About a week and a half ago, I spent the day talking about leadership with my colleagues. We sat in a circle, nibbling on chocolate mints and letting the unseasonably warm wind blow off the water and into the house.At…
Christians as a minority: Finding a place in society
By Rupen Das As the challenge of the presence and integration of Muslim communities in Europe grows, I was reminded of something that was mentioned a number of years ago. The person said that historically Christian theology and teaching has…
The neighbor in me
By Nell Green They are all around us. They come from places other than the United States. They talk differently. They dress differently. They eat differently. They go to school with our children. They are our doctors and nurses. They…
Another good candidate for the new $10 bill
A couple of months ago I suggested (here) that Jane Addams would be a good choice for the new $10 bill, which will have a woman’s picture on it. This article is about another woman who is also a strong…
Dad’s ‘Heart Shield’ Bible: A Veterans Day reflection
At right is the image of my Dad’s “Heart Shield” Bible, an edition of the New Testament on to which a metal plate has been attached. The engraved cover, now smudged by corrosion, reads “May this keep you safe from…
Why multiethnic? Imagining together
To start out our conversation on multiethnic church, I did some work around clarifying terms of “multicultural’ vs. ‘multiethnic’. Because these terms are often used interchangeably, I wanted to posit our discussion around ethnicity or ethnos as the central theme…
Social Security. Not individual security.
Speaking from a perspective of enlightened self-interest, it’s clear that in a capitalist economy the stronger the lower and middle classes are, the more money those at the top are going to have. And speaking from a perspective of faith,…
Lazy, hazy days of summer
When our son, William and his wife, Mary Kate announced to us their pregnancy we were thrilled to say the least! Our first grandchild! No, wait, there’s two?!? Twins! For months we have been anticipating their arrival and entering into…
The power of negative thinking
In some ways it has been the curse of my life, a genuine burden and even bane of my existence. For as long as I can remember I’ve tended to see problems everywhere I look. To my way of thinking,…