The recent atmospheric shift felt by many across the country wasn’t hell freezing over — it was Marjorie Taylor Greene apologizing for years of participating in what she called “toxic politics,” taking responsibility for herself and her own actions. For those of…
Tommy Tuberville versus the tenderness of true faith
Right-wing news outlet Newsmax reported Nov. 7 that, in reaction to Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York City, Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama predicted the city will be “completely Muslim in three or four years.” I’m sure…
Forgiving the church
Church is a school of forgiveness where we learn to forgive and be forgiven. The Lord’s Prayer invites us to this form of spiritual healing every time we pray it: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass…
How evangelicalism’s theology of victory erases lament
When Erika Kirk stood before thousands at her husband’s funeral and declared forgiveness for his killer, the crowd rose in thunderous applause. Even those vehemently ideologically opposed to Charlie Kirk and his ilk called it “an incredible act of grace.”…
The Age of Digital Punishment and the call for trauma-informed nonprofits
The work of justice always has been a struggle against forces that seek to label, condemn and exclude. But in our digital age, a new form of punishment has emerged that clings to people long after their official debt to…
How I struggle with Christ’s command to forgive
When I reflect on the people who have hurt me the most in my life, I realize the Christian commandment of forgiveness seems beyond my strength. Sometimes I can do it, and then some days I feel a fury I cannot…
The (unforgivable?) sins of the white American church
The sins of the white American church began early on and have continued unabated ever since. For example, large numbers of American Christians enthusiastically supported the genocide of Native Americans, fiercely defended slavery, actively participated in Jim Crow segregation, and…
How a leap of faith from a bridge killed a part of me that actually needed to die
During my Ph.D. program, I found myself drowning in the deepest depression of my life — and that’s saying a lot. In college, a misunderstanding with a professor had prompted me to raise my dorm window and think very seriously…
Not So Sorry explores the question: Should victims always forgive their abusers?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer railed against cheap grace that’s given “without asking questions or fixing limits.” Kaya Oakes targets “quick forgiveness,” a form of spiritual abuse practiced by powerful, charismatic and sexually predatory Christian leaders who pressure victims to quickly forgive, forget,…
The cleansing of our temples and our forgiveness of church
This coming Holy Week, Christians remember Jesus’ “cleansing of the temple” in Jerusalem. He was setting his opposition to the temple priesthood and their collusion with Rome to sustain an unjust social order that oppressed the weak and poor. As…
Dirty forgiveness
For Lent this year, I’m trying forgiveness. Forgiveness of others. I’m trying to say it every day: “I forgive you,” as I picture someone who has harmed me, someone against whom I have hatred. Now, I know we’re not supposed…
The six most important words for healthy relationships
“What are the three most important words in a relationship?” In premarital counseling sessions, it’s usually the bride who answers — grinning coyly and speaking demurely as she answers. Sometimes both the bride and groom answer simultaneously. I once posed…