“This is no time for a child to be born, With the Earth betrayed by war and hate And a comet slashing the sky to warn That time runs out and the sun burns late.” —Madeleine L’Engle, “The Risk of…
Accountability for the execution of Ahmaud Arbery: More is needed
I pounded the arm of my chair as each of the jury decisions, nine counts in all, were read by the judge in the case of the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial. The triggerman was found guilty of all counts. The…
In Wisconsin, the NRA won
While its business operations lie in bankrupt shambles, the National Rifle Association won the day in a Wisconsin courtroom this week. The acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse on all charges related to the murder of two men and injury of a…
The air that surrounds the Ahmaud Arbery trial and so many trials
The trial surrounding the murder of Ahmaud Aubrey represents everything I hate about America. It represents the seated hostility Georgia, this country, and the world has for Black people. Ahmaud was 25 years old with so much life to live….
With mass murders of Christians and persecutions of other religious minorities, should Nigeria be redesignated a Country of Particular Concern?
In the past six decades since gaining independence from Britain, Nigeria — Africa’s most populous country — has faced one crisis after the other that threatened to undermine its corporate existence. While the country was able each time to survive…
A cold and broken hallelujah: Learning from the Damaged David
In my seminary days, I was taught that a good sermon or Bible study begins with a provocative question. So, when Nancy and I became pastors 41 years ago, I introduced a Sunday school class with the story about David,…
In Africa, some religious leaders pay a heavy price for their faith
The look on his face at the hospital bed where he was undergoing treatment showed a man who was recovering, happy and grateful to God to be alive. It was the opposite situation on Sunday, April 25, when an encounter…
To live into Easter, we need to keep writing a new song
Easter is here. But before we move too far into this season of hope, we need to pause and remember how Jesus died. Jesus was not the first person of color to be murdered by the authorities; his death was…
World religious leaders remember Shahbaz Bhatti as martyr 10 years later
World religious leaders, policymakers and human rights activists gathered virtually March 2 to mark the 10-year anniversary of the assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, the Pakistani Christian politician targeted by the Taliban for championing religious freedom. His killers never were prosecuted….