Derek Chauvin, the police officer convicted of killing George Floyd, was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison on June 25, 2021. There are many opinions regarding the correctness of this sentence. However, I continue to reflect on one of the…
Like a good neighbor, this app’s for you
At their best, neighborhood social media sites can provide a good laugh. Some of the distractions experienced by our neighbors can be quite humorous at times. However, it sometimes causes me to wonder if these people live in my neighborhood…
Charity versus justice
It’s an old saying but true: If you have to keep rescuing people out of a raging river, eventually you ought to walk upstream to see who’s throwing those people in the river. This is the difference between charity and…
The foolishness of WWJD
Charles Spurgeon, a famous British preacher in the latter half of the 1800s, used the phrase, “What would Jesus do?” in a sermon. If you’ve ever read any of Spurgeon’s sermons, you know he had a knack for turning a…
Addiction and silent judgment: Cassie’s story
The thing about judgment is that it is often silent. But the person being judged knows exactly what is happening when it is happening. It’s that smirk, frown, snarky comment or (from my personal experience as a Baptist missionary kid)…
Breathe free, huddled masses; we’re sorry for how our nation treated you
The Statue of Liberty, Mother of Exiles, stands a little taller this week. Her fabled torch shines brighter. Once again, she beckons her welcome to “huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Our presidential election signals a change at our borders….
Award-winning TV journalist returns to thank Houston church for its friendship
When broadcast journalist Deanna Dewberry gave her testimony to a Bible study class at Houston’s South Main Baptist Church, it was the continuation of an ongoing story of friendship and faith that spans the years and the miles. Dewberry, a…
History shows the view is best from the margins
Sometimes an obscure social science dissertation about historical events tells you exactly what you need to know about what is going on right now. I have just read a little-noticed 2019 book called Protectors of Pluralism: Religious Minorities and the…
I have a few choice words for people protesting public health directives. Then I hear that still, small voice.
As disciples of Jesus, we do not have the luxury of hating people, writing people off, dehumanizing them or wishing them ill, even when they are acting in the worst ways possible.