Mass shootings will outnumber snowstorms this year. That sentence hurts to write; may it haunt us. The decision to cancel church for inclement weather involves the complex interaction of values — safety vs. commitment; feelings — fear of injury vs….
Why I am not without hope for Sarah Mullally
My phone immediately blew up with text notifications when Sarah Mullally was named the 106th archbishop of Canterbury late last week. “Did you hear?” and “Can you believe it?” became a common refrain. My personal favorite — “BOOM” — accompanied…
Here’s why yesterday’s Supreme Court hearing matters
Around this time last year, Living Hope Ministries was preparing for a 35th anniversary of its work. The organization sprung out of First Baptist Church of Arlington, Texas, and according to its website, its mission is “to proclaim God’s truth…
What I’ve learned since October 7, 2023
On October 7, 2023, Hamas — elected to power in 2006 — launched a major attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip, firing thousands of rockets and sending fighters across the border. The assault targeted Israeli towns and army bases near…
Just me, a pink float and the River of God
For the past few months, I’ve been framing my spiritual life — really, my spiritual health — with a specific image: I am floating down the river of God’s work in the world on a bright pink float that, for…
Language and politics
This year, 2025, is the 100th anniversary of T. S. Eliot’s poem The Hollow Men, first published in 1925. World War I had ended seven years earlier, in 1918. The next year, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, and in…
The oppressor-oppressed lenses offer a truncated view of the world
The experience of injustice is powerful. It leaves an indelible imprint on many parts of our personalities and communities. This is bound to influence significantly how we experience and think about life. And, of course, it has a major impact…
God and the algorithm: How the manosphere co-opts religion
From prayer to propaganda, about a dozen anti-government Christian nationalist militias are using popular online platforms like Instagram to recruit young men through fitness reels, tactical gear and overt religious symbolism. This is just one example of how some online communities use…
All the bright lines behind us
Like some of you, I’ve spent the last two weeks participating in services marking the Jewish High Holidays, which mark the end of one year and the beginning of the next. My status as a Christian participant observer to the…
Trump’s attack on universities violates religious freedom
The Trump Educational Compact is an attack on the free exercise of progressive religion. In its typical divide-and-conquer approach, the administration has informed nine colleges and universities they will suffer financial consequences if they do not bow down and meet…
In conversation with Leyla K. King
Leyla King is a Palestinian American Episcopal priest who serves as the canon for mission in small congregations for the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. In her book Daughters of Palestine: A Memoir in Five Generations, she writes with skill…
How Charlie Kirk mastered the illusion of stump debates
Charlie Kirk did not invent the method of traveling “stump debates” or campus spectacles; that tradition reaches back centuries. But he did master a modern version of it by bullying underprepared college kids rather than engaging seasoned orators, scholars or…