Something remarkable and courageous, perhaps even miraculous, happened in Russia on Monday, March 14. Marina Ovsyannikova, a news editor at Channel One, the Kremlin’s leading news channel with 250 million viewers worldwide, suddenly appeared behind the news anchor during the…
Seeking the blessing of those who welcome us to the land
Edith and I travel a lot and have done so for years. We spent four years where we just traveled around from reservation to reservation across the United States and Canada and mentored a number of people. We also did…
The Civil Rights leader nobody knows on his 100th birthday
On March 18, 2022, Fred Shuttlesworth, one of the least known but most impactful figures in the Civil Rights movement, would have celebrated his 100th birthday. Unless you are a historian of that movement or one of my friends, you probably…
What could the church learn from Amazon?
In 1994, Jeff Bezos left a lucrative job as an investment banker on Wall Street to start a company selling books on a new technology called the internet. Two years later, I left a non-lucrative career in ministry and entered…
We don’t talk about periods, no no
Disney made a movie about menstruation and — surprise, surprise — American evangelicals got upset. The movie, Turning Red, directed by Domee Shi (a Chinese Canadian filmmaker), is the first full-length Pixar film to be directed by a woman. Let…
The preacher said it was ‘his time to go,’ but that brought no comfort to the family
The preacher at the memorial service no doubt thought he was giving a message of comfort to those who had lost a loved one. The central thrust of his message was that it was Jim’s time to go. Apparently, this…
Sleepless nights, parenting, biscuits and holy Communion
I’m fully awake a few ticks after 6 a.m., but I’ve been semi-conscious for a few hours. To say my oldest daughter hasn’t slept well is putting it nicely. When she hasn’t been exploring the different positions to rest her…
The meaning of Jesus in these odd times, part 3
In the season of Lent 2022, our world is at war. No, it’s not World War III. Not yet. But if you think the Russo-Ukrainian conflict has no worldwide implications, you’ve not stopped at the gas pump lately. Last January…
On the anniversary of the Atlanta shootings, a call for empathy, intimacy and holistic racial reconciliation
It’s been a year. A full 365 days have passed since the day of the shooting in Atlanta where eight people were killed, six of whom were Asian-American women. I remember following the news of this event and feeling shocked…
Letter to the Editor: Advice from Roger Williams
Letter to the Editor March 15, 2022 Dear Editor: WOW! I had never heard of Voddie Baucham until I read about him this past week on BNG. This guy is nothing more than a sociopath. He needs to stay where…
Searching for redemption in ‘The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill’
I (Maina) still remember being a newlywed when my wife and I attended a church service in the Maryland area. A young hipster speaker who was filling in for the pastor that day began speaking in a fiery tone, which…
Christian nationalism in Russia
The religious angle of the war in Ukraine has been largely ignored by the generals, the journalists and the politicians. But the pastors, bishops and theologians of the Christian community around the world, especially the Orthodox, have found their voice….