I was asked by Huffington Post Black Voices to write as part of their #28BlackLives series in honor in part of Black History Month. I’m honored to be a part of their larger, month-long conversation. On December 21 last year, Juventino Castro, an off-duty police officer, was doing routine patrols as a part-time security guard around a local strip mall that had hired him. The mall had experienced a series of burglaries, so they wanted Castro to help secure the property... Read more
A couple weeks ago, I was at the Christianity21 Conference in Phoenix, AZ (or C21)– a conference that brings together Christian voices to share 21 big ideas in 21 minutes each. Homebrewed Christianity organized a live podcast called BHC21 Live Event, bringing together TNT (Theology Nerd Throwdown) and Culture-Cast. It’s a lively podcast to say the least. You can learn a bit of the history and purpose of the podcasts and that Amy’s biggest fear is that she will run... Read more
I’m starting to think that Che Guevara and the Jesus of the Gospel according to Mark have an awful lot in common. I should explain, first, that I’m in the first month of My Jesus Project, a year-long effort to more deeply live into the life, teaching and example of Jesus through prayer, study and action. Each month, I explore a new dimension of Jesus with a mentor; this month is Jesus the Radical with Christian Anarchist Mark Van Steenwyk.... Read more
By now we are all aware that three Muslim students were shot dead in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. My friend and personal manager, Rev. Hollie E. Woodruff lives in Raleigh, a few miles east of Chapel Hill. I invite you to read Hollie’s reflections as we all try to make sense of this horrific event: I sit at the table cutting out dozens of white fabric doves for an ordination stole I’m making for a friend who comes from the... Read more
Anyone who has been paying attention to the popular culture buzz knows that the book, “Fifty Shades of Grey” was one of the biggest hits in erotic fiction in years. And now it’s coming to the silver screen on, of all days, Valentine’s Day. Of course, there’s the obvious voyeuristic intrigue of seeing good looking movie stars with their clothes off. then we add in the taboo of Sadomasochism (BDSM). As one who feels like puritanical sexual values have done... Read more
As part of my year-long quest to better, more fully and authentically follow the life and teachings of Jesus (a spiritual practice I’ve called My Jesus Project), I’m working this month with Christian Anarchist mentor Mark Van Steenwyk on exploring “Jesus the Radical.” The first task he gave me was simple, though not necessarily easy (like a lot of Jesus’ teaching, incidentally). He told me to reduce the amount of time I spent driving myself places, opting instead for public... Read more
C.J. Campbell is a fan of the Homebrewed Culture Cast and reached out to me a few weeks ago. Something about him caught my attention. He has an honest, unvarnished, swagger, only made even more compelling when I later learned he also lives with Cerebral Palsy. C.J. is a speaker, writer, and activist from Rockford, IL. He has spent the last 10 years sharing stories with a wide range of crowds from small dive bars to college classrooms. He is... Read more
It’s a rainy, graciously lazy Saturday in Portland. A perfect time to dive into the Gospel of Mark and to cultivate my inner anarchist for the betterment of God’s Kingdom. This week, I got a list of possible tasks to take on during this month of My Jesus Project, in which I’m exploring “Jesus the Radical.” My mentor this month, self-confessed Christian Anarchist Mark Van Steenwyk, has mercifully offered me opportunities to live out a more radical experience with varying... Read more
Anyone who knows me very well can tell you I’m pretty intense about things. When I start on a new book project, sometimes I will write six to ten hours a day until I’m done, my hands give out or my family claws and wails outside my office door. So of course, when I decided I was going to start My Jesus Project, in which I’m spending a year trying my best to understand what it means to follow Jesus more deeply,... Read more
While I’m hard working on following Jesus – My Jesus Project – I’ve invited my friend Adam Phillips to share his most recent Sojourners article. Adam is a new church planter for an Evangelical Covenant church in Portland. However, when they were questioned by their denomination about being welcoming of LGBTQ people, it was suggested that Adam may no longer be “Covenant compatible.” Adam has demonstrated God’s grace through this ordeal… better than I would probably handle it…so yeah…. back to... Read more
Christian Piatt
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