Rev. William Barber said in an interview with Morning Edition that the job of ministers like himself is to “call out” divisive, dishonest language from those in power. “We have to have a strong moral voice rooted in our values,…
Listening to young adults explain their love for Charlie Kirk
In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s tragic and wicked assassination, I’ve found myself seeking to understand the scope of his influence on young evangelicals. My husband and I recently hosted a former student of ours and her roommate, both of…
6 ways to gain credibility in our gospel witness
The gospel message itself always has been a big ask for much of the world to accept: an unmarried virgin’s conception, Jesus’ myriad supra-science miracles, the atoning death, the bodily resurrection. It is for this very reason the Apostle Paul…
Trump administration wages war on inconvenient facts
Facts can be stubborn things, but the Trump administration has declared war on those facts that don’t support its narrative. When confronted by inconvenient facts, it fires the messengers and sues the fact-checkers. On Aug. 1, the Bureau of Labor…
When is the right time to speak the truth about toxic people?
As many of our readers know, I officiate a lot of funerals. In addition to nearly 17 years as pastor with responsibilities for such things, I officiate pick-up funerals for families who do not have a church or a minister….
Bill Moyers: Fearless speaker of truth
When I saw the news of Bill Moyers dying, I felt all the oxygen left my office. Never has one person spoken more truth to power than Moyers. The tributes to him are prodigious and well-deserving. I add here some…
When lies pass for truth, the light dims for all of us
When lies pass for the truth, something in democracy disappears. Since conservatives insist liberals are lying and liberals insist conservatives are lying, somebody in the house of democracy is not telling the truth. The standard theme of anti-Trumpers long has…
GOP and Christian legal group battle ‘Censorship-Industrial Complex’
“I have stopped all government censorship and brought back free speech in America,” President Donald Trump told Congress in March. “It’s back.” He was referring to one of the many executive orders he signed on inauguration day: “Restoring Freedom of…
Let’s consider Christian community, nudist colonies and ‘complete transparency’
Early years at a new job will tax the training of even the most well-prepared. A key challenge involves navigating workplace boundaries. It’s difficult to imagine being more well-prepared for my first years as a Christian college professor. And yet….
Mr. Trump goes to Rome
Most of the time, when people say, “Just joking,” they’re not joking at all. Often, we use “just joking” as a cover when we’ve trotted out ideas we know will be controversial or hurtful but we want to say them…
Trump seeks to gild American history at the Smithsonian
President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” targets the Smithsonian Institution — which has, he contends, “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology.” This was the 105th of 107 executive orders Trump has signed…
Now Trump’s allies want to pardon Derek Chauvin
Conservative activists, led by Elon Musk and podcaster Ben Shapiro, are pushing to pardon former Minneapolis police officer and convicted murderer Derek Chauvin. Revising negative narratives — regardless of the truth — has become a runaway train in President Donald…