In this age of alternative facts, when truth means whatever people want it to mean, I find myself longing wistfully for the Christian tradition in which I was raised — although, for the most part, it has long since passed…
‘He being dead, yet speaketh’
Another new year has come, and I have a new year’s resolution — actually a rerun of 2020 that never clicked. Clean out a stack, or two, of “When I get a moment, I want to read this” newspapers, journals…
Toxic masculinity, 24-hour news and complacency fed the Jan. 6 riots
The mob riots of Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C., have rightfully angered many of us, while also injecting tons of confusion into our national conversation. Which is saying a lot since our national conversation already was in tatters from so…
A lesson from 19th century North Carolina: Lost cause, lost opportunity
Sid Alexander had the option to choose against racism. He lived in a crucial moment. He had meaningful power. He had opportunity to break decisively and publicly with a resurgent white supremacy movement. But Sid could not rise to the…
Dear white Christians, are you done praying yet?
We all watched with horror last week as white supremacists breeched the Capitol, leaving a pool of blood, death and destruction in their wake. As an African American, my first thought was simple, “White people can get away with anything…
I’ve been accused of sowing hate
Over the last seven months, I’ve been accused of sowing hate and division with my social media posts. This summer, I lost a lifelong friend because of it. After George Floyd was killed, I began writing posts about racial justice,…
It’s past time to admit the hard truths behind the Capitol riots
History will report that on Jan. 6, 2021, two weeks before the end of Donald Trump’s term as the 45th president of the United States, Trump told thousands of his supporters gathered in Washington, D.C., to march to the U.S….
Truth Decay: Truth is interpersonal and covenantal
“So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not…
Why resisting gaslighting in the wake of sedition is self-care
The events in our nation this week have disturbed me. On Wednesday, like countless others, I was shaken by watching a seditious riot take over the Capitol. I use the word “sedition” because the actions of those involved meet the…
Four tools the church has to recover those who followed Trump’s siren song
I have had on my mind and heart the debacle that has been visited on Trump evangelicals: The “Chosen One” was “unchosen.” Donald Trump will be leaving office either by walking away or being escorted out of the White House….
Let’s make America great again
My middle son is a car guy. I have no idea how that happened since there are no other car guys in the family, on either side. It started with his first car. I told him and his older brother…
How to become the hope of 2021
2020 was definitely a year for the books. If someone would have told me a year ago what we were about to endure once March came, I never would have believed them. Social distancing, mask-wearing, “stay at home” orders, and…