By Michael Ruffin Oh God, here in the midst of our celebration of life and love, death and hate have reasserted their continuing influence. We are reminded by yesterday’s attack on the people gathered for the Boston Marathon of just…
What breaks apart comes together
By Michael Poole Recently, researchers completed a meticulous survey of the San Andreas Fault. They identified detailed features that point to imminent danger. It’s strange how things break apart, spew and spit, quiver and quake, only to then get back…
What breaks apart comes together
By Michael Poole Recently researchers completed a meticulous survey of the San Andreas Fault. They identified detailed features that point to imminent danger. It’s strange how things break apart, spew and spit, quiver and quake, only to then get back…
Is today the day war begins in East Asia?
By Leroy Seat Today might be the day war breaks out in East Asia. This is the “Day of the Sun,” the most celebrated holiday of the year in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Day of the Sun commemorates…
Satan and Jesus in black and white
By Miguel De La Torre Much was made over the character of Satan as portrayed in the History Channel’s recent miniseries The Bible. Many viewers complained that the actor found to play Satan, Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni, resembles President Barack Obama….
Brad Paisley as Wheelhouse prophet
By Darrell Gwaltney Jesus says that prophets are not accepted in their hometown. A few of the songs on Brad Paisley’s new album Wheelhouse will likely prove that point. Paisley offers a new album filled with familiar country music topics…
Humanitarian aid as a weapon of war
By Rupen Das The two-year-old conflict in Syria is now being played out in three different but interconnected arenas. There is the military conflict that, at the moment from all indications, is deadlocked. There is the media battle, which the…
Female preachers change church culture
By Pam Durso In establishing Martha Stearns Marshall Month of Preaching, the Baptist Women in Ministry leadership team’s dream was to find churches in which young and starting-out Baptist women ministers could preach. We had heard many stories from women…
Judge not, lest ye be judged
By Joseph Havey Every major religion has been the butt of a thousand jokes, but Southern Baptists nearly monopolize the punch line industry. Catholics, Muslims and Jews all have their image, but the Southern Baptist caricature is the gossiping, pie-baking,…
Forgiving Judas
By Miguel De La Torre Lately I have been rethinking Judas — history’s ultimate villain. Dante in Canto XXXIV places Judas in the Ninth Circle — the deepest realm of the Inferno. Under his feet are the most evil of…
Easter thinking
By Roger Lovette Every Easter the memory comes back. I had a chance to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, several years ago. The play opened with Jesus riding into Jerusalem for the last time. The play ended with…
Overcoming darkness
By Henry Green The complicity of the church in the Nazi policy to annihilate the Jewish race cannot be denied. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said: “The church confesses her timidity, her evasiveness, her dangerous concessions. The church has been untrue to her…