It’s time we rethink our definition of violence. As the war rages in Ukraine, many people’s attention this past week shifted to the moment of violence at the Academy Awards. I understand why the incident is captivating people’s attention. In…
‘Once America decided killing children was bearable, it was over’
Can activism be an expression of faith? Can the practice of my faith, as an activist against violence and all the evils related to it, fulfill the Great Commandment? What might happen if people of faith intentionally examined the nature…
Kyle Rittenhouse, whiteness, and a divinely ordained license to kill
Friday, the news broke that Kyle Rittenhouse had been “acquitted on all charges in the shooting deaths of two men and wounding of a third at a Wisconsin protest against racial injustice last year,” as AP put it. I don’t say this…
Firearms and children 2021: ‘Death has climbed through our windows’
On Sunday, Sept. 27, 2021, a front-page story in the Winston-Salem Journal by Lisa O’Donnell began by asking, “Who was Jumil Dewann Robertson?” Then offered this description: “He was the grandson who could do no wrong; a cousin in a…
On anniversary of El Paso massacre, leaders connect the bullets to beliefs of white supremacy
Two years after the gun massacre at an El Paso Walmart, fears of “the great replacement” continue to stoke violence in America, according to participants in a livestreamed memorial for the 23 killed on Aug. 3, 2019. White supremacists emboldened…
Seeing gun violence as a pro-life issue
Not many people get argued into thinking differently, but experiences and stories move us, especially when we have the humility to listen and to view the world from a different lens, from someone else’s eyes. I (Shane) grew up with…
‘This is a time of moral and social reckoning,’ Boulder pastor tells congregation
“This is again and again a time of moral and social reckoning,” Boulder, Colo., pastor Andrew Daugherty told his congregation the day after the mass murder at a grocery store located about 3 miles from his church. “Who are we…
Moral leadership in the face of gun violence: For the church, this IS our lane
The Church cannot afford to be silent about gun violence in America, not only because of the lives it claims, but also because it is connected to issues such as homophobia, misogyny and racism.
Beto O’Rourke’s debate invective and the new ‘Back to School’ video are the jeremiads of our time
Firearms aren’t on the slippery slope; the American people are. We’re the ones whose kids are scared to go to school.