Poet Marnie Abrahams describes an incident from her childhood in a Southeast Asian country, where she spent some fun days with her family at “The American Club”: Pak Ohm taught us to swim, holding our breath and kicking every Tuesday…
Faith and civil rights went together for Martin Luther King
We remember the life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr., who was born on Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta. His birthday became a federal holiday in 1983 and is observed on the third Monday of January. It became a…
My love-hate relationship with football
This photo from 1964 tells you a lot about me. I had just turned 4 years old. You see how my mother has me dressed. We’re visiting my dad’s sister. My boy cousins had gotten football helmets for Christmas, and…
A privileged white Southern dad reflects on racism and the legacy of MLK
“I was born a poor Black child.” So begins Steve Martin’s movie The Jerk — the first R-rated movie I saw. I was 13 and begged my college-professor father to take me. As we were leaving his office, he asked…
Does NAMB have no clue?
I’ve kept quiet amid the several years of very public clamoring for more financial transparency at the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board because I no longer have a dog in that hunt. However, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel is a…
What is the cost of the church’s failure in ‘Explaining Jesus’ to its members?
In his 2018 song “Explaining Jesus” Jordy Searcy opens the floor to a solemn and honest discussion about evangelical church life. He begins the song with lyrics that acknowledge some gay believers’ feelings of inadequacy when they consider their relationship…
Maston Foundation immigration retreat opened my eyes
How do you put into words an experience that changed mindsets, transformed hearts and inspired hearts? It is challenging to express, but a recent T.B. Maston Foundation retreat on immigration truly had a profound impact on me. I knew little…
I want to experience God in 2023
Although it was almost 35 years ago, I still remember asking myself what we were going to do about Christmas. My single-parent mom was dealing with the debilitating health issue of Lupus, and she had not been able to work…
Why I have a growing appreciation for preaching
I have been engaged in the preaching task since I was 20 years old. That means I have been at it for 31 years. Preaching is my lifestyle. There is always a biblical text and a developing sermon in my…
Do I Stay Christian? and other questions to think twice about before asking
I like to think of myself as an innovative, avant-garde and cutting-edge minister, so I am always on the lookout for books that will make me look more radical than I actually am. Brian McLaren titled his latest book to…
Teaching my grandson about sacred curiosity and Epiphany
The soft light seeping around the edges of the blinds gave me the mistaken impression that the sun was rising. I arose from my bed and headed toward the living room to begin my day by journaling. Stepping into the…
The threat of Christian nationalism has only grown since January 6
Last Friday marked the two-year anniversary since the attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. On that day, I was living about a half mile away from the Capitol, and I remember sitting in my home, glued…