I have been called a lot of things in my life. Some nice and some that would make my mother gasp. One I liked the least was when my senior pastor, who denied my call to ministry, attempted to relate…
Faith without justice: Baptist blind spots in Palestine
As a concerned believer, I am deeply troubled by the recent resolutions of the Southern Baptist Convention against my family, my people and my homeland, Palestine. Despite professing to uphold Christian values of compassion and justice, the SBC’s approach in…
You only leave home when home won’t let you stay
no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark you only run for the border when you see the whole city running as well your neighbors running faster than you breath bloody in their throats the boy…
Gov. Landry and the new Ten Commandments
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry seemed quite smug with himself, surrounded by similarly adoring fans as he proudly — yes, even regally — signed into law his dangerous bill to place the Ten Commandments in every classroom in every public educational…
Finding refuge: The diverse faces of resilience in America
On the day of its independence, America chose a motto to show how proud it was of its diversity and welcome. Over the centuries “E Pluribus Unum” — “out of many, one” — has meant welcoming tens of millions of the…
Lying does count!
There’s an old story that goes something like this: At the end of the age, billions of souls from across eternity are gathered at the Great-White-Throne-Judgment awaiting divine adjudication. At some point, the multitudes at the rear hear tumultuous hoorahs…
What, to the white American, is the 19th of June?
On July 5, 1852, the Ladies Anti-Slavery Society of Rochester invited Frederick Douglass to give a speech on the 76th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which became known by its central piercing question, “What, to the American slave, is your…
What Ezekiel tells us about today’s climate crisis
Ezekiel was weird, but he wasn’t wrong. The Bible is a tough read because it was forged in hell. When the armies of Nebuchadnezzar stomped Jerusalem flat, the people of Judah lost everything in a single stroke. Thousands of innocent…
When discussing the war in Gaza, we must ask the question about genocide
Invocation “Schindler’s List” — violin solo by Braimah Kanneh-Mason § § § Following Hamas’ brutal execution of nearly 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s words have become infamous: “I have ordered a complete siege…