A few years ago, I had the privilege of interviewing First Lady Jill Biden’s prayer partner, Robin Jackson. You can read about that here. From the moment Jackson said hello, I knew we would be lifelong friends. In fact, I…
Trump says Biden’s Death Row commutations ‘make no sense’
President-elect Donald Trump spent Christmas wishing ill to his enemies and wondering why President Joe Biden wouldn’t want to execute inmates. On Christmas Eve, Trump responded to Biden’s commutation of death sentences for 37 of the 40 inmates on federal…
Understanding Christmas traditions is a matter of time
Christmas and New Year’s are fascinating seasons for scholars into temporal studies, the emerging academic field concerned with the ways humans understand time, author and cultural historian Alexis McCrossen said. “Holidays are special moments in time and special moments on…
Childhood memories of Christmas in Nigeria
Some of the most enduring lessons of life emanate from our parents. As a child who was born and grew up in Jos, in the northern part of Nigeria, one of my childhood memories was the annual visit with my…
Speak their names, tell their stories
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 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…
Remember that time the pastor reenacted a scene from Die Hard?
“Christmas at the movies!” the pleasant, feminine voice sings as the smiley-faced popcorn, coffee, candy bar and soda cartoon characters come waltzing into the auditorium before getting interrupted with an explosion, heavy metal music, and a man yelling, “Don’t need…
Finding our way in the dark
Advent feels paradoxically heavy and elusive this year. Jan. 20 looms large on the horizon beyond Dec. 25. Many people I know, including myself, are hoping against hope things won’t be as bad as we fear. That Trump’s retributive, hate-filled…