Back in 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a sermon titled “Beyond Vietnam” n which he called upon his listeners to move from a culture of things to persons. He also spoke of how we need to address head-on the evil axis of economic exploitation, racism, and militarism. All these things were connected then. They are connected now. We hear a great deal about police brutality and inequities impacting the African American community. We hear of the “New Jim... Read more

It’s really hard to see white privilege if you don’t see “white” as a color. We often hear language like “people of color,” as if white is not a color. I remember a Mexican friend of mine puzzling over “people of color” as if that excludes whites like me. But once we see that white is a color, like a t-shirt or crayon or paint, then we can turn to ask why would one want to be color-blind. No one... Read more

John 17 records Jesus’ high-priestly prayer, where the Lord cries out to his Heavenly Father, longing for the Church to be one as he and his Father are one in complete and total unity. Then the world will know that God has sent Jesus to the world and has loved them just as the Father has loved his Son. A movement of Christian leaders here and abroad long to see that prayer and vision lived out in our midst in... Read more

What do race, biology, and psychology have in common? We address this subject in the following interview. We humans, regardless of our skin color, are not separate biologically, contrary to what many people think. What we take to be genetic or biological differences between whites and blacks as supposed “races” are really social and psychological constructs. I have asked two distinguished scientists to address this subject. You will find the complete interview in the video at the close of this... Read more

It is sometimes easy to get on the justice bandwagon or run as fast as one can for a few seconds. It is very difficult to get on and stay on, or to run the justice marathon for a lifetime. There is a great deal of positive energy about racial justice in our society presently, but will it last? I reached out to three esteemed colleagues who are committed to keeping the pace and running the long and winding race.... Read more

A June 2020 article in The Atlantic titled “The Prophecies of Q” includes the tagline “American conspiracy theories are entering a dangerous new phase.” Are you familiar with Q and QAnon? You should be. It’s a big deal, as The Atlantic article indicates, and regardless of whether you are a conspiracy theorist. I reached out to four colleagues well-versed on the subject of QAnon to get their take on this movement, its import for the Evangelical Christian community, and dynamics... Read more

We may never go back to the old normal, but can the church operate holistically and missionally that leads to ecclesial and societal flourishing no matter the size of our churches and gatherings? The megachurch phenomenon may or may not come to an end in view of COVID-19. Church growth and large numbers, at least in terms of public gatherings, may change dramatically (“After-math” in the title pertains to the crisis and numbering/growth). In what follows, I provide the outline... Read more

It is hard to keep one’s guard up all the time in public by making sure the face mask’s on and social distancing’s in place during a pandemic. Some will tell us that the Coronavirus is not such a big deal, not much different than the flu, and that it will soon pass from the scene by natural causes. Something similar can occur in the spiritual realm, when it comes to false teaching, as in the case of the Colossian... Read more

Early last week, the Governor of Washington issued a statement requiring people to wear masks in public places across the state beginning Friday, June 26th because of Covid-19. It appeared that half to two-thirds of the people congregating at the grocery store where I shopped last Friday didn’t read or hear the news, or simply discounted the mandate. As I exited the store with face covered, I crossed paths with an unmasked man wearing a t-shirt with the inscription, “Trust... Read more

Ephesians 2:11-22 features the church as a community made up of Jews and Gentiles. That includes everyone through faith in Christ. Paul writes of how the triune God has removed the dividing wall of hostility involving certain applications of the Law that functioned to polarize the two groups. Through Christ, the two have been brought together as one new humanity (2:15), fellow citizens of his kingdom, members of his household (2:19), and temple parts/participants (2:21): Therefore remember that at one... Read more