Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is celebrated this year from April 22 to April 30. It is one of the most significant and meaningful festivals in Judaism. In this article, we will learn from Naomi Klein, a Jewish environmentalist and writer, on her reflection on Passover and its challenge to Zionism. To develop this discussion, we shall proceed in three parts. First, we will explore Pesach, its history, rituals, and general meaning for the Jewish people, as well as the significance... Read more
Was Jesus a racist? In the Gospel of Mark, there is a story where a Syrophoenician woman comes to Jesus. She asks for her daughter to be exorcised, for her daughter was possessed by a demon. After passing a test of faith, Jesus heals the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter without even having to pay the young girl a visit. The story is an exaltation of the woman’s faith, and it speaks to the racial/ethnic tensions in first century Judea. In 2021,... Read more
On April 15th, 2024, four people were injured at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, Australia. Among these was Assyrian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, who suffered multiple stabbings. The bishop at the time of writing is currently hospitalized and has undergone surgery for his wounds. The attacker, a 16-year old boy, is under arrest and is also hospitalized. The stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel is a tragic story, and it is still unfolding. As someone who has been... Read more
The past several election years have been traumatic for the American Church. The Body of Christ in America is being polarized and pulverized by political controversy and division. In that respect, we are no different than the rest of the country around us. The term “Christian nationalism” has become a widely used term. It has proved helpful for people, including myself, to describe the co-opting of many Christians to become voting blocs for politicians. But in its popularity, it has... Read more
On March 31st, President Joe Biden established Trans Day of Visibility as a national holiday. March 31st this year was also Easter, one of the most sacred Christian holidays of the year. This decision sparked outrage from many Christians. It was seen as a slight to Christianity. Biden’s decision was seen as proof of how anti-Christian America has become. Before going on, I absolutely must preface this article. Christians of various sorts, as well as people who do not subscribe... Read more
This semester, I’ve been looking at the Law of Moses throughout the Bible, in the Old and New Testaments. When we begin to think about how our faith relates to politics, I get the sense that we often are at a loss with how exactly the Bible should inform our political lives. But we forget that the Bible quite literally contains a perfect synthesis of politics and religion: the Mosaic Law. Currently, I’ve been looking at how Jesus thinks about... Read more
Current events in Christian pop culture show a lot about the Church. As Jesus said, you’ll know a tree by its fruit (Matthew 7:15). Recently, there’s been a bit of a debate about a high-profile megachurch. Elevation Church is pastored by Steven Furtick in North Carolina, and was founded in 2006. Furtick has been the object of derision and polemic by other Christians. He was criticized on the American Gospel film (2018) for preaching what is known as the prosperity gospel,... Read more
Ah, religion and politics. The two things you don’t want to bring up at the family dinner table. In the popular imagination, we live in a politically fragmented world. Politics is a site of conflict. It divides us. We see this in political polarization. The main idea behind polarization is that America’s two party system is becoming more and more divided, and more and more extreme, in both directions. The Right is moving further Right even as the Left goes further Left.... Read more
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