Many years ago, as a senior in college, I was a member of the cast of our school’s musical theater production of The Music Man. The show had been a sold-out success on Broadway for composer Meredith Willson, and the 1962…
Holy imagination
The 2001 song “I Can Only Imagine” was written by Bart Millard and recorded by the Christian band MercyMe. Based on an imaginary experience in heaven, the lyrics include: I can only imagine what it will be like When I…
Let’s show Christian kindness to LGBTQ people and their advocates
Several years ago, when I was a professor at a Baptist university, a student told me he had encouraged a gay Christian friend to come talk with me. He assured him I was compassionate, understanding and non-judgmental. It wasn’t long…
The one thing that unites the world’s religions
The world’s religions intrigue me. This fascination is a benefit of my having lived on the island of Java for a quarter century, immersed in a culture enriched by religious pluralism. My appreciation for religious difference also is tied to…
A world inside a world, spinning around
Poet Marnie Abrahams describes an incident from her childhood in a Southeast Asian country, where she spent some fun days with her family at “The American Club”: Pak Ohm taught us to swim, holding our breath and kicking every Tuesday…
Six reasons why the ‘family of God’ is more inclusive than we have thought
I remember when missionary colleagues, just returned from their home leave in Oklahoma, introduced the Bill and Gloria Gaither gospel hymn “The Family of God” to our gathered Baptist personnel in Indonesia. Over the years, the song became so deeply…
Six Scriptures undergirding my attitude toward other faiths
Recently, I wrote an opinion piece outlining six lessons I have learned on my interfaith journey. I concluded by stating it was really the way Jesus treated those who were different, the “outsiders,” that prompted my acceptance and celebration of…
Six lessons learned on my interfaith journey
By way of introduction, I am a devoted follower of Jesus with a passion for interfaith relations. I was born and reared in Florida in the family of a Southern Baptist pastor, where Dad and Mom helped form in me…
Bigotry is Donald Trump’s biggest moral failure
Donald Trump was publicly accused of bigotry in a lawsuit almost a half century ago. In response, the former president’s first open denial of racism ever to appear in The New York Times came on Oct. 16, 1973. He was responding to…