During the holiest of seasons for Christians around the world, thoughts turn to the Cross on which Jesus died on Friday before his tomb was empty on Sunday. At candlelit Maundy Thursday evening observances of the Lord’s Supper or solemn…
I won’t buy his ‘truth’ or his Bible
One presidential candidate is now selling an American-flag-draped, Constitution-including Bible for $60! If certain American evangelicals, certain Republicans and perhaps all people who still intend to vote for him know their history — especially the history of the Reformation —…
Netanyahu has turned Israel into an evil empire
The government of Israel, as led by Benjamin Netanyahu and empowered by his right-wing coalition in the Knesset, has become an evil empire. And their chief enablers are in the United States. This is a hard truth that must be…
The Easter season brings memories joyous and painful of growing up in Palestine
Nothing has changed since a version of this column first appeared in 2020 in another publication under the title “A Lethal Virus Called Israeli Occupation: A Somber Easter in Occupied Palestine.” The original title drew on the spread of COVID in…
Life lessons from being a single person at church
It was a particularly lonely moment in my life the first time I joined a church on my own. I had joined several churches up to that point (I am a pastor’s kid) but this was the first time without…
Twelve things the SBC should do now to address clergy sex abuse
The four of us have watched with dismay as Southern Baptist Convention officials repeatedly proclaim “progress” on sexual abuse reform while, at the same time, taking 10 steps backward. They bail with a thimble — and make a show of…
Israel’s war on Gaza and occupation policies are quietly erasing Christian culture and presence this holy season
While all eyes are on Gaza, Israel’s occupation policies continue to quietly erase the presence and identity of ancient Christian communities of the Holy Land. Israeli policies limit the ability of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank to access ancient…
Two things can be true at the same time
In case you missed the controversy, Easter Sunday and Transgender Day of Visibility fell on the same day this year. Oh, the horrors! Conservative evangelicals — many of whom who believe transgender identity is not a real thing — saw…
Wrestling with the reality of sexual abuse in the Easter story in Surviving God
In their new book, Surviving God: A New Vision of God Through the Eyes of Sexual Abuse Survivors, Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Susan Shaw offer a feminist and intersectional understanding of God that challenges traditional ways of Christian thinking. Kim…
The last word is hope
One of the most important things I learned over four decades of ministry is that hope saves people’s lives. Hope saves them spiritually, emotionally, relationally and sometimes even physically. People hope for many things. They hope for forgiveness, reconciliation, healing….
Politics, faith and mission: A conversation with Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde has been the Episcopal bishop of Washington, D.C., since 2011. She has discussed faith and politics on PBS NewsHour, Meet the Press, Good Morning America, and the Today show, and is the author of several books,…
Weeping with Daughter Zion
Maybe you’ve seen the social media meme. Hundreds of old-timey cars are parked willy-nilly on the lawn of an old country church. The faithful are streaming into the sanctuary. “Back in the day,” the caption reads, “everyone went to church…