Not again. That was my first thought upon seeing countless posts on Twitter about a shooting in Chapel Hill. By now, many of you have heard about the shooting of Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, his wife, Yusor Mohammad, 21, and…
Consensus in Congregations the Martin Luther King Jr. Way
I love police, lawyer, and political dramas on television and the big screen. Not sure I always like the violence or murders, but I like how the drama is weaved together. The West Wing, about the presidency of Jeb Bartlett,…
The Amazing Christmas Truce of 1914
As has been noted from time to time this year, the Great War, later to be called World War I, began one hundred years ago this past summer. By August 1914, Britain and France were fully engaged in war against…
For such a time as this
In the Old Testament Book of Esther, we are told a story about how the very existence of a certain group of people was threatened because of the anger of one man towards them. This man made threats to wipe…
As slow as Christmas
It was late on Christmas Day; the sun had set and my parents and I were somewhere between Yatesville and Barnesville on our way back home after the day-long celebration of Christ’s birth through the eating of food and the…
What would King say about Ferguson?
Fifty years ago today, on Dec. 10, 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr., was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was 35 years old, and at the time was the youngest person ever to be given the Peace Prize, which was…
A Litany of Tragedies
The streets of Ferguson had grown quiet, but this was not to last. After weeks of deliberation and hours upon hours of testimony, the grand jury tasked with determining whether or not Office Darren Wilson should be charged with any…
We shout ‘Peace, Peace,’ when there is no peace
For those of us who follow the liturgical calendar in our churches, the season of Advent is the time where we focus on the virtues of hope, peace, joy, and love – perhaps lighting a candle on an advent wreath…
Communities, borders, and “Persons of Peace”
“We pray and walk through our community, looking for persons of peace with whom we can connect.” “Persons of Peace.” That’s a term I’ve heard multiple times during my summer sabbatical study of how churches are engaging in Christian community…