Almost without noticing, thoughtful words of some of America’s greatest leaders — their sincerity, reassurance and reason — have been overthrown by unbelievable chaos and complicity. It’s time to reunite with past and future leaders and their commitment to our…
Some hard questions for reflection on this MLK Day
As we remember the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. during this season, I have a few questions for reflection for the American church. For you to properly interpret my intent, please understand that I ask these questions…
Let’s move beyond the easy answers and MLK quotes today
I was in third grade in 1983 when Ronald Reagan, after much hesitancy, signed an act designating the third Monday of each year as a federal holiday honoring the life and contributions of Martin Luther King Jr. I was in…
Dear Oscar Johnson, I’m sorry I betrayed you
Oscar, you might not remember me. It’s been many years — 1964 to 1965, to be exact. But I cannot forget you or the time I betrayed you, not meaning to in any way. Yet I did exactly that, and…
Understanding Black theology, white fragility
Back in 2011, Raphael Warnock, pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta (and currently in a runoff for one of Georgia’s two U.S. Senate seats), preached a sermon drawn from the Gospel of Matthew about whether a person could serve…
Will you join our church in declaring that this is a time to break silence?
On April 4, 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. ascended to the pulpit of Riverside Church in New York City, one of the most historic churches in the country, and delivered a sermon titled, “A Time to Break Silence.” In this…
What’s in a canon?
When I talk about the canon in my New Testament class, I often have students who are surprised that the current list of 27 books that are in our New Testament have not always comprised canon lists. In fact, I…