Matthew 4:8-10: “Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to him, ‘All these things will I give you, if you fall down…
The blasphemy of Franklin Graham
According to the newspaper in his father’s hometown of Charlotte, N.C., Franklin Graham thinks the 10 Republican congressional leaders who voted to impeach President Trump were like Judas, who betrayed Jesus. “The House Democrats impeached him because they hate him…
10 prayers for 2021 (if we survive January)
My favorite meme of the new year: “I’d like to cancel my subscription to 2021. I’ve experienced the free seven-day trial, and I’m not interested.” As post-holiday COVID-19 deaths surged the first week of January, a sitting president incited a…
Why ‘moderate’ churches fear telling it like it is
Just over four years ago, when Donald Trump was elected president, I was working for a self-styled “moderate” Baptist church in East Tennessee. One of the (mostly) unspoken rules of this and many other moderate Baptist churches like it across…
Trump’s parting gift echos his immigration policies toward Africa
Africans look with dismay on the parting gift U.S. President Donald Trump has given them: On the last day of 2020, Trump extended the U.S. government’s ban on green cards and work visas, which his administration imposed in April last…
It’s past time to admit the hard truths behind the Capitol riots
History will report that on Jan. 6, 2021, two weeks before the end of Donald Trump’s term as the 45th president of the United States, Trump told thousands of his supporters gathered in Washington, D.C., to march to the U.S….
Why resisting gaslighting in the wake of sedition is self-care
The events in our nation this week have disturbed me. On Wednesday, like countless others, I was shaken by watching a seditious riot take over the Capitol. I use the word “sedition” because the actions of those involved meet the…
Four tools the church has to recover those who followed Trump’s siren song
I have had on my mind and heart the debacle that has been visited on Trump evangelicals: The “Chosen One” was “unchosen.” Donald Trump will be leaving office either by walking away or being escorted out of the White House….
Denominational leaders denounce Capitol violence while evangelicals offer mixed responses
The day after riotous supporters of President Donald Trump overtook the United States Capitol, religious leaders across the nation spoke out decisively against the Jan. 6 anarchy. The chorus of condemnation included religious leaders who have been sharp critics of…