As each day since the presidential inauguration has passed, I’ve found myself wondering more and more, “What’s wrong with straight white men?”* I feel like we’re living some version of “Revenge of the Straight White Men” because they are so…
Politics, faith and mission: A conversation with Greg Jarrell
Greg Jarrell is a writer, ordained minister, jazz musician, and BNG contributor living in the intentional QC Family Tree community in Charlotte, N.C.’s, Enderly Park region — which one Reddit thread describes as noisy because of airplanes and gunshots. But…
Of ‘evangelicals,’ Jimmy Carter and Tony Campolo
“Don’t Call Him Evangelical — How to Remember Jimmy Carter’s Faith, And How Not To” was the title of the article in my email inbox. As a native Georgian, cradle roll Baptist and proud former partner in President Carter’s work…
While I’ll fight: ‘This is a fundamental matter of faith’
Truth be told, we as a nation, in our rage against immigrants, no longer trust in the great “I AM,” the Lord God who sponsored the Hebrews’ extrication from Pharaoh’s Egyptian servitude. We as a nation have become inhabited by…
‘The due penalty of their error’
I have often sat with my older LGBTQ friends and heard their stories of terror and loss during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and ’90s. This disease spread throughout the LGBTQ community like wildfire, while many leaders in both…
The Catholic cohort
The first White House press conference introduced us to Karoline Leavitt: articulate, assertive and intensely Catholic. She represents to us the third component of the Religious Right in the United States. For years, we have read about the evangelical Christians….
I will not hide
I find myself in a space where I want to write about this moment — about the fear, sadness, disappointment and anger I feel — but I’m struggling to find the words I want to say. I have a lot…
For Black History Month, listening is more important than speaking
As we approach Black History Month, I’ve been struggling as a Black pastor to find the right words to share with my predominantly white faith community. What could I say differently this year from the pulpit that I hadn’t already…
God’s art gallery
Carol and I went to the Museum of Modern Art last Friday night, when it stays open until 8:30. When we decided to go, we did not know Friday nights are free for New York residents. The line was longer…
Praying over the president: Risks and rewards
While much attention on cable news and internet chatter has focused on the conclusion to the sermon delivered by Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde during a post-inaugural prayer service held at Washington National Cathedral, relatively little has been said or…
MAGA’s accidental argument against school vouchers
Unless you’ve been living under a huge cliché, you’ve heard the raging controversy over Bishop Mariann Budde’s message at the National Cathedral prayer service held in conjunction with the recent inauguration of President Donald Trump. If you missed it, here’s…
What is a woman? We all are, according to Trump’s executive order
Years ago, I was teaching a small group of older children about what it means to be a follower of Jesus. We were discussing Paul’s statement in Galatians, “There is neither male nor female; for you are all one in…