Out of the 150 Psalms in the Old Testament, 68 are psalms of lament. In fact, there are more psalms of lament than of any other genre, including thanksgiving, hymnic, liturgical, and community. And yet, in (upper)middle-class, dominant-culture churches in… Read More ›
Church
A Biblical Approach to Overcoming Racial Discourse Allergy
When people start talking about race and racism, do you experience a range of negative emotions, an elevation in blood pressure, increased heart rate, sweaty palms, heartburn, chest tightness, or a knot in the pit of your stomach? If so,… Read More ›
Why the Affluent Need the Poor
It seems intuitive that the poor need the affluent, but it’s less intuitive to consider that the affluent need the poor. It’s my conviction, however, that although the poor cannot thrive physically without the aid and resources of the affluent, the affluent cannot thrive… Read More ›
Fear, Faith, and Nationalism in the Era of Terrorism – Part 2
In my last post, I made a case for the impossibility of holding dual citizenship in both the kingdom of God and any earthly empire. We must choose which one we will identify with fully. In this post, I want to unpack that… Read More ›
Fear, Faith, and Nationalism in the Era of Terrorism – Part 1
Fear and dread are a ruthless duo. They take no prisoners. They respect no boundaries. They eat faith, hope, and love for lunch. They make us forget who we are, and more importantly, who God is. I remember what it… Read More ›
Unpacking Operation Christmas Child
Note: This post was last updated on October 27, 2019 “Pack shoeboxes, change lives.” That was the take-home message at the end of last year’s promotional video for Operation Christmas Child (OCC) – a message promising high impact with a… Read More ›
My Daughter, My Beloved
The following poem is dedicated to the girl at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina who was recently placed in foster care and then experienced a brutal assault at school by a police officer. My Daughter, My Beloved… Read More ›