The killing of Jordan Neely is an apocalyptic event; it reveals something about our cultural moment that is at once illuminating and deeply unsettling. On May 1, Neely was killed on the New York City subway by a fellow passenger….
How 29 syllables changed my heart about God and gay people
“For the last 20 years, I thought if there was a God, he probably hated me for making me the way I am.” I can’t communicate the destructive power those words had on me. Back then, I was a conservative,…
I was a pastor struggling with depression. The evangelical community offered virtually no helpful resources
Depression stole my soul and buried it so deeply that (with apologies to the Apostle Paul) for me, to live was not Christ at all, but to die most assuredly would have been gain.
The president is correct: there IS an insanity gripping our nation
Trump is correct that we are experiencing a frightening dis-ease in America. Insanity – moral disorder – imperils our people, our nation, our earth. What he doesn’t seem to recognize is that he is the source of much of the chaos, the claims of many evangelical leaders notwithstanding.
The President is right: Mental illness is killing all of us
Trump isn’t altogether wrong – gun deaths in America are driven by a mental health crisis. However, instead of that un-wellness resting upon a lone shooter or evil terrorist, it is visited upon all of us who still believe that the same circular conversation will actually result in something different.
Pastor says mental illness drove church member’s fatal restaurant crash
A North Carolina man accused of killing two relatives by crashing his car into a restaurant after Sunday church recently struggled with severe mental illness, his pastor said at a news conference Monday morning.
Belmont University student dies in Waffle House shooting
Historically Baptist Belmont University devoted its Monday morning chapel service to prayers for a student whose life was cut short by a mass shooting. DeEbony Groves, 21, was one of four victims killed by a gunman in a Sunday morning…
How churches can combat the opioid crisis in 2018
In 2017, we heard more than ever about the opioid crisis in the United States. There seems to be bipartisan agreement that a serious problem exists, and perhaps even a bipartisan agreement on meaningful solutions. Last year, I became deeply…
Minister learns hard lesson: offer professional help for mental health
As Joe Padilla visits with pastors and church leaders about mental health, he often finds hearts willing to help but ill-equipped to do so. After walking through his own personal journey when his wife was diagnosed as bipolar, Padilla realized the church needed…