Floyd A. Craig, a legendary Baptist communicator and mentor to a number of other Baptist communicators of my generation, entered eternity last Friday evening. He was 91. I called him The Godfather. Not the mafia-type, but the type Miriam-Webster defines…
How might we honor those who labor for us and with us?
The first Labor Day was celebrated Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City, thanks to the efforts of that city’s Central Labor Union. Leading up to that first Labor Day, there was a massive march by sweatshop workers in…
The powerful religious closing to the DNC
With the crowd cheering, balloons falling and television pundits starting to praise Kamala Harris for her Thursday night speech accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, the Democratic National Convention program still had another agenda item. Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt and…
It’s time for the prophets among us to stand up and speak out
I was recently with a group of pastors and laity from The United Methodist Church (the denomination I’m a part of). There, I lamented the fact that some pastors are afraid of addressing things like Christian nationalism within their congregations….
‘Unarmed truth and unconditional love’ will prevail over pharisaical fallacy
During my brief time in office, a fringe group of radical Islamic extremists pushed for various state legislatures to enact bills that would enforce Sharia Law. I signed a petition against it. Today, a fringe group of radical Christian extremists…
A Christian call to confront the silence of the Gaza genocide
In our age of advanced technology, where global connections are just a click away, a desperate cry echoes from the Gaza Strip — a cry from a land enduring the weight of more than 57 years of Israeli occupation and…
Letter to the Editor: Where do ‘we’ go?
Dear Editor: Where do “we” go? Where do “we” fit in? Is there a place for us? Those of us who do believe strongly in the sanctity of human life and that abortion goes against God’s commands, but do not…
Regarding election 2024: Eight things I see
After a tumultuous and fascinating two months in American politics, here are some things I see as this election year moves into its final stretch. After the June presidential debate, Joe Biden’s candidacy was doomed. He was right to drop…
We cannot benevolence our way out of problems we’ve injusticed our way into
Last week, I was invited to serve on a panel of Little Rock clergy to mobilize pastors, churches and citizens to engage the political process and vote. Here’s what I said about why Christian people should engage the political process….
Why Christians should support reproductive justice, including abortion access
“Reproductive justice” is a term coined by Black women activists in the 1990s to recognize the intersections of race, class, sexuality, nation and gender in reproductive health and decision-making. SisterSong, an organization that fights for reproductive justice, defines the term…
My long farewell to the evangelical church
Many years ago, I served as an adjunct professor of worship and preaching at a Baptist seminary. One day, as I prepared for an upcoming class, I went to a photocopy shop and begin copying large numbers of worship bulletins and…
Reflections from the Baptist Scholars International Roundtable at Oxford
One of my struggles as a Ph.D. student is finding spaces where I can gather with other students and professors to have long-format discussions about my ideas, work and hunches. Many times, the pressure of the hustle and bustle of…