Micah Johnson / Kyle Rittenhouse : The Same Demon I write about it more than I ever imagined I would. I guess I could have never imagined experiencing it in the first place. There is no doubt that I am still there. I know what I saw. I can still see it. Every step brought me deeper into another world. “Does tonight feel differently to you?” “What do you mean?” “I just have a bad feeling about all... Read more
angels amongst us? When I was an early teenager, I worked across the street for my neighbor. I cut. I mulched. I sweat. I pruned. I pushed. I edged. I did it all. In spite of the miserable pay, I enjoyed it. There is something about doing something alone that is redemptive at that age. Early one rainy morning, I put on my coat to run across the street to collect my money. I didn’t realize how blinding things... Read more
Mountain City, Tennessee Racist Tropes: On Tomahawks We were up late. Atlanta had never seen anything like this. The Braves were on the cusp of the World Series. We were full of nervous energy. This was Game 7. Francisco Cabrera was pinch-hitting. The Braves needed two runs to win. Almost effortlessly, Cabrera hit the ball into a hole in left field. We jumped up on our feet and started screaming. David Justice scored the tying run. Right behind him, Sid Bream slid... Read more
A Theology of Stigmata Blood poured forth from the body of the incarnate God. Depression smothered his consciousness. Mania rattled his being. Psychosis toyed with his understanding of reality. Even in the midst of such sickness…of such disease…Jesus continued. Based on his own words, the biggest physical wounds of the passion event were in his mind. Since the advent of the church, reports of stigmata…or spontaneous supernatural appearances of the wounds of Christ on his followers…have... Read more
Leaving Dallas. Life changes. Rapid developments demand rapid responses. Such is how we got here. I guess there are many first times that change us forever. This moment was no different. I was asked to speak to a huge crowd of people. I stood and delivered. Repeatedly, I called churches to account with regard to their records on race and involvement in the movement against police brutality. Throughout the night, I followed the leadership of the evening.... Read more
I had no choice but to stand and deliver… I’m still there. The Sermon After the Shooting Delivered after the July 7 shooting at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Denton, Texas on July 10, 2016. It’s been a very busy time. Just a few days ago, I organized the rally and march that preceded the deaths of five police officers in Dallas. This morning I want to journey through the story of Dallas and end with in the familiar... Read more
June 23, 2020 The Rev. Charles Moore visits me often. For over six years now, I’ve closed my eyes and felt the pull of his flame. The media attention is long over. Too much time has passed for most. Our memories are so frail. I won’t ever be able to forget. I still see the flames. To commemorate the passion, I’ve decided to repost the blog that I wrote after hearing about Moore’s self-immolation. I encourage you to sit... Read more
The Good Samaritan: For Our Moment On one occasion a theologian stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” she asked, “what must one do to no longer be racist? “What have your studies told you?” he replied. “What does it say in your books?” She answered, “‘I guess it begins with… Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as... Read more
June 14, 2020 Defund the Police? Skepticism in a Time of Sloganeering. The days are unkind…hopeless…evil. Just when you think you’ve seen the last video for a little while…another officer kills another citizen. What are we to do? The situations are not always the same…but they deliver the same indictment. We train our officers to kill and then expect them to not to kill in the field. We can’t have it both ways. Violence births violence... Read more
These are crazy times. Folk don’t know what to do…especially white folk. Within the white folk arena, there is one group that seems to have lost all sense they might ever have had on reality…white Christians. On the daily, I’ve been bombarded by bizarre statements/actions that white Christians are making/taking in the name of helping. These bombardments provide a textbook example of what things look like when helping hurts. I’ve tried to refrain from having this conversation. Initially,... Read more
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