Had the holding of slaves been a moral evil, it cannot be supposed, that the inspired Apostles, who feared not the faces of men, and were ready to lay down their lives in the cause of their God, would have…
McDonald’s and the church
I finally gave in. In fact, three times now. I successfully navigated the self-serve kiosk at McDonald’s. With a touch of reluctance, I admit the experience was satisfying. I approached the kiosk, touched the screen, scanned my points code, placed…
Reflections on being made imago Dei
“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule. … So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created…
Proposed Pell grant change misses the meaning of education
The Trump administration is proposing a new rule that would tie the availability of Pell grants and student loans to the earning potential of degree programs. This proposal is beyond terrible for a multitude of reasons. First, it ignores the actual…
Some wounds are spiritual before they are emotional
There are nights in disaster shelters when the exhaustion becomes almost physical in the air. You can feel it hanging over rows of cots and folding chairs long after midnight. Volunteers move more slowly. Children finally fall asleep. Coffee grows…
One nation under which God?
On May 17, Donald Trump plans to “rededicate” America as one nation under God. The promotional material for the event says, “Rededicate 250 will gather a broad assembly of voices united by a love of God and country.” In fact,…
The dying art of parenting
I’m sitting at a sunroom table, my 84-year-old parents to my right and left. Dad just asked Mom, “Did you find my will in the safe deposit box?” She had. Moments ago, to make sure they had their bases covered,…
Jeff Landry’s ‘failed narrative’
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry recently dismissed the idea that racism remains structurally relevant in Louisiana politics, calling it a “failed narrative.” A failed narrative? In Louisiana? A state where African Americans make up nearly one-third of the population, yet political…
When government claims God
The semiquincentennial celebration unofficially kicks off this coming Sunday, May 17, on the National Mall. The Marine Band will play. Fanfare trumpets will sound across the Reflecting Pool. From a stage at 12th Street, top government officials — the secretary…
Camp safety can’t wait
On July 4, 2025, my 8-year-old daughter, Sarah, died in a catastrophic flood while attending Camp Mystic in Texas. Twenty-six other girls died alongside her. Like many parents, we trusted that when we sent our child to a summer camp…
How Nakba Day can help us understand Palestine
On May 15, thousands will gather at churches and mosques, on campuses and on streets throughout Chicago to observe a day most Americans never heard of. It’s called Nakba Day. The day commemorates the Zionist expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians from their…
The guardrails preserving our democracy
I want to consider some good news today. The good news is that certain cultural, political and legal guardrails are holding against Donald Trump and his government right now. I am not suggesting our democracy is in the clear. I…