To say that a lot has happened in Washington, D.C., since January would be an epic understatement. I want to address the freeze on foreign assistance, the demise of USAID, and the suspension of refugee resettlement, all of which are…
A second civil war
The Civil War began in April 1861 when Fort Sumter (in the harbor of Charleston, S.C.) was attacked by local rebels. Even with all the rhetoric for years, the United States was caught off guard. What became the Confederate States…
Trump pledge to protect kids from trafficking at odds with child immigrant policies
The Trump administration’s efforts to deny legal services to unaccompanied migrant children and to target minors for deportation do not line up with the president’s stated concerns about the trafficking of minors, child protection advocates said during a virtual press…
Pay attention to the victories against Trump, Buttigieg advises
Yes, things in Washington, D.C., are as bad as you think they are and, in fact, are worse than you realize, Pete Buttigieg told participants in the Together for Democracy conference Feb. 26. The former secretary of transportation was the…
The Boston Tea Party 2.0: Today’s 24-hour economic blackout
In an unprecedented demonstration of financial solidarity, millions of Americans, especially African Americans, are mobilizing for an economic blackout today in what has been dubbed “The Boston Tea Party 2.0.” This 24-hour economic shutdown aims to send a resounding message to…
‘Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts …’
I continue to try to make sense of living as a Christian in a time when a distressing number of my coreligionists have thrown their support behind a fascist regime that stands against everything I think is good and holy,…
Meditating on Psalm 37
In a little while the wicked won’t exist! If you go looking around their place, they won’t be there. But the weak will inherit the land; they will enjoy a surplus of peace. — Psalm 37:10-11 I am reading Psalms…
As others lament, Republicans are feeling great about America
While Democrats and others opposed to the agenda of President Donald Trump find each new day of his administration to be fresh hell, Republicans are soaring in their approval, according to Gallup. Within the first month of Trump 2.0, the…
Trump administration wants all illegal immigrants to register
In further efforts to rid the nation of undocumented immigrants, the Trump administration has unveiled a national registry for anyone in the country illegally to submit their personal information or face fines and prison time. Launch of the registry was…
Social Principles are basis of UMC opposition to Trump policies
Note: This is the first in a five-part series on the updated Social Principles of The United Methodist Church. Still reeling like many Americans from the “shock and awe” of the first few weeks of the new federal administration,…
Money, Lies, and God profiles America’s anti-democratic movement
Americans who are confused or upset about Trump 2.0 will find a helpful guide in Katherine Stewart’s latest book, Money, Lies, and God, which examines the far-right billionaires, evangelical activists and think tanks behind MAGA’s assaults on our laws, traditions…
‘See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’
As Christians in America, we are called to be salt and light in a world that desperately needs guidance, truth and justice. However, there seems to be a growing trend within the Christian community to adopt the posture of “see…