My dad was a vibrant and healthy 67-year-old when he caught COVID-19 and died a few weeks before Christmas. It was an abrupt and jarring experience for my family. I was left heartbroken and enraged. I was angry at this…
Why I wrote about hope in disarray
Three years ago, when I first started to write Hope in Disarray, the world was a very different place. It seems that the world back then was churning through time at rapid speed, unaware and untroubled by the destined forces…
What do we do now? The blessing and curse of COVID to the church
It’s a shame when an opportunity is lost. Don’t lose the opportunity that COVID presents. That probably sounds counterintuitive. What opportunities have presented themselves through this pandemic? Frustration. Yes, frustration is an opportunity. Don’t miss this opportunity because frustration has…
Religious communities can offer more to the coronavirus vaccination effort
As religious leaders of different traditions pose while receiving their initial injections of the coronavirus vaccine and even livestream their jab for congregants to see, I can’t help but think that we could do even more. Of course, talking positively…
The new secretary of education should listen to our teachers
Much of a pastor’s ministry happens in “behind-the-scenes” moments of pastoral care, and much of that care involves deep listening. Listening carefully and intently is a learned skill for many extroverted pastors like myself. But, especially in this moment of…
Church curriculum publishers experience reduced sales due to COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic dealt serious setbacks to many faith-based organizations, and the publishers of Sunday school and other spiritual formation curricula are no exception. For many of them, regardless of denomination, the shuttering of church buildings and other meeting spaces…
Despite COVID restrictions, faith-based agencies continue to improve lives in Africa
U.S-based humanitarian enterprises with long histories of service in Africa are continuing their work despite coronavirus and because of partnerships forged over years of ministry. Field personnel of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, for example, have been restricted in travel since…
I’m fearing the fear of fear itself
The last year has not been good for much, but it has been great for fear. Fear is having a banner year. We have stayed afraid that we will catch COVID-19. We are still processing the news that there are…
What we’ve lost
The losses we’ve experienced due to coronavirus are both horribly easy to count — 465,000 dead in the United States alone — and yet invisibly painful. Especially for communities of faith, the relational losses often go unreported. Yet in conversation…