A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to preach on the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. I won’t revisit the sermon itself, but one observation continues to play over and over in my head. In Jesus’…
Her name is not ‘immigrant’
Fourteen years ago, I was getting ready to walk into a church where I was the guest speaker on a Wednesday night. I never had been there before and was not sure where to go. A man was walking through…
Receiving ashes is a call to action
“You are dust and to dust you shall return.” With the words of one of several familiar formulas for the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday, many Christians begin their annual Lenten journey. Growing up Roman Catholic, Lent was a…
When nonprofits fail their staff, they fail their governance
Nonprofit organizations exist to serve the public good. They depend on public trust, philanthropic investment and the labor of people who choose mission over profit. That trust, however, is not sustained by vision statements or moral rhetoric alone. It is…
Black History Month is about moral memory
Black History Month often is framed as a time of celebration — a time to honor leaders, milestones and achievements that reshaped the American story. But at its deepest level, Black History Month is about moral memory. It is about…
Our love for Black children must speak louder than headlines
When I saw the recent headlines of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos being reunited with his father after being held in a Texas detention facility for more than a week, I softened at the sight of the blue bunny hat. And…
This ‘Minaj’ à trois isn’t going to end well
Editor’s note: This article includes strong sexual language. On June 20, 2018, Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, who performs under the stage name “Nicki Minaj,” tweeted: “I came to this country as an illegal immigrant @ 5 years old. I can’t…
Jesus’ cover bands: Some ‘Christians’ are making up their own songs
In 1980, I was invited to a James Taylor concert, but our church softball team was in the playoffs. If our right fielder got injured, I might get to play. I decided to put the team first and have regretted…
Seven strategies for dealing with doubt
Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God himself. —…
How sharing ‘that meme’ perpetuates racist harm
Donald Trump, president of the United States, shared a meme. You know the one. Despite the fact Trump is somewhat of a memelord who posts on social media an average of 18 times per day, if you’re reading this article…
Peace ain’t what it’s cracked up to be
This past Jan. 15 — ironically, on the actual birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. — the 2025 Nobel laureate for peace, Maria Corina Machado, took her prize medal, encased in a gold (of course) and glass frame, to the…
Abuse isnʼt the result of sin; itʼs the result of omnipotence
What if power abuses are ultimately theological? Clergy abuse is so common, it has become a cliche. The new archbishop of Canterbury was accused of colluding with an abusive priest. In December, a federal judge ordered the New Orleans Archdiocese…