Not since Y2K have we had a year whose mere mention conjures up so much anxious uncertainty. The Heritage Foundation ensured that with their infamous Project 2025 that launched a full-blown blitzkrieg on the federal government. There’s another way of…
Fulfill your ministry
Elie Wiesel, who as a teenage prisoner in two Nazi concentration camps watched his family taken away to be killed, wrote out of that experience one of the most important books of the last century, Night. How he began has…
The unchecked influence of Elon Musk
In an era when democracy demands vigilance, I find it deeply troubling to witness the unchecked influence of billionaire Elon Musk over the federal government. As president of the board of directors for the Alliance of Baptists, I feel compelled…
Get angry, church
There’s a powerful quote buried halfway through Madeleine L’Engle’s children’s novel, A Wrinkle in Time: “’Stay angry, little Meg,’ Mrs. Whatsit whispered. ‘You will need all your anger now.’” Just as Meg Murry, Charles Wallace Murry and Calvin O’Keefe are…
‘Why don’t you wear a suit?’
Late last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the United States to meet with American officials about the ongoing war with Russia. Most significant was a meeting between the heads of state that took place in the Oval Office….
Why you should run to see No Other Land
In his Oscar acceptance speech, Palestinian journalist and activist Basel Adra, seemingly holding back tears, mentioned having just become a father and pleading with the world to help stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestine so his daughter will not have…
The evil among us
This week, Christians around the world begin the observance of Lent — a period of repentance and self-reflection. It is no accident that the Revised Common Lectionary includes the story of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness in the readings for…
Politics, faith and mission: A conversation with Rep. James Talarico
James Talarico was Texas’ youngest statewide elected official when he entered the Texas House in 2019. His mixture of bona fides — Democrat, devout Christian, former school teacher, Presbyterian seminarian — quickly attracted national attention, and many of his speeches…
Repent, for the kingdom of God is near
For too long, we have given deference to those of you who have supported and enabled Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. We have feared losing relationships, losing family, offending friends, dividing churches. We’ve bristled when you’ve accused us of…
On glowing and hiding
Last Sunday was Transfiguration Sunday. The Gospel narrative is likely familiar: Jesus takes some disciples and goes up a mountain to pray. While he is praying, “the appearance of his face changes, and his clothes become dazzling white. Suddenly (the…
Should we skip Lent this year?
I would like to skip Lent this year, because life already feels tragic enough. Do we really need extra sackcloth and ashes right now? We usually give up something for Lent, and so much already has been taken away. Forty…
Why foreign aid is in American interests and reflects our values
To say that a lot has happened in Washington, D.C., since January would be an epic understatement. I want to address the freeze on foreign assistance, the demise of USAID, and the suspension of refugee resettlement, all of which are…