Take a look at our most recent writings
What is MLK to the (White) Christian?
Here we are in yet another year commemorating the birth (and life) of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We all know who Dr. King is, at least the broad strokes: a leader of the Civil Rights movement, reverend and orator who advocated for social change through peaceful protest. When you think about Dr. King, do… Continue reading What is MLK to the (White) Christian?
The Fierce Urgency of Now
Statement on Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, 2022 On this Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, we return to places of hallowed ground—from the 16th Street Baptist Church, to the Edmund Pettus Bridge, to the Lorraine Motel—to honor those whose lives are the foundation of our contemporary liberation struggle. We remember King, and all… Continue reading The Fierce Urgency of Now
Miscellaneous Briefs – January 2022
A group of pastors, writers, scholars and spiritual leaders you might know, offer suggested “reSOULutions” for 2022. (So worth skimming until you see one or two that resonate with your own soul…) Compiled by Tish Harrison Warren. A truly helpful visual and interactive guide to the concept of GDP and the state of the global… Continue reading Miscellaneous Briefs – January 2022
America: Culture of Life?
Huddled in our COVID cocoons, some of us celebrated Christmas, bade goodbye to 2021, and welcomed 2022 with prudent ambivalence. Wearily clinging to Zoom and FaceTime, we checked in with loved ones scattered across the globe. Some of us, resentful of lives grown small and circumscribed by fear, booked vacations and family reunions in a… Continue reading America: Culture of Life?
From G.O.A.T. to Goat: Will 2022 bring a tipping point for teachers?
In the first half-year of Covid, teachers were among the Greatest – the G.O.A.T.’s who would keep us sane, learning and growing because, “that’s what they do.” It was common to hear about our “heroes of the classroom”, keeping the world safe and robust for education no matter where they had to practice. (Healthcare workers… Continue reading From G.O.A.T. to Goat: Will 2022 bring a tipping point for teachers?
The Colors of Your Light
“…you are a unique expression of an idea of God meant to lead others into more of God’s goodness.” –Marshawn Evans Daniels, 100 Days of Believing Bigger Devotional Journal, Day 80 During an “artivism” (activism using art) workshop this week, I was asked: “What is your cause?” “What is your protest?” “What mediums do you… Continue reading The Colors of Your Light
Do the Right Thing
I agree with Spike Lee that among life’s most challenging questions is “what is the right thing to do now?” Furthermore, whether you’re in Brooklyn, Berlin, or Bermuda there’s a difference between doing right and being right. Spiritual and emotional maturity turn on understanding and living out this distinction. Scripture tells me, “speak the truth… Continue reading Do the Right Thing
Don’t Forget What You Look Like
On a hot, sunny day in late June, 2021 we headed from Memphis down into Tunica County, Mississippi, where we crossed the Mississippi River and drove into Helena, Arkansas, the Phillips County Seat. Our GPS pointed us to the Courthouse, standing just shy of the levee. But on the courthouse square just steps from this… Continue reading Don’t Forget What You Look Like
What’s in Your Closet?
Wardrobe words intrigue me – designer labels of the human psyche. I put on “politically correct” shoes because they fit better than the alternative. I treasure the few worn out “woke” t-shirts I’ve been given, but never buy them for myself. They feel nice in the morning but seem ill-fitting as the day goes on.… Continue reading What’s in Your Closet?
The Devils We Know (want to kill us)
Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 5 One who was there had been an… Continue reading The Devils We Know (want to kill us)
Love and Light
In the beginning were love and light Darkness dared dart in Love and light remain steadfast, even as we unsteady Love is sacrifice amidst brokenness, tender touch, touching words touching our soul, our spirit Light is the Lord’s truth, abundance overflowing, peace and passion purposely in pursuit—Speak Life! Power indwelling, gentle, undaunted, seeking ever higher… Continue reading Love and Light
In It Together
“For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45 (KJV) This past weekend, on May 23rd, Christians celebrated Pentecost Sunday, noting the time God sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in and among us shortly after Jesus’s death… Continue reading In It Together
Do Not Be Weary in Well Doing
“And you can always hear this long sob story: ‘You know it takes time.’ For three hundred years, we’ve given them time. And I’ve been tired so long, now I am sick and tired of being sick and tired, and we want a change. We want a change in this society in America because, you… Continue reading Do Not Be Weary in Well Doing
The Verdict
I’m sitting here reflecting on the verdict that just came down for Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd. Guilty on all charges. Justice has been served. So why do I not feel any different? The verdict does represent justice—a form of justice. A modicum of justice. But it is not true justice. This… Continue reading The Verdict
A Renewed Imperative
The political chaos and confusion of the 2020 Presidential election clarified how some in the elite power structure of this country continue to create narratives that promote division, evoke fear, deny what is true, stifle what is progressive and discredit what is right. Baffled by tactics of oppression unchanged for over 400 years, I am… Continue reading A Renewed Imperative
Ode to Jesus Once More
Heard the voice of Jesus sayCome unto me, I am the way.Keep your hand on the plow, hold on.When my way gets dark as night,I know the lord will be my light,Keep your hand on the plow, hold on. “Hold On,” African American Spiritual (many Spirituals first sung by enslaved Africans in the United States)… Continue reading Ode to Jesus Once More
What’s Wrong with Beth Moore is that She’s Right
“I sincerely wish Mrs. Moore had repented rather than left. But if she refuses to repent, I am glad she is gone from the S.B.C. Sadly, leaving the S.B.C. won’t fix what is wrong with Beth Moore.” (Tom Buck, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lindale, Texas) Perhaps you haven’t heard. The most prominent… Continue reading What’s Wrong with Beth Moore is that She’s Right
Shouting “Fire!” in a Burning Theatre
I’m struggling with an emotion that has been hard to name. This morning it came—not a label for the feeling but a metaphor. I feel like I’ve been shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theatre. In some ways, the metaphor is all wrong. The phrase, borrowed from a 1919 opinion by US Supreme Court Justice Oliver… Continue reading Shouting “Fire!” in a Burning Theatre
#BlackGirlMagic: On the Necessity of Resilience and Righteous Indignation
What do Vice-President Kamala Harris, voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, and viral immunologist leading the fight against COVID-19 Kizzmekia Corbett have in common? They’re all Black women with magnificent accomplishments—things most people do not achieve, let alone those staring down racism and sexism. As a Black woman, they inspire me, but… Continue reading #BlackGirlMagic: On the Necessity of Resilience and Righteous Indignation
a word on Mental Health for my Black and Brown friends
The attack occurred on February 22, 2020. One year ago this week. They were only slightly older, but I did not know the three women in their early thirties—these Strangers— who jumped me. Leaving a bar in Fells Point with my partner and two other friends, the women came out of nowhere and threw me… Continue reading a word on Mental Health for my Black and Brown friends
The Gathering 