Monty today talked from Isaiah 58, the great passage about God’s heart for social justice: “Is not this the fast…
The King Is Coming
The biblical illiteracy in America is astonishing. Nowhere in the Christian scriptures, dogmas, teachings, or the example of Jesus do…
Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County: A Family, a Virginia Town, a Civil Rights Battle
I just preordered this book “Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County: A Family, a Virginia Town, a Civil…
What Malcolm X Taught Me
50 years ago tonight Malcolm X was shot to death. He was both opposed and dismissed by many, perhaps loved…
We Are None of Us Pharisees
We none of us are Pharisees, you know. We read the text of the New Testament and we are both…
The Incompetent Historical Understanding of White Supremacists
Recently someone (a graduate of the University of Virginia) wrote elsewhere that white privilege is a myth, and that as…
Can We Listen to Imperfect People?
I wish there were a perfect victim of violence done by the hand of the state, one who did not…
When Black Lives Matter
Some people are telling me that if black people just obeyed the police they wouldn’t be harrassed, beaten, and arrested…
Bad Cops, Bad Victims
Bad cops killing unarmed civilians do not invalidate all police officers or even the necessity of a police force. We…
We Do Because We Can
We #tortured people who did not crash planes into the Twin Towers or the Pentagon. We tortured people who were…
Guest Post: What Now?
Posting this (slightly edited version) on behalf of someone who cannot post due to the circumstances of their life. I…
Thinking about a White Response to Ferguson
I don’t usually reblog. But I’d like you to go here to read this. http://iambeggingmymothernottoreadthisblog.com/2014/11/27/race-ya/ Note that there are two…
What Can I Do to Help in Ferguson?
I am having a series of conversations with people who ask me (as if I’m an expert!) of what they…
More thoughts on the Christian response to Ferguson
See. here’s the thing, Christians: we have an opportunity to speak out about injustice to our fellow humans, our fellow…
Science or Superstition—Ebola and Crowdsourcing Wisdom
I don’t pay much attention to the chatter on the news—I don’t watch the talking heads and don’t follow the…
Image of God, Image of Man
I want a God who is small and careful and deliberate. Who sees the secret places and comes into them.…
Michael Brown and Ferguson—and Us
Every day people are born and people die. People marry, divorce, change jobs, have kids, watch those same kids move…
Review: Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History
Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History by Michel-Rolph Trouillot My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is…
Review: A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole My rating: 4 of 5 stars Most excellent–funny, insightful, wacky. View all…
Review: American Slavery, American Freedom
American Slavery, American Freedom by Edmund S. Morgan My rating: 5 of 5 stars Very nimble and clear writing for…
Review: Burning Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Burning Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Carl Waters My rating: 4 of 5 stars I was given this book to read…
Broken Windows
When we have a broken window in our home, the first thing we do as responsible homeowners is to fix…
Review: Confessions of a Presidential Speechwriter
Confessions of a Presidential Speechwriter by Craig R. Smith My rating: 3 of 5 stars Note: I received this as…
The Case for Reparations
This is a phenomenal piece of writing. It will get a Pulitzer Prize. Read it now. http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/05/the-case-for-reparations/361631/
Avoiding the Obvious
As Christians, we are to emulate the Lord. We are directly commanded by the Lord to assist the poor, the…
Palin and Waterboarding
Palin and all those who cheered her sacrilegious jibe ought to be ashamed of themselves. For us Christians, baptism is…
Waterboarding As Baptism
“Oh, but you can’t offend [Islamic terrorists], can’t make them feel uncomfortable, not even a smidgen. Well, if I were…