Less than an hour after Donald Trump was shot, one of my most liberal friends posted a meme making light of the situation. I phoned to confront the callousness. Things got heated. When I blurted, “Stop acting like a 2-year-old,”…
Being a ‘missional’ church is now redundant
In a recent Google search, I discovered more than 304 million results when I typed the term “missional.” I even came across several seminaries promoting master’s degrees in “missional leadership,” “missional theology,” “missional Christianity” and “missional multiplication” (whatever that means)….
Justice is always coming
I have spent much time processing the outcome of the presidential election. The results left me downcast and perplexed. Not because the outcome was opposite of the way I voted, but because of the swiftness and definitiveness with which the…
Yes, truth matters
As one who writes and creates with words, fact-checking and truth are second nature. Double-checking credible sources brings us closer to understanding the issue. Unlike writing a diary, I aim to reach the reader and make a connection. Well-chosen words…
Are we still of any use?
“And so it begins.” As nominations for leadership of government agencies are announced by the newly elected American president, the words of Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, written around Christmas 1942, seem startlingly relevant: We have been silent witnesses of evil…
How whiteness protected itself in America’s election
As we close the book on the 2024 election cycle, we should look beyond the campaign promises and headlines to understand what truly fueled this election. It wasn’t just about the economy, gas prices or immigration policies, although these were…
The slippery slope of unchallenged lies
The day after the election, a good friend who is a conservative Republican called to check on me, realizing I would be in a puddle of disbelief. My friend, who is a seminary-educated Southern Baptist and very smart, told me…
A divinity student’s post-election playlist: Hymn-singing through times of tension
Amid all the feelings this past political week has drawn out, several of my friends and colleagues lack words. Or have too many words to make sense of. Or fear their words have been ignored or will be silenced as…
Christians who don’t think much of Jesus
A month ago, Carol and I went to the Paley Center for Media in Manhattan for a panel discussion on “The Media’s Role in Combating Antisemitism: Next Generation Digital Storytellers.” The speakers were fascinating. Tova Friedman is a Holocaust survivor…
False prophets have hijacked the evangelical movement
A group of false prophets, most of them independent Pentecostals, have hijacked the evangelical movement. Historian David Fea identifies this loosely affiliated group of prophets as Independent Network Charismatics. The false prophets have a theological mix foreign to most evangelicals….
If a felon can lead, why can’t they vote?
In the United States, we celebrate narratives of redemption, freedom and equality yet continue to undermine those ideals when it comes to our justice-impacted citizens. This contradiction is laid bare every election cycle when the same citizens who champion “second…
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…