By Lisa Nichols Hickman Newtown’s Rev. Matthew Crebbin reflects on the anxiety about the anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and transforming grief and anger into love and action to make a better world. After learning about Jesse Lewis, a six-year-old who died in the Sandy Hook shooting a year ago this December 14th, I’m thinking about scratching out the name Jacob in Psalm 146 and writing in Jesse. Psalm 146, verse 5 says, “Happy are those whose... Read more
By Brennan Breed Here are a few faith leaders who took a stand and worked to make a better, more tolerant society in 2013. Earlier this month—just in time for the holidays—an automatic cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) decreased food aid to 47 million Americans who struggle to afford food on a daily basis. It is the largest cut to food aid programs since the beginning of the “War on Poverty” in the early 1960s. And that’s... Read more
By Bryan Bibb Imagine that you are sailing on the Titanic, and you alone know that the great ocean liner will hit an iceberg in 24 hours. What do you do? Whom do you tell? The answer depends on one important factor: can the crisis be averted? If you can somehow get the captain’s attention, the crew might be able to change course and avoid disaster. But if you know that the ship will sink regardless of your best efforts,... Read more
By Henry G. Brinton As Thanksgiving approaches and commerce clashes with personal values, people talk about what they are thankful for. Macy’s Department Store is famous for presenting the Thanksgiving Day Parade. But now the same store that is in its 87th year of producing a nationally televised parade, watched by millions, is being blamed for ruining the holiday. What has the store done? Decided to open its doors to shoppers on Thanksgiving Day at 8:00 p.m. Time Magazine reports... Read more
By Billy Honor After serving in Iraq, a young father battles unemployment as he and his wife fight to get a leg up in a tough economy. There is a popular African proverb that says when elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. This proverb highlights the reality that too often while nations and powerful entities fight amongst themselves, the common people of the land suffer the most. It is a historical truth that those who make the decision... Read more
By David G. Garber, Jr. The mother of 6-year-old Noah Pozner, who was killed almost a year ago in the Sandy Hook School shooting, talks about coping with that trauma. The plight of Job is one of the most familiar stories from the Hebrew Bible. Many of us know Job’s suffering and the tortuous advice of Job’s “comforters.” The experience of suffering is universal. In the midst of our suffering, we seek to understand, to process, to comprehend. For individuals... Read more
By Greg Carey Seniors talk about the blessings and challenges that come with getting older. I probably shouldn’t admit how much I like Halloween. I’m too much of a slug to deck out my house, I rarely wear a costume, and I haven’t been to a wild party in years, but I love the excitement children bring to the whole process. Then again, there’s the classic It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown—what’s better than that? I’m pretty much a sucker... Read more
By Carolyn J. Sharp People express their opinions of Pope Francis, who has made his concern for the poor a central theme of his young papacy. Reversals of power play through many stories and poems of Scripture. The sacred texts foundational to Jewish and Christian identity are insistent in their efforts to reconfigure our understanding of what counts as valuable and holy. Daring leaders in every age have responded with their own bold visions regarding what makes for faithful community—something... Read more
By Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder The images of her burned face are clear. Just yesterday the pictures of her charred skin became news, or so it seems. Although Yvette Cade’s estranged husband walked into a T-Mobile store, doused her with gasoline, pursued her and set her ablaze in 2005, the visuals are not so distant. One’s mind cannot erase such horror so easily. Some things are just etched in memory forever. What is most compelling is this heinous act of domestic... Read more
By Yolanda Smith As Americans nervously prepared for the implementation of the newest phase of the Affordable Care Act on October 1, 2013, it was clear that even on the eve of its implementation, many looming questions still swirled around this new law. “What will it entail?” Who has to sign-up?” “What will it cost,” “Will I have to give up my current health care plan?” What if I have a pre-existing condition?” “What are health-care exchanges?” “How long do... Read more
On Scripture - The Bible
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