On June 17, 2015, a young white stranger walked into a Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. (sometimes known as “Mother Emanuel” because of its role as one of America’s most historic Black churches). That…
Truth Decay: How lies prepare the way for evil
“They bend their tongues like bows; they have grown strong in the land for falsehood, and not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, says the Lord.” — Jeremiah 9:3 Every fall semester at…
Finding resilience in the midst of COVID fatigue
I hear it in breathless conversations with ministers in multiple settings: “I’m exhausted. How can I be this tired when most of what I do is talk on the phone or to a screen?” “I’m running out of ideas about…
Can you really be ‘evangelical’ if you don’t bring good news to the poor?
American evangelicals must be reminded that they are to bear good news and be good news. Numerous American Christians don’t care for the politicized label “evangelical” even though they are, in fact, evangelists. Many such non-evangelicals are more evangelistic than…
Today, I’ve got nothing to say
I’ve got nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. It never has happened before, but I’ve been trying to write this piece since Jan. 6. And I’ve got nothing. For about five years, I’ve enjoyed this platform. Many would give their writing hand…
Two words, two virtues, to help America move forward
On Inauguration Day evening, I went to bed exhausted with the mix of the day’s emotions. Joy over the beginning of a new administration; relief there had been no violence; and sorrow — sorrow over all the human lives lost…
Trying to make sense of January 6: Jesus wept
I watched the bizarre assault live on television as I rocked an infant in my arms. I have spent every waking minute reading eyewitness accounts, listening to podcasts and watching cable news. I’m trying to understand. I’m asking myself if…
A wish list for the common good in a new era
With the presidential inauguration, a new session of Congress and state legislatures gearing up, Americans receive fresh reminders to look toward the future with hope. Of course, we place ultimate trust in God and not government. But we propel our…
The end of Trump’s presidency does not end America’s root problem
Donald Trump’s presidency ended with the United States leading the world in the number of deaths caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He left Washington, D.C., as more federal troops were in Washington than at any other time since the Civil War,…
‘How can I talk to my parent who has been consumed by Trumpism and QAnon?’
Last Sunday I was the guest teacher for a Bible study group made up of individuals and couples in their 40s and early 50s. As we talked about a biblical response to racism, a common question emerged from class members:…
Insurrection postscript: The church’s one foundation isn’t the USA
On Jan. 6, as our family watched in real time, thousands of insurrectionists took over the U.S. Capitol, and the words of two 17th century Colonial Americans raced across my memory. Governor John Winthrop, arriving at Massachusetts Bay on the…
Three signposts for American Christians in a changing world
A lot can change in 40 years. As a decidedly liberal and middle-aged me looks back at the Reagan Republican twenty-something I once was, I’m forced to ponder the road that led from there to here. I worry that similar…