America
“Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed— Let it be that great strong land of love. Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme That any man be crushed by one above. O, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But...
Sacrifice
Authentic life with God includes sacrifice. That’s what we learn in the Abraham story and again with Jesus. In fact, we do grotesque things to God, our souls, and to our common life when we attempt to engineer life without sacrifice. Sacrifice is the denying or...
Un-mattered
The statement “All Lives Matter” in response to “Black Lives Matter” is entirely inadequate. It misses the mark by 401 years. “All Lives Matter” bears little resemblance to the lived reality of black and brown people since America’s founding. ALM is either tragically...
Politics, Peace and Justice.
To speak out against injustice these days is to be labeled as being “political and divisive.” But those seeking to dismiss justice seekers with these labels don’t know just how accurate they are! Jesus was also condemned for being political and divisive. He was...
Order
Life expectancy depends greatly on your neighborhood and income. High-income people can expect to live 10 to 20 years longer than lower-income people. If you live in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, you can expect to live to upwards of 87 years of age while in...
Questions
The Holy Spirit showed up dramatically we’re told. There was fire, and speaking of tongues. This whirlwind connected people across their divisions, if only briefly. Some responded with a question, “what does this mean?” Some responded with an answer, “they’re drunk.”...
At the Zero
Amos Wilder wrote, “be instructed at the null point, the zero breeds new algebra.” Wilder was commending the very nature of God. When things come down to the zero, when there’s suffering and “fiery ordeals” as St. Peter would say, if we can linger long enough nurtured...
Ready
Think in terms of readiness and response when it comes to following Jesus. St. Peter certainly does. Here is St. Peter’s checklist: “Be eager to do what is right though it may cause you trouble. Sanctify Christ as Lord.” Don’t just believe in him, set him apart, make...