Zach Lambert is a writer, public theologian and the founding pastor of Restore Austin. His new book, Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing, catalogs the ways the Bible has been…
Criminalizing humanity — turning Good Samaritans into lawbreakers
In a nation that often prides itself on Christian values, humanitarian outreach and freedom, an alarming trend is unfolding: Compassion is being criminalized. Law enforcement officers would detail, arrest and/or take Jesus Christ and all his disciples to jail for…
Families do not need another church program
This is the third in a series on making churches family-friendly. Through our research and experience with churches and families, we have come to learn families are exhausted and overscheduled. Church has become another obligation, even for the most…
What’s your church: Republican? Democrat? Independent? Gospel?
On July 7, 2025, the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas Tyler Division, issued the following ruling: When a house of worship in good faith speaks to its congregation, through its customary channels of communication on matters of faith…
Sydney Sweeney, great jeans, the Bible and hell
Ukrainians continue to be blown to bits by Russian bombs. Palestinian children continue to starve amidst a genocide. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” Gasp. In case you’ve been living under a Dwayne Johnson, a controversy…
The Dragonfly: Always reminding me God loves us
“There are dragonflies flying all around — and that matters to me.” I was texting with a new friend, someone who doesn’t know about the dragonflies I wear on my necklace or the ones that decorate my office or the…
Divides
Divides confront us daily. The digital divide, political divides, economic divides, class divides, educational divides. You can probably name some others. I still have cable TV. I’m not into streaming. Cable TV has commercials. Most mornings the Today Show is…
How a tribal religion of a tribal god is in charge in America
I am in a state of theological outrage. It has to do with how Donald Trump’s narrow escape from an assassin’s bullet has been used to claim divine intervention to save his life, a claim that no doubt aided his…
In Kim Davis’ backyard, a Baptist church stays faithful
In 2015, the small Appalachian town of Morehead, Ky., became a national symbol of religious resistance to same-sex marriage. When County Clerk Kim Davis refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, citing her personal religious beliefs, the Rowan County…
The mental health crisis behind our domestic threats
In two separate but eerily similar events, America was again reminded of its two greatest modern failures: Untreated mental illness and racialized responses to violence. One suspect entered a Walmart in Michigan and stabbed 11 people in broad daylight. The…
Another stroke of cruelty
The current administration is preparing to destroy $9.7 million in U.S.-purchased contraceptives destined for women overseas following the dismantling of foreign assistance programs under USAID. There is a callous meanness in this action from a “Christian In Name Only” (CINO)…
Prayer in schools
In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down government-mandated prayer in public schools. This ruling led many to believe it was forbidden to pray in school. Not so. As one bumper sticker stated, “As long as there are students and…