget those words, uttered by a colleague of mine as we gathered for a meeting of the local Black Pastors alliance. They struck me as soon as they…
As Georgia goes to the polls: Win or lose, we’ll keep preaching the truth
I’ll never forget that moment. It was the late spring of 2008, and I was sitting in the pulpit of Covenant United Church of Christ in South Holland, Ill., where I had the privilege of serving for nearly eight years…
Killin’ ’em for Christmas
In the midst of a surging pandemic that has killed 300,000 Americans plus an election that remains contested because the loser (and his idol-worshipping followers) will not accept the fact (defined as “a thing that is known or proved to…
We’re not ready for Advent, but it’s coming anyway
The arrival of Advent this year may be more important than it ever has been before. The definition of the word itself should make this reality clear: the “arrival of a notable person, thing or event.” We often speak in…
Why your vote matters to God
As of this writing, well more than 18 million people have cast their votes already, and Election Day is still two weeks away. Long waits and long lines have greeted those who are registering their support for or against the…
Don’t be left behind in this apocalyptic autumn
This will be an apocalyptic autumn. While the biblical concept of “apocalypse” has been historically appropriated in some fantastic ways, its meaning in the Greek — “to reveal” — is what leads me to make this claim. Many Americans will…
The Ethiopian Regiment and the work of redeeming America
“Liberty to Slaves.” Those were the words that were emblazoned on their uniforms as they went into battle as members of the Ethiopian Regiment. The regiment had gathered in response to the proclamation issued by Lord John, the Earl of…
Black people have the right to defend themselves by the same means their white counterparts do
Here’s the unsettling but important point being made: You cannot just kill black people indiscriminately, wantonly, whimsically and expect that they will – or better yet – that they SHOULD accept it as if their lives do not matter to themselves, their families and their communities.