Four score and seven years ago. Call me Ishmael. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Opening lines at their best can capture your attention….
How my postpartum depression helps me understand Advent better
I knew postpartum depression was coming for me. The darkness of depression has companioned me during various seasons of my life, and I knew my hormones weren’t going to give me a break after having a baby. It lasted for…
How a leap of faith from a bridge killed a part of me that actually needed to die
During my Ph.D. program, I found myself drowning in the deepest depression of my life — and that’s saying a lot. In college, a misunderstanding with a professor had prompted me to raise my dorm window and think very seriously…
‘The Gift of Christmas’ and other over-the-top celebrations of Jesus’ birth
A few weeks ago, I woke up to a text message saying it had snowed overnight, despite there having been no measurable snowfall in North Carolina since 2022 nor any forecasts of snow for that morning. Intrigued, I looked out…
Trump’s new ICE policy attacks the church
Last week, the incoming Trump administration announced it will rescind a 2011 ICE policy that keeps government officials from entering sensitive locations such as schools, churches and hospitals to carry out immigration raids and deportations. The mere thought of this…
A new Baptist’s reflections on BINOs
In September, I left the United Methodist Church for an Alliance of Baptists congregation. While I hold a master of divinity degree and knew the broad strokes of Baptist history and have worked alongside Baptists for several years, I didn’t…
Dismantling the master’s house
For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change. — Audre Lorde Audre Lorde helps us…
Mary the thorny rose
“Life doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a mother.” — Cleophus (Cleo) Franklin Jr. Not too long ago my family and I were sitting in a booth at a local restaurant waiting for our food to arrive. I…
Why we can’t trust ABC News
The nature of bullies is to strike fear in the hearts of their targets in order to demand compliance with their own self-aggrandizement. Donald Trump is a classic bully, and he just made ABC News bow down to him on…