During the climactic scene in 1993’s film Falling Down (spoilers ahead), Michael Douglas’ character, William Foster — known as “D-Fens,” after his license plate — asks a haunting question in a mix of disbelief and dawning recognition: “I’m the bad…
We can win with nonviolence
Since early December 2025, Minnesota has been under siege. Stories and videos have been pouring out of Minnesota — and elsewhere in the United States — of ICE’s violent, illegal and unethical actions. We have seen peaceful protesters assaulted; we…
John Adams and the discipline of seeing both sides
There are moments in history when the moral courage of a single individual becomes a kind of quiet lighthouse — unshowy, steady and stubbornly faithful to the truth even when the surrounding waters churn with fear, anger and tribal certainty….
Will anyone in the SBC really speak against racism?
In 1995, the Southern Baptist Convention adopted a resolution apologizing for its past ties to systemic racism and repenting of its founding history rooted in support for slavery. In 2015, the SBC adopted a resolution vowing to “rededicate ourselves to…
Three reasons from this week why BWIM’s work is needed
Evidence from this week provides three reasons why the work of Baptist Women in Ministry is still needed. Reason No. 1: When Christian patriarchal theology is popularized and easily accessible, it is used for harm. Reporting by Daniel Silliman at…
The necessity of anointing and hard work
I don’t listen to contemporary gospel or Contemporary Christian Music like I once did. Although talented and faithful remnants remain, and God continues using them, much of the genre today, at least what tops the charts, can feel mediocre or…
In occupied Palestine, the eyes don’t lie
“Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ‘Go,’ Jesus told him, ‘Wash in the pool of Siloam.’ So the man went and washed and came home seeing.” This story…
How might we do justice and love kindness in times like these?
I have been a Christian, a follower of Jesus, my whole life. I was a church kid, one who participated in every activity and wore WWJD bracelets and sang along with the praise band at every youth gathering, confident in…
Trading the Cross for a cause
Many moderate and progressive-minded Christians are trying to live our faith in the most actionable way possible. We want a church that takes suffering seriously, tells the truth about injustice, shows up for neighbors and looks like Jesus in public….
Remembering St. Brigit’s Feast Day and the Greensboro sit-in
Sunday, the first of February, was the Feast Day of St. Brigit (aka Brigid) of Kildare. It brought to mind one of my favorite prayers, which I designed as a piece of art. As it happens, Sunday also was the…
Baptism is a call to action
Have you ever heard a piece of music, read a poem or story or seen a piece of art that moved you so deeply you felt you knew exactly what the deeper meaning was that the composer, writer or artist…
Happy 50th birthday, Black History Month
Happy Birthday to Black History Month — 50 years federally recognized and 100 years strong in purpose, beginning as “Negro History Week” in 1926. While the United States formally recognized Black History Month in 1976, the acknowledgment of Black history…