Theologian Miroslav Volf writes, “I’ve come to believe … that the Christ of the Gospels has become a moral stranger to us.” He adds, “If you read the Gospels, the things that profoundly mattered to Christ, they marginally matter to…
‘Somebody get me my walking shoes’
“Speak up for the voiceless. …. Defend the rights of the poor.” Those words from Proverbs 31:8-9 are among the many in Scripture that call the people of God to a life of empathy and advocacy— a wide stream of…
‘Here we are’
Twenty-one years ago this month, I attended my first ever Pride Festival. I was living in Chicago at the time, and many of my new friends in our master of music program at Northwestern were going and invited me along….
In conversation with Katie Gaitan
This spring, graduating Baylor University English/political science major Katie Gaitan sat with me in back-to-back classes. She was smart and compassionate, always prepared and an incredible resource for me as a professor. As the semester moved toward a close, she…
We need a new (and better) Stuttgart Declaration
I was a new staff member when I heard some helpful advice through the church grapevine: My job security depended on the orientation of the blinds in my office windows. Church members wanted all the blinds in the building to…
Here’s what’s really happening in Los Angeles
How many of you have seen the images of burning cars and Mexican flags being flown over destruction and carnage? Or maybe your algorithm serves you up endless videos of police trampling, striking or shooting helpless protestors. These days it…
‘No one is illegal on stolen land’
During the recent demonstrations decrying ICE arrests in Los Angeles, one of the many signs waved read, “No one is illegal on stolen land.” In addition, hundreds of Mexican flags were featured among the protesters, a fact singled out repeatedly…
Building a world without sexual harm — one small act at a time
Influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have been charged with rape and human trafficking. Dan Norris, Labor MP and mayor of the West of England, has been arrested for rape, child abduction and child sex offences. And comedian Russell Brand appeared in court last month over…
On No Kings Day, we passed the baton
Carrying my poster, I arrived early to meet Pam at her church, St. Paul A.M.E. on MLK Boulevard. I sat on a low wall to wait for her. The passenger window of the car parked in front of me opened….
On drowning Anabaptists and tarring/feathering governors
Baptist scholar William R. Estep wrote in 1963: “If the Anabaptists teach us anything, it is that those who fear freedom and court the governments of this world in the interest of a more moral or ‘Christian’ state are placing…
Now Josh Howerton is giving advice on loving Trump’s immigration plans
Fresh off his controversial advice for brides to give their husbands whatever they want sexually on their wedding nights, Texas megachurch pastor Josh Howerton is dishing out advice about how President Donald Trump’s immigration policies are biblical after all. While…
Speaking truth in memory of the Charleston Nine
Ten years ago this month, Pastor Clementa Pinckney and eight church members of Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., were murdered in a racist act by someone who believed lies about American history and its diverse people….