Growing up in West Texas in the home of a silent Marine, I have spent a lifetime wondering about the nature of courage. My ruminations eventually led me to speak out on behalf of my sons in middle school, forcing…
Shannon Bream finds courage in Bible stories
Shannon Bream, host of Fox News Sunday, may not attend church on Sunday due to her work schedule, but she is a person of faith with a story to tell. Bream has written a new book titled Nothing Is Impossible…
What your pastor says this Sunday matters very much
I’m not usually one to say, “If your pastor doesn’t say X about Y this Sunday, then you should leave your church.” I usually encourage talking with your pastor, helping your pastor and fellow layfolks see the perspective you’re bringing…
Bishop Budde writes about courage
Many came to know Bishop Mariann Budde when she gave a passionate plea to President Donald Trump at the presidential prayer inauguration: “May I ask you to have mercy.” Budde serves as bishop of the Episcopal diocese of Washington, D.C….
American politics: Where courage goes to die
Since Donald Trump returned to power Jan. 20, I have watched people and institutions cave to demands of the president. Are we witnessing a growing tribe of neo-cowards? Has cowardice become a political necessity? As the Master of Wakefield asked,…
Get out of the echo chamber and hold to hope and courage
The echo chamber sends unending messages each day about the onslaught of the evil that is walking the national leadership halls surrounded by an aura of being unstoppable. It is maddening. I am sure I am not alone in being…
The silence is too loud!
On a cold day in January 1983, I sat on a bus in Beirut, Lebanon, stunned by my inability to speak. I was with a handful of my fellow Americans who had been invited by Americans for Middle East Understanding…
‘Neither right nor safe’: The Gulf of Conscience
On April 18, 1521, an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther stood before Charles V, king of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, and his court comprised of representatives from the nations of Europe. Luther was required to respond to two questions:…
Floyd Craig gave me the courage to speak
Floyd Craig started making a difference in my life before I knew who he was. I was a senior in college in 1968, a ministerial student serving a small rural church in Middle Georgia. Most of my church members lived…
On the anniversary of 9/11: Reclaiming ‘unanticipated courage’
On Tuesday, Sept.18, 2001, poet/prophet/writer Maya Angelou, professor of humanities at Wake Forest University, spoke to students and faculty at the Wake Forest School of Divinity. We had scheduled her visit months before, never knowing that it would occur exactly…
Pastors, speak your truth while you still have time
“Make your peace with being honest in ministry today. Don’t wait until you’re older or find the ‘perfect’ church. If you aren’t honest today, you may never make it that far.” I was a youth minister when my pastor and…
The gift Simone Biles gave us
“She quit on her team.” If we were playing a popular social media game called “Poorly Describe What You Do Using Five Words,” that might be how someone would answer for the young Olympic gymnast, Simone Biles. If we were…