This week, Christians around the world begin the observance of Lent — a period of repentance and self-reflection. It is no accident that the Revised Common Lectionary includes the story of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness in the readings for…
Following Leonard Leo’s dark money in pushing America to the far right
Last summer, I did a deep dive into the organizations connected to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 and the entities that fund them. In doing so, I learned much about the network of dark money shaping our shared political and…
United Women in Faith and Texas Impact converge on Texas Capitol
United Women in Faith (previously known as United Methodist Women) is one of the largest denominational faith organizations for women in the United States. Since 1987, the Texas Conference of United Women in Faith has partnered with Texas Impact —…
We’ve been here before
Over the weekend, I finished reading Jerome E. Copulsky’s new book, American Heretics: Religious Adversaries of Liberal Order, just in time to watch the second inauguration of Donald J. Trump into the office of the presidency. As Copulsky demonstrates time…
How Christian extremists are co-opting the book of Esther
I first became aware of far-right Christians co-opting the Book of Esther for political ends when I heard the extremist group Moms for Liberty use Esther 4:14 as its slogan. Since then, the phrase “for such a time as this”…
This election is about whether American women are more than breeders
My paternal grandfather was a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force and the personal pilot for the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan from 1967 to 1970. My father actually graduated from the American School in Kabul in 1970 before he, his…
A prayer for peace in the Holy Lands
On Oct. 7, 2023, the American Airlines flight I was on landed at Tel Aviv Airport at about 5 p.m. local time. I’d slept most of the flight and was completely oblivious to what was happening in the world. Imagine…
I just left The United Methodist Church for an Alliance of Baptists congregation
Those of us in the Mainline Protestant traditions who still find community in church settings often feel an allegiance to whichever denomination we were raised in. In my case, I was baptized and confirmed in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and…
The shocking things I witnessed at the Texas Board of Education
Recently I traveled to Austin, Texas, to testify against the new curriculum proposed by the Texas Education Agency. This curriculum was orchestrated by TEA’s Commissioner, Mike Morath, whom Texas. Gov. Gregg Abbott hand-picked to lead the agency. Morath has refused…
Who’s funding Moms for Liberty? It’s complicated
Those who regularly follow political news will know that as most Americans headed joyfully into the Labor Day weekend, about 600 women gathered in Washington, D.C., for the third summit held by Moms for Liberty. Founded in Florida in 2021…
It’s time for the prophets among us to stand up and speak out
I was recently with a group of pastors and laity from The United Methodist Church (the denomination I’m a part of). There, I lamented the fact that some pastors are afraid of addressing things like Christian nationalism within their congregations….
What a word cloud generator sees in Project 2025
As I began reading the now-infamous Project 2025 manifesto, Mandate for Leadership, I was immediately struck by the writing style used by the authors. The word choices, voice and tone of the document say a great deal about those behind…