On Friday, our nation bid its final farewell to a Civil Rights icon. As thousands of mourners poured into House of Hope Baptist Church in Chicago to remember Jesse Jackson Sr., I was reminded of my own powerful moment with a…
Alabama is about to execute a man who did not kill anyone
The state of Alabama is scheduled to execute Sonny Burton on March 12. An execution in Alabama is not unusual. Since 2016, the state has executed 73 people. Gov. Kay Ivey has granted clemency one time in almost 10 years…
Our culture worships success; the Epstein Files reveal the cost
Like many of you, I have followed the disturbing reports surrounding the Epstein case. Behind every headline are women who were exploited and abused. Many have shown extraordinary courage in coming forward and seeking justice. Because powerful people across the…
An appeal to the laity
I appreciate Braxton Wade’s BNG piece, “When the Church Confuses Vocation with Calling” and his challenge for churches to open themselves to the Spirit’s unveiling of a pastor who comes clothed in skin or gender not usually recognized as conveying…
In conversation with Bart D. Ehrman
Bart D. Ehrman is an acclaimed scholar and New York Times bestselling author who looks at New Testament texts, early Christianity and the historical Jesus. I was introduced to his work in seminary 20 years ago, and I continue to…
Why Canadian evangelicals don’t like Trump
I must begin by admitting that, yes, some Canadian evangelicals actually do like Donald Trump. There is, for instance, a push in the western province of Alberta (where I was raised) to secede from Canada. The leaders of the secession…
Training bold prophets: A conversation with Shonda Jones
What are the religious and racial aspects of liberating U.S. democracy from authoritarianism? A recent conference at United Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia addressed this question. En route to the conference, I saw a social media post quoting conservative commentator Megan…
Understanding therapeutic support for pastors and church leaders
Pastoral ministry is not confined to a schedule or a single day of the week; it is carried quietly and consistently across the rhythms of everyday life. It shows up in phone calls answered late at night, hospital rooms entered…
What does Amos say about Israel and Gaza?
As the saga in Gaza continued to unfold, Israel partially opened the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. While the opening has allowed some medical evacuations and limited returns, it is a modest change when set against the scale…
What if we’re experiencing one giant extinction burst?
I had lunch with a friend a few days ago, and the conversation inevitably turned to what is happening in our body politic. She then said something I can’t stop thinking about: “What if what’s happening in our country is…
We have not been called to be evangelical assimilators
For 21 years of my professional life, I spent my time trying to assimilate into the white evangelical church. As I look back at all those years, I can remember not being enough. I was just enough to get hired…
No kindness, no democracy
Seventy-four years ago, on April 8, 1952, President Harry Truman went on national radio and television to announce he had issued Executive Order 10340, authorizing the United States government to seize the nation’s steel mills. Eighteen months earlier, China had…