Interfaith friendship is my passion. How did a lifelong Christian — born and reared in the family of a Southern Baptist pastor, who holds three degrees from a Baptist university and seminary, and is an ordained Baptist minister and 25-year…
Christians should study Revelation (but not for the reason you may think)
Perhaps you’re like me and remember going to Bible studies ever since you were a teenager. Often on the docket were Paul’s letters, the Gospels, maybe a prophet here and there, but most everyone stayed away from Revelation. When preachers…
For truth-tellers, tragedy and redemption are wrapped up in July 17
Today, July 17, marks the anniversary of one of the darkest moments in Baptist history. But as with so many events in the Christian saga, God worked with those who love God to turn darkness into light and to redeem…
Sing along when there are no words
One night in the spring of 1971, soul-singer Bill Withers was in the music studio recording a new song, Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone. It would go on to be one of the greatest hits this singer would ever have…
What happens when a biblical ‘Karen’ meets Jesus
If you look up my nickname, Becky, in the urban dictionary, you’ll find the top definition is “A Basic White Girl,” and that is not a compliment. I’m just glad for now that my real name isn’t “Karen” — a…
Faith can come rather quickly, but conversion takes a lot longer
Simon Peter denied Jesus three times; the Apostle Paul testified to a mysterious “thorn in the flesh” that even heartfelt prayer could not remove. St. Augustine cohabitated with a female “partner” for 15 years. They had a child together, yet…
We’re melting: Empathy in the time of coronavirus
Jason Vicknair went on Twitter to complain about a Mexican restaurant in Allen, Texas. He posted a photo of his beleaguered spouse and wrote: “My wife, date night after three months locked up in quarantine. Waiting for shredded cheese…
Christian citizenship means somebody’s calling my name
What does it mean to be a Christian citizen? The question should challenge every breath in our bodies in the way George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many other Black Christian citizens died daring to breathe. There is no dodging…
What I learned in my second online ordination
I have been ordained online twice now. The first time didn’t stick, as it happened after a night on Bourbon Street during my rowdy years. The details of my first online ordination are awash in a wave of cheap hurricanes,…