One of the news items that is bound to give many people ulcers or heart attacks is the constant struggle over health care in our country. As under the Obama administration, so now under the Trump administration, we are facing once again the possibility of an overhaul to the health care system. If we were left or forced to choose, which of the following values would you prioritize when it comes to health care—affordability, accessibility, quality? Why would you choose... Read more
Have you ever seen Christian voters’ guides? In my Evangelical experience, they often look very red—and I don’t mean red letter for Jesus’ words in the Bible. That’s not to say there aren’t blue versions. No doubt there are equivalents for Democratic leaning churches, no matter the format. Perhaps churches are more diverse today than they were in the 1970’s and 1980’s, perhaps not. I fear, though, that partisan politics easily rules in the church. Here I am reminded of... Read more
How important is being a Christian to being an American? How important is it that America be a Christian nation for being the Church in America? A Pew study titled “What It Takes to Truly Be ‘One of Us’” reveals that Americans are sharply divided along partisan lines on the importance of the Christian religion: A clear partisan split in the U.S. also exists on the importance of being Christian. More than four-in-ten Republicans (43%) say it is a very... Read more
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6; ESV). It’s easy to take clean water for granted in the U.S., especially if you drink filtered and bottled spring water all the time. Did you know that nearly 700 million people across the world lack access to clean water? That’s nearly ten percent of the people on the planet.[1] Papua New Guinea has the worst clean water access.[2] It’s one thing if you... Read more
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10; ESV). I admire my friend Abir greatly. She is one of the strongest Christians I know, and is a person full of wisdom and discernment. But such strength and wisdom come with a price tag of suffering. Abir is an American citizen, who is of Palestinian descent. Her father is a Muslim, who struggled when she became a Christian given its associations... Read more
Sometimes a common enemy serves to unite a people more than a common love. Read more
Last week, three trials involving African American men shot and killed by police officers concluded with no guilty verdicts. Each of the incidents began with traffic stops and the shootings were caught on video. The outcry of anger and fear in the African American community is high. Do we who are white ever ask ourselves what it would feel like to be “driving while black”? I reached out to Jimi Calhoun (JC), an African American, a pastor, community activist, author... Read more
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4; ESV) Can one be happy or blessed all the time? Is happiness the same thing as clowning around? Can one be happy and mourn simultaneously? If we think of happiness or blessedness as a perpetual state of being that is equivalent to clowning around all the time, then there’s no occasion for mourning. If, however, we think of happiness or blessedness as a state of being in which... Read more
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9; ESV). It’s very hard to be a peacemaker if one is not a peaceful person. It’s also very hard to be a peacemaker if one is not able to see clearly one’s own part in a conflict, as well as others’ roles. Moreover, it’s very hard to make peace if one is simply nice, or simply trying to keep the peace. David is a friend of mine from... Read more
Crossing paths with Pagans should never entail viewing them through the crosshairs of Christian triumphalism. Read more
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