David French has a similar journey to mine in his geography. I find this the more I read him. He lived for decades in the Northeast as a conservative Republican. I lived in Minnesota in a very liberal metro area as a conservative white pastor. He moved to TN. I moved to Alabama. He found he was still “homeless” in a way. I have discovered that as well.
Read moreOur civil rights moment
One quote I saw going around on social media went something like this: “If you wondered if you would stand up for civil rights in the 1960s, what you’re doing right now is what you would be doing back then.”
Read moreRooting out our deep sin
The deep sin of racism is far more embedded in white American Christianity than we are willing to admit. We struggle in our collective sin mainly because evangelical Christianity (and fundamentalism on the right) focuses on the “individual” sin to the detriment of recognizing community sin.
Examples:
Read moreThe prophetic voice raised
Christianity Today had their website crash yesterday. They disrupted news cycles. All major outlets (including FoxNews) have reported it.
Mark Galli, retiring editor-in-chief for CT, wrote the bold editorial that it is time for Trump to be removed from office.
Read moreWe create our own apocalypse
A few articles over the past few weeks have helped me tamp down my desire to talk about how “bad” things are in America. The book, The End of Hunger, also helped keep perspective.
The reality of our lives is this: gloom and impending doom sells. It motivates us when good news won’t get it done. We create our own apocalypse.
Read moreThe evangelical industrial complex
Julie Roys is a journalist who has exposed massive corruption in key ministries and her message is this: God isn’t finished cleaning his house.
Being truly “evangelical”
“Evangelical” in American cultural usage right now is a term that is full of landmines. Michael Gerson, an evangelical writer, is a voice that calls out the challenges often. In a current column with the Washington Post, he reminds readers of what true evangelicals used to be like:
Read moreThe American Christian Industrial Complex
In the past two weeks we’ve witnessed yet another key influencer in the evangelical movement “give up” and move on. This one is Joshua Harris of I Kissed Dating Goodby fame (or infamy, as you will). There are two key discussions worth your listen.
Read moreSpiritual formation in the public life
“Evangelicals have often been presented with a false choice about our role in public life. We either completely withdraw from trying to influence things, or we initiate ‘takeover’ programs. There is an alternative pattern, thought, one that I believe is mandated by Scripture: in the present time, where the fullness of Christ’s kingdom is not yet with us, we are called to do what we can in the political realm, given the opportunities and abilities that God has provided for us in the places where the Lord calls us to be faithful.” — Richard Mouw, Restless Faith: Holding Evangelical Beliefs in a World of Contested Labels
White Evangelicals in America and the Reckoning We Need
We are still stumbling badly in our witness as American conservative Christians. This past year has left many, including me, wondering about the label “evangelical.” Read more
