January 1, 2024

Adversity often inspires reflection. And, if we have the luxury to choose, it might lead to transformation. Often, that action includes deepening one’s faith and spiritual life and a new perspective. That’s what moments of adversity during 2023 have done for me. My then-partner (now husband)’s cancer diagnosis was the catalyst for this interesting last year. Our love for each other wasn’t in question. Walking with him on his treatment journey without allowing him to comfort me was my self-imposed... Read more

October 24, 2023

Patriotism became a religion during the Reagan administration. After all, the Moral Majority helped usher former Screen Actors Guild President Ronald Reagan into the White House. Reagan spent eight years in office repaying them by demonizing and demoralizing everyone they despised. History has a funny way of repeating itself. City On A Hill His city on a hill had a residential covenant. Reagan coined the phrase welfare queens and used the War on Drugs to criminalize Black people. He sat... Read more

August 5, 2023

Politically pastoral is more than just a concept or slogan. Being politically pastoral is an approach to confronting injustice and oppression. It’s engaging in woke ministry with a compassionate heart to create a more just world for all. Being woke isn’t a  cardinal sin. Jesus was woke. Jesus fought the evils of empire. People affected by oppression, community organizers, and concerned citizens follow in his footsteps. Social justice ministry isn’t heretical. Sometimes, preaching the obvious to the choir has become... Read more

April 28, 2023

Baptist World Alliance has ousted an openly gay Black faith from its Interfaith Relations and Racial Justice Commission after adopting a resolution declaring marriage between a man and woman. Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Elijah Brown demanded that T.J. Williams-Hauger resign via email. Brown asked Williams-Hauger to leave the commission, citing the resolution voluntarily. Williams-Hauger refused and asked Brown to expel him. Brown granted Williams-Hauger’s request. “Thank you for your prayerful attitude. Following our phone conversation yesterday,... Read more

November 21, 2022

Hatred for the LGBTQIA+ community has left death and destruction in its wake again, thanks to nearly unfettered access to firearms. The Second Amendment continues being considered more sacred than human life. Five people went to Colorado Springs’ Q Club to have a fabulous time — but never came home. Another 18 people were left with physical and psychological scars after a gunman opened fire during a drag show Saturday. Hate and bullets shattered the sanctity of an LGBTQIA+ sanctuary. Rage and... Read more

September 13, 2022

Observing and reflecting on Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s continued vilification inspires me to interrogate a certain demographic’s obsession with Black anger and Black humility. White supremacy pushes people of color to fight to be seen as the model minority. Well-behaved Black people are often the most appreciated. Docile and demure Black people are often deemed the best-behaved. However, speaking only when spoken to doesn’t even prevent us from making people uneasy. RBF — Resting Black face — intimidates many of them. Many times, a... Read more

April 21, 2021

Hearing former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin be convicted on all three counts for George Floyd’s 9:29 murder left me with a tear-stained face. Witnessing a White police officer finally held accountable for a Black person’s death left me on the brink of joy. But, something stopped me from celebrating. A mixture of hard-to-place dread and rage filled my spirit. That hard-to-place dread surfaced the moments after Columbus Police killed 16-year-old Makiah Bryant. Too Good To Be True This empath couldn’t shake a too... Read more

March 6, 2021

Nearly from Day One, the British press treated the former Meghan Markle like a cross between Yoko Ono and Wallis, Duchess of Windsor. Rabid commenters online not only embraced the rhetoric, but doubled down on the racist venom spewed at now Duchess of Sussex. Staying Quiet However, the Royal Family and Buckingham Palace remained silent. The Firm stayed true to its motto — never complain, never explain. That explains staying silent through four seasons of The Crown. Nary a peep about all the English... Read more

March 5, 2021

Getting a COVID vaccine shouldn’t feel like having a winning Powerball ticket. This writer will get my first or only shot tomorrow — if the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is available. That’s left me feeling conflicted. A Gift It’s the perfect birthday present — I turned 45 Wednesday. But, health care shouldn’t be a gift or privilege. Health care access is a human right. Alas,our nation’s addiction transformed health care into a commodity. Survival shouldn’t depend on solvency. This sad reality is why St. Jude... Read more

October 12, 2020

Our nation is sliding toward the Handmaid’s Tale set. U.S. Supreme Court justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearings began today. The Moral Majority’s more than 40 years of planning and plotting have culminated in this surreal moment in history — we’re inching toward theocracy. Moral Majority Minions Moral Majority alums and their slightly less urbane descendants, Tea Partiers and Trump supporters, have nearly realized a uniquely American dream — -turning back the clock 50 years. Conservative evangelical Christians are convulsing in praise over dealing... Read more


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