In a little over a month, Southern Baptists from across the nation will converge in Dallas for the 2025 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. If you put any stock in the latest social media posts, there likely will be several…
Red Dawn: Baptists’ contradictory contributions to the rise and demise of America
In the 1980s, in the throes of the Cold War, huddled in a Baptist college dorm room with friends, I watched the original version of the movie Red Dawn. The film portrays a hypothetical invasion of the United States by…
What advice would my grandfather give a pastor today?
My grandfather Stigall was a walking quote. A man who, by intention or by divine gift, could lay down a zinger with little effort. His thoughts and expressions came out in eruptions. Held in for as long as he could,…
We are afraid but we are standing up anyway
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, seemed horrified and fragile as she spoke a few days ago about being afraid of Donald Trump and his retribution tactics. I understand the fear. I respect the fear. Sometimes, it is good to allow fear…
Numbers, numbers, numbers
According to the Cleveland Clinic website, arithmophobia is a negative response to numbers or numerical tasks that some people exhibit — a condition that evokes such reactions as chills, nausea, heart palpitations and dizziness. I hope you are not one…
America’s strange contentment with political extremes
Reason does not always lead to the best decisions, but it is our best hope for avoiding the worst. — Al Gore At the beginning of each new month, I receive an email from the manufacturer of my thermostat providing…
The seven-talk progression of church youth camps
At the many different white evangelical church camps I called home for nearly 25 years, there was one thing I could count on at the end of a long summer’s day: a progression of seven standard talks given over the…
He is risen indeed: Living with purpose and hope after easter
As the Easter holiday fades into our collective memories, we may find ourselves returning to the routines of daily life. But let’s not let the principles of the holiday fade with it. Easter wasn’t just about colorful eggs, family gatherings…
Due process is not some woke aberration
The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution is clear: “Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law.” Note the choice of word — “person,” not citizen. That distinction is no accident. It…
Climate change doesn’t care about your politics
This week, we celebrated the most wonderful day in the Christian calendar – Easter. Our lives are filled with a time of spiritual renewal of faith and worship of Christ as our Lord and Savior. Add to that the joy…
I’m still haunted by stories from the first Trump term
In 2019, I was running an award-winning teen theater company in Dallas. We’d made our mark by creating original plays from first-person interviews on particular issues. In 2019, there was no more pressing issue than the border crisis. That spring,…
The Latin American pontiff who changed the papal narrative
In the broad sweep of world history, some leaders come and go without leaving a lasting impact, while others mark their era indelibly. Pope Francis — born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the first Latin American pontiff…