written by Brett Younger FADE IN 1 INT. KITCHEN – DAY 1 A couple sitting at their kitchen table in a Brooklyn brownstone have just finished two pieces of birthday cake. Sixty-three burnt candles have a plate of their own….
Get ready for the Kamala backlash
Like many in our country, the political events of the past few weeks have left me stunned and cautious. I feel as if I’m in the middle of a dystopian novel, wondering what unanticipated turn will happen next. In the…
Oh, dear, what could the trouble be?
Plopping down in our library, I pour myself a glass of something the unlicensed Baptist preacher Elijah Craig had a hand in making. I sift through a plastic milk crate. A small collection of vinyl is housed in it. I…
Welcoming refugees is an opportunity for churches to practice the ministry of hospitality
As heated debates about immigration continue on the national stage, it is more important than ever for Christians to practice compassion to the vulnerable and the stranger — to shape the conversation around immigration toward greater hospitality instead of being…
Seeing in color
I am old enough to remember black and white television. Color TVs didn’t become affordable until the mid-1960s, and I recall getting our first one at home in 1969. Seeing actors in full color made a difference. While I can’t…
Why is my city in a hotel bed with the NRA?
Imagine what would happen if the ninth-largest city in America worked out a deal with Planned Parenthood to host a weeklong convention in city-owned facilities and gave them a $927,000 discount. Conservatives and anti-abortion churches would lose their ever-loving minds….
Defending Jesus: Learning how to react in a post-Christendom culture
The Olympic Games opening ceremony featured what seemed to have been a parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, only the members of the supper were represented by drag performers. And, in case you live under a rock or are…
A call to Christian discernment: Faith, politics and divine protection
“Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.” — Psalm 146:3 In the wake of the recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, a storm of emotions and reactions has swept across our nation….
The leadership house is on fire …
… And it is a good idea to allow it to burn to the ground. Then we can stand around its ashes in solidarity as we work to allow the emergence of a new way to practice the important craft…
Offense taken: Parsing the uproar over the Olympics opening ceremony
The way pastors and pundits respond to controversy online in the heat of a cultural moment can be a window for discovering how power works in society and a reminder for where Christians can find beauty. When screenshots of the…
Why aren’t evangelicals offended by Donald Trump?
Like a billion other people, I recently watched the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics. The next day I saw numerous articles about evangelicals being “offended” by the event. Upon further reading, I discovered they were offended by the…
Maybe non-Christians prefer drag queens to tattletales
“Teacher! Billy stuck his tongue out at me!” You’re the teacher. Take a moment to think about how you’d respond. Many folks would say, “Billy? Did you stick your tongue out at Jimmy? … Tell me the truth. … OK….