In early September, I returned from a visit to Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. Led by the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, my visit was part of a multifaith delegation of Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Quaker, Buddhist and Hindu clergy,…
Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
Rosh Hashanah arrives this year at sunset on Oct. 2. Nine days later, at sunset on Oct. 11, the gathering shadows of Yom Kippur will settle over our souls. And halfway between those two sacred sunsets, the sun will rise…
Pastoral empathy and prophetic discord against the backdrop of the war in Gaza
“For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, the trees in applause.” —Isaiah 55:12 § § § Prelude. “I don’t know how my mother walked…
A Christian call to confront the silence of the Gaza genocide
In our age of advanced technology, where global connections are just a click away, a desperate cry echoes from the Gaza Strip — a cry from a land enduring the weight of more than 57 years of Israeli occupation and…
Letter to the Editor: Don’t forget what ‘Genocide Joe’ has done
Dear Editor: On Aug. 7, David Bumgardner penned a column for BNG under the title “Blinded by Their Hatred of Biden, Arab Voters Cut Off Their Noses to Spite Their Faces.” Bumgardner’s biased and disheartening column takes American Arabs, especially Michigan…
Blinded by their hatred of Biden, Arab voters cut off their noses to spite their faces
Polling data and widespread media coverage indicate the Biden-Harris Administration has a problem: Long a bastion of support and a key voting bloc for the Democratic Party, support among Arab-American voters for the party is the lowest since party identification…
Christian Zionism: the blind spot in faith-based activism against Christian nationalism
Christian nationalism in the United States seems more alive than ever. Project 2025 threatens to erode the separation of church and state, Donald Trump is hailed as a messiah following his assassination attempt, and at the state level, Ten Commandments…
Bibi and the Bible
In his recent speech at a joint session of (most of) Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referenced the Bible in a description of the Israel Defense Forces, even giving the Hebrew: “As the Bible says, “עם כלביא יקום” —…
SBC leader joins other evangelicals in private meeting with Netanyahu
One day after being not fired by his board of trustees, Brent Leatherwood joined a select group of evangelical leaders for a private meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, D.C. Leatherwood, president of the Southern Baptist Convention…