To come to the realization that I, a pastor who regularly helps other people in times of crisis, could not help myself — that was a revelation. I am so accustomed to being the helper that I didn’t know how to be the one needing help.
Climb the ladder and storm the treehouse
Achieving the American Dream shouldn’t be like trying to get into a treehouse in which only certain people are welcome. The Puritan work ethic shouldn’t just ensure success for those who look like the early white Puritans. Francis McDormand was right. We need an inclusion rider. But not just for Hollywood contracts — we need one for life.
My (sports) hypocrisy goes only so far
We have to admit: If we are fans of sports on any level, we sometimes choose to support and sometimes choose to shun, and we are not always consistent about it.
Three strikes against the Rohingya?
Reports now are that the Rohingya, a Muslim minority living in Myanmar (Burma), will now be driven from their camps in neighboring Bangladesh back to western Myanmar, likely facing murder, rape and pillage all the way. They are terrified, and rightfully so.
Reading the obituaries for Lent: Reminders that people are often good
Reading the obituaries sounds gloomy, but that has not been my experience. Being encouraged to make my days count feels like preparing for Easter.
How (not) to save your church
For churches to survive it might mean (realizing that I say this as a white dude with too much education) finally coming to grips with the fact that white dudes with too much education have gotten us into the mess we’re currently enjoying as a Christian movement in America. Because of that, maybe the only way we can fix it is by handing the microphone to those who know what it’s like to be powerless, ignored, marginalized, poor, desperate, and searching for a “yes” in a sea of “no.”
God, not an atonement theory, saves humanity
Does God want persons who are simply forgiven? Or does God want persons who are not only forgiven, but are quick to forgive others, because they have a forgiving heart? Does God want persons who believe theories, or does God want persons who return God’s love and love others as they love themselves?
Letters to the Editor on 03.05.18
The latest from our readers: • In addressing gun violence, embracing evil is no solution | Joseph Furio, Richmond, Va. • Speaking as a physician, our nation’s level of gun violence is a public health crisis | Matthew Blackwell, M.D., Charlotte, N.C. • Like the king in the fable, the U.S. gun culture is wearing no clothes | David Hopper and Patricia Rigney, Norman, Okla.
A gospel torn in two by a white Jesus
Among the unavoidable claims of the gospel is that those following in the way of Jesus will be wounded. The Way leads to abundance, but it is not painless. A false gospel — or a half-gospel — wounds, but not in a way that brings about healing. White Jesus wounds the body and soul of everyone he encounters, but lacks either the power or the gentle touch to bind up our wounds.
Dear white friends: Go see ‘Black Panther’
Sure, Black Panther is a fantasy film about action heroes, but it’s not so far from real life either. Citizens of the continent of Africa are strong. They are hardworking. They are dreaming big about their future and would like us to see them that way.
A rabbi, a preacher and a Pride parade
Interpreting the Holy Scriptures in order to condemn the LGBTQ community is too narrow, too legalistic, too short-sighted. A limited view of God and Scripture fails to see the larger story of scandalous grace at work from Genesis through Revelation; it fails to follow the unpredictable Spirit of God moving freely, and it fails to be humbled by the Gospel texts which reveal the wildly-inclusive love of Jesus and the wide diversity of God’s kingdom.
‘Anticipatory mourning’: America’s youth on death, guns and dissent
We’ve ritualized death away from the young in this culture, in funeral homes and hospice facilities, but it has overtaken them with a vengeance in what were once safe spaces for learning.