Islamophobia has no place in the life of a Christian who has been given the confidence of salvation in Christ and the joy of a new mission in this world. Sadly, American Christianity has been very busy forgetting about its sense of mission in recent times, forgetting that it has been blessed to be a blessing–and not for its own sake. It has focused dramatically on its own inner blessedness and its own insular privilege and very little on what... Read more
I dare you to watch these precious souls fleeing danger and fear, their children in tow, shivering and on the edge of surviving a dangerous journey and not see the face of Christ. Take a break from the debates and the flurry of controversy and just look at these people. These real people. See them. Look into their faces. As a pastor friend said recently: They are worth the risk! Read more
Editor’s Note: This piece is part of a conversation Patheos is hosting on the new film The Armor of Light. Find more perspectives here. Pastor Rob Schenck has about as impeccable a conservative pedigree as you can find. He is an evangelical Christian and the founder of the Christian outreach organization, Faith and Action. He is deeply committed prolife leader who was even involved in the early days of Operation Rescue; he became infamous for cradling the body of an... Read more
One of my favorite genres of fiction is Nordic noir, and one of my favorite authors within the genre was Swedish author of the Wallander series, Henning Mankell. Mankell just died today at the age of 67. Today, I’d like to salute this fine crime novelist who showed so well that the genre can be about more than titillating, superficial writing, but that it can tackle matters of social responsibility and the deep philosophical questions of what it means to... Read more
From September 24-October 1, the ONE Campaign (with other partners) is encouraging faith communities to engage in the #PrayerforEveryone campaign. In this campaign, we as faith communities are being asked to pray, share on social media, and engage in action in regards to The Global Goals for Sustainable Development. The list is an ambitious priority list for reaching out to the most vulnerable and making sure their needs are met. These goals will be formally adopted this month at the... Read more
At the Montana Book Festival this weekend, I attended a panel called “Race, Privilege, and Writing.” As the writers read their work (two African-American men, an Asian woman), I found myself experiencing a sense of discomfort and dissonance as I sat in the midst of their biblical-grade lament. Sorrow and depression hung thick in the air; rather than confidently providing us a vision for social change, the writers laid out a more realistic picture. They didn’t have a lot of... Read more
“Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy,” F. Scott Fitzgerald said. Political heroism certainly does have its costs. Our current election cycle–and past history–have made abundantly clear that playing into people’s fears of “the other” is politically advantageous. You can get popular suggesting we throw out the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution or that most illegal immigrants are rapists and murderers who should be deported. You can get elected promising to be tough on crime, promising... Read more
I went to Straight Outta Compton (directed by F. Gary Gray) this week because I wanted to understand. The world of gangsta rappers N.W.A. could not be more removed from my own experience. But their indignation at police brutality (though expressed with its own brutality) seemed timely. I wanted to let the film help me understand the human beings behind the angry lyrics. N.W.A. was one of the most important West Coast/gangsta rap groups of the 1980s and ’90s; it... Read more
Water can mean death. It can be a place of drowning, suicide, natural disaster. For those unable to swim, it can be a source of terror. In wild rapids, water can be a place where we feel trapped against the current, unable to free ourselves. It can also mean life. It can be the source of satisfaction for our thirst, the washing and cleansing of our dirty bodies. Babies are born when the “water” of the womb breaks forth. New... Read more
Rocky Braat, a pretty ordinary young American man, goes to India with a friend. He goes seeking “authenticity” and “more out of life.” Rocky is a Christian and is clearly motivated by God’s love, but the film Blood Brother is secular documentary. Nothing about the film’s depiction of faith is in-your-face; rather, deeds preach far more than words. There is no explicit evangelistic message, no conversion from hell to heaven verbally articulated. Nevertheless, the power of love to cast out... Read more
Rebecca Florence Miller
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