“Pope Francis has died.” Those words were the first banner I saw on my iPhone when I woke up Easter Monday. The Supreme Pontiff and Bishop of Rome (yes, it’s hard for a Baptist to type those words) died at 7:35…
Will the Real Donald Trump please stand up?
On the original game show To Tell the Truth, four celebrity panelists were presented with three contestants whose unusual occupations or experiences, as announced by the program’s host, were deciphered in a series of questions the panelists asked the contestants….
Harvard vs. Trump, round 1
In a nation built on the power of ink, intellect and ideals, a silent war has erupted — not in the streets, not in the skies, but on the hallowed academic grounds of America’s most prestigious institution: Harvard University. The…
Easter changes the story
Easter erupted amid grief, pain and despair. The death of Jesus appeared to be the death of the campaign for the kingdom of God: the hoped-for realm of peace and justice. A people’s movement slaughtered with its leader. The votes…
Planting after Easter and other lessons from the dirt
By the sweat of your face you’ll eat your bread, up to the point of turning back toward the dirt. From the dirt you were conceived (taken, received), indeed to the dirt you will depart. Genesis 3:19, based on the…
Rhyme of the ancient witch hunt
The noose sways, awaits its fresh kill. The neck destined for its grip is soon to hang from it, but an aura of calmness, even dignity, surrounds its owner, as she prepares to meet her fate. It is July 19,…
My Jerusalem Holy Week remembrances
This Friday is Jumaa’ al Hazeeneh (Arabic for Good Friday), and to Palestinian Christians this phrase is pregnant with connotative nuances that commemorate the Passion of Christ. Sorrowful, grief-stricken, distressing, troubling, excruciatingly painful, agonizing, harrowing, laborious are just a few of…
Holy Week as a sacred symphony
Each year, Christians around the world walk through the sacred rhythms of Holy Week, revisiting the final days of Jesus’ earthly journey before the Cross and the resurrection. Why is observing Holy Week important to our preparation for Easter? The…
An Easter message from Jennifer, wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
My heart, like many of yours, is heavy, weighed down by the unrelenting attacks on the foundations of a pluralistic democracy and American values coming out of the Donald Trump administration. The weight has felt even heavier during this time…
Abolishing the death penalty in the spirit of Easter and Passover
As we move through the sacred calendar of spring — when Jews celebrate Passover and Christians observe Easter — we are reminded of profound spiritual truths: Liberation from bondage, triumph over death, the sacredness of life. These holy days invite…
The holy work of Holy Week
For Christians all over the world, this week is Holy Week, not just because of what God did in antiquity. It is holy because of what God is doing today. By divine providence, there is a consecrated convergence of Holy…
The Salvador
God gives us Scripture and calls us to read imaginatively, realizing we are all part of God’s story. Christians seem to be most intentional about this during Holy Week, reading with eyes wide open and straining to hear our own…