Since the election, I’ve seen widespread use of the hashtag #NotMyPresident. While I understand the sentiment, I think #NotMyMessiah is a more appropriate hashtag for Christians. Here’s why. Because of our deeply polarized two-party system, #NotMyPresident inevitably carries partisan overtones and… Read More ›
Culture/Social issues
Recovering from the Long Hangover of Racial Segregation: Observations from MLK Day
Yesterday morning, I visited the King Center with my mother-in-law and my daughter. Every building on the grounds was packed, as were the sidewalks in-between buildings. It didn’t take long to notice, however, that although there was a sprinkling of… Read More ›
Reimagining Racial Bridge Building in the Age of Social Media
The late Neil Postman wrote, “The clearest way to see through a culture is to attend to its tools for conversation.” And today, our primary tools for conversation are smartphones, computer screens, and various social media platforms. As I scroll… Read More ›
Escaping the Fake News Machinery
I saw this tweet this morning and thought, “This is why citing articles to prove a point has little effect on anyone who’s not already convinced of the point we’re trying to make.” I scan through my social media feeds… Read More ›
When Freedom and Oppression of Ethnic Minorities Are Matters of Political Expediency
There’s a strong connection between the end of post-Civil War American slavery and the internment of Japanese Americans – both of which happened in 1942. And that connection has significant bearing on life in America today. We need to go… Read More ›
Church As a Community of Enemies
Community is a word we throw around in church circles – a buzz word that conjures up images of people talking and laughing together over a meal. In the 25 years I’ve been a follower of Jesus, however, I have… Read More ›
Lament: An Act of Worship or An Indecent Display?
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 ›
How can we learn to see each other in the face of racialized pain?
It happened 3 months ago. As my daughter and I exited the car and started walking toward the pool entrance, I heard it. “Konnichiwa!” It was a strange thing to hear in the middle of our area of Atlanta, where… Read More ›
A Prayer on 9/11 Remembrance Day
At least three generations of my family have born the scars of war and political instability. We were and continue to be politically insignificant people caught between the oppression of Japanese imperialism and the unmatched destructive capacity of U.S. military might, casualties… Read More ›
No Love, No Freedom
My friend and colleague Latasha Morrison, who started the non-profit Be the Bridge, got a call from a friend yesterday. Her friend’s friend – we’ll call him James – was on his way to another friend’s house in Baton Rouge when… Read More ›