This time there were 49, fifty counting him—one for each star on our flag This time he came during the dark of night—long before the full heat of the sun rose He came before the bars closed—before the last call for alcohol was made He came before the dancers retired to their corners—like boxers in the ring, before the last bell rung He came before the cock cleared his throat to announce the morning’s coming tide— before the sacrifice was made He came... Read more
“We don’t really count the shooter as a victim,” FBI Special Agent Paul Wysopal said at a Monday morning press conference and reported today in the New York Post. That makes perfect sense: Perpetrators are not victims; they are victimizers. Therefore, the number of victims in Orlando was changed today from 50 to 49 and we will not see 50 candles burning in memory of the deceased. This should surprise no one. But not everyone feels that way. A pastor... Read more
To all my grace-filled revolutionary friends: Here’s what I realized as I finished writing my new book Executing Grace. This isn’t just about a book. It is about a movement that has the potential to make history – to make the death penalty history. This isn’t an ad (I’ve never been much of a self-promoter), it’s about uniting our voices and movements to stand on the side of grace, redemption, and life… and to put an end to the death... Read more
“The more I travel the more I realize that people are the same no matter where I go. We have the same desires for our families, dreams for our children, and hope for a better tomorrow. If we focused on our commonalities rather than our differences the world would be a better place.”– The Rev. Romal Tune Where in the world is Romal Tune? If you’re lucky enough to be friends with Romal Tune on Facebook, that’s a question you ask... Read more
I tried to have lunch with a friend from church and he said, “I have an opening ~ not this Tuesday, but the one following that ~ and it will have to be a late lunch, say, around 2:30 and, sorry in advance, but it will have to be quick because I have another appointment at 4:00.” And that person was retired! All my life I heard the saying, “time is money” and I never understood it until I saw... Read more
By Brianna K. Parker Every church in America seems to be asking how to get millennials “back in the church.” However, the more appropriate question may be, “How do we get millennials to try God with us?” Realizing there was little empirical data on black millennials and faith, I studied the topic for my doctoral studies. During my research, I interviewed a 24-year-old, black, unemployed, college graduate. She spent her childhood in a large, black Baptist church and her teenage years... Read more
The moment I understood that the health of my wife, my unborn son, and our entire congregation was at risk was the moment that coal ash stopped being a political problem and became a spiritual one. Read more
When I was a child, my father asked me to help him move a table. On that table sat a vase that my father’s mother had given him many years ago. It meant a lot to him, so he asked me to be really careful. He picked up one side of the table and I picked up the other. We had to carry the table down only two steps, but in doing so, the table tilted. The vase fell on... Read more
We Americans don’t have very good memories. We tend to forget people and events as soon as the person is gone or the moment is over. We’re even encouraged to do so by slogans such as “let bygones be bygones.” We say “bye” and then it’s “gone.” But Memorial Day is an attempt to remember fallen soldiers. But remember that our prayers for peace have been answered many, many times. You could bury a skyscraper in the tickertape that has... Read more
Exodus 20:5 contains a difficult statement about the sins of the father being “visited” upon the son. I think I get it, at least in a way. I am an adult child of a violent and alcoholic father and to this day I continue to suffer manifestations of his abuse. Issues of trust and incidences of neglect and abandonment rear their ugly heads periodically as I sometimes still feel like collateral damage left in the wake of his “sins.” But... Read more
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