In a sermon at the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference preached from Luke 10:29–35, Reginald Sharpe Jr. circled a phrase that refuses to let the church remain comfortable: “You don’t know the half.” Sharpe did not give us a scholarly sermon…
Practicing Samaritan Theology
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to preach on the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. I won’t revisit the sermon itself, but one observation continues to play over and over in my head. In Jesus’…
Criminalizing humanity — turning Good Samaritans into lawbreakers
In a nation that often prides itself on Christian values, humanitarian outreach and freedom, an alarming trend is unfolding: Compassion is being criminalized. Law enforcement officers would detail, arrest and/or take Jesus Christ and all his disciples to jail for…
How to reinforce impoverishment
Give a man a fish, you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish, and he and his family will eat for generations. Judge a man for the circumstances surrounding his need and accuse him of being…
The parable of the Bad Samaritan
A rich Samaritan came upon a poor family by the side of the road. Their home had been destroyed, and they could not afford a new one. They needed medical care and vaccinations and schooling for their children. For that…
The anger and disappointment I feel for my fellow Americans
As drenched as I am in unmerited privilege — as a white, heterosexual, male, American citizen of above-average means — I know I am placed at much less personal risk than many of my neighbors by Donald Trump’s election. That…
Evangelical activists call Christians to ‘ruffle feathers’ with boldness, guts, courage, audacity
Jesus told his disciples to love their neighbors and modeled how to do so. The Apostle Paul said love is a fruit of the Spirit. Today, some evangelical activists say they have a better idea: Believers should “ruffle feathers” with…
‘Who is my neighbor?’
Over the past two weeks, the Trump/Vance campaign has spoken often about an influx of Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, and proffered the outrageous claim that these immigrants are stealing and eating the pets of white Springfield citizens. Despite a…
Are we still calling him the ‘Good’ Samaritan?
We have known the Parable of the Good Samaritan most of our lives. Yet that phrase is not Scripture. Editors of our Bible translations inserted it at the top of the parable as a helpful aid to our study. So,…
The good graduate student: A modern parable
This past Sunday was beautiful. After a wonderful worship service, many of us walked downtown for Williamsburg’s PrideCon, an annual event put on by Love is Love Tidewater. It was a welcoming environment where people felt safe and free to…
Evangelical group teaches churches to prioritize politics
Churches wanting to influence their communities through politics rather than evangelism and ministries can watch Tuesday’s free Community Impact Training livestream from the Family Research Council, the sister organization of Focus on the Family, which first created the training in…
Who is my neighbor? Reflecting theologically on the migrant crisis
“Who is my neighbor?” The expert of the law, the one whose job it was to study Scriptures, asked Jesus this question in Luke 10. Of course, the expert probably knew the answer. He knew the original languages and pored…