This week, Christians around the world begin the observance of Lent — a period of repentance and self-reflection. It is no accident that the Revised Common Lectionary includes the story of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness in the readings for…
Repent, for the kingdom of God is near
For too long, we have given deference to those of you who have supported and enabled Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. We have feared losing relationships, losing family, offending friends, dividing churches. We’ve bristled when you’ve accused us of…
Walesa and Polish prisoners of war denounce Trump’s treatment of Zelensky
Polish democracy advocate Lech Wałęsa and 39 other former prisoners of war sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump expressing panic and dismay at the way he treated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office last Friday. “We…
There is no Jesus in MAGA
A lot has been written and much more will be written about the times in which we live. This era will be studied with amazement, bewilderment and shaking heads. How could America have elected a twice-impeached convicted felon to another…
7 lies Trump is telling about Ukraine
In an unparalleled abandonment of decades of American foreign policy, President Donald Trump has sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin against Ukraine. Trump says, “Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into…
The case against conservatism run amok
I used to think I was a conservative because that’s what I was told I should be. Then I met some real conservatives and some real liberals. It’s all relative. Surely there is a case to be made against liberalism…
Trump resort in Gaza: ‘Blatant, unapologetic idol worship’
President Donald Trump’s plan to turn the devastated Gaza Strip into a luxury beach resort with his branding appears not to be dead on arrival as some suggested. On Tuesday, Feb. 25, Trump posted on Truth Social an AI-generated video…
Is the Republican Party too secular?
One of the most potent and frustrating images of President Donald Trump’s previous time in office was his infamous photo op at St. John’s Episcopal Church in June 2020, wherein the president cleared protesters out of the public space so…
What’s keeping this minister awake at night
I have many reasons for not getting what a somnologist or sleep doctor would describe as a full night’s rest. For one, I have children. This means my ears are attuned to any sound slightly resembling a croup-like cough. In…
Evangelical supporters silent — again — as Trump rewrites Ukrainian history
Evangelical leaders did not jump to President Donald Trump’s defense when he declared Feb. 19 Ukraine provoked Russia’s invasion and ought to accede to Vladimir Putin. His most ardent evangelical supporters were mysteriously silent, and evangelical leaders who have called…
‘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:…
Faith groups’ environmental projects halted by Trump’s climate funding freeze
In the more than five years that Stillmeadow Community Fellowship in Baltimore has worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service to rehabilitate the 10-acre forest on its urban land, what stands out to the Rev. Michael Martin is…