“You are the light of the world.” -Matt. 5:14 Late last night, we arrived home from a long trip. When we entered the house, everything was dark. With hands full of luggage, I tried to turn the light on. After a few missed attempts, my son started to get scared. My hands were simply too full to turn it on. After I tried and missed again, my son screamed out, “I need some light.” We are in a... Read more
Throughout our country, millions of Christians are sitting in church at this very hour. Songs are being sung about loving Jesus. Sermons are being preached about loving Jesus. Communion is being taken as a physical expression of the love of Jesus. Millions of Christians are at church seeking the love of Jesus. The problem is that Jesus isn’t in our churches. Jesus is at the airport. Jesus is being denied entry into the United States. Jesus can’t even get... Read more
Due to President Trump’s disturbing pronouncements on immigration, our borders have filled the news recently. Sadly, I think our political situation is only causing our borders to grow faster and faster. Separation seems limitless. In the midst of it all, I traveled to visit my grandmother today. For many years, my grandmother’s mind has been failing. Every time I leave, I feel like I am leaving something behind. Relationships are tough when only one party seems present. On some... Read more
Last week, I’d never even heard of Mark Baumer. I suspect most people still don’t know who he his. Such ignorance is unfortunate. A few days ago, I learned that Baumer embodied the lived experience of faith in something greater than himself. Back in October, Baumer left Rhode Island to walk barefoot across America. With each step, Baumer sought to raise awareness and money to combat climate change. Most people would dismiss Baumer as crazy. I wanted to know... Read more
Our pastor preached the hardest when election time came around. Though I was only a young man, I knew whose side God was on. In the midst of it all, everyone I knew voted for the candidate the pastor told them to. I was taught that Jesus was intrinsically connected to our political process. We also believed that politicians were the vessels of the will of Jesus. As I grew up, I began to notice how many problematic politicians... Read more
Growing up in Metro Atlanta, I loved reading our hometown newspaper, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I still do. Just this morning, I was reading the paper online when I came across an article entitled, “CDC cancels next month’s ‘climate and health’ summit in Atlanta.” Reading further, I realized that the Center for Disease Control was planning on holding a gathering to discuss how climate change destroys our health. The only problem is that the event was quietly canceled. When I read... Read more
A few months ago, we were sitting in church when one of our babies became upset. Like any parents, we quickly grew uncomfortable and tried to quiet our son down. Not long after the crying started, someone a few rows back loudly declared, “Can’t you shut that baby up?” Immediately, the entire church glared at us. We left in the middle of the sermon. In the midst of widespread decline, I constantly hear people talking about how rapidly... Read more
Throughout the day today, I watched the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Repeatedly, I heard the same chant, “America First! America First! America First!” While the largely crowd was simply repeating the words that Trump spoke, I was surprised by the large number of government officials who chanted the exact same thing. Everyone seemed to want the day and the future to be about, “America First!” The message was relayed that the salvation of... Read more
Twice today, I’ve received messages criticizing my writing. The first said that persons who are attracted to or intimate with animals are revolting and that I was revolting for writing about them. The person also said that they should be given an express ticket for hell. The second person was a little subtler. Initially, they told me that my writing was too provocative. Then, they told me that calling Chelsea Manning the Transgender Christ was revolting. Towards the end... Read more
In 2010, US Army soldier Chelsea Manning disseminated over 750,000 documents and videos to WikiLeaks. The troubling material was exceedingly embarrassing for the US government. Diplomatic cables gave the world an inside look at the unseemly sides of US diplomacy. Arguably, the most damning of the materials was a video of a US helicopter attacking and killing Iraqi civilians and journalists. Eventually, Manning was arrested and tried. After being found guilty of multiple counts, a military judge sentenced Manning... Read more
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