Love your God. Love your neighbor. Love yourself.
Dear Lord, They think we're more depraved. Isn't that it? Isn't that what's nagging and gnawing at me? Isn't that why they cite statistics about our crime rates and achievement gaps? They are saying we are more depraved. And yet, they built a house and put us in the cellar. They built it on purpose... Continue Reading →
If you have ever buried a loved one, then you have probably heard about the Five Stages of Grief. You may also know what it feels like for somone to minimize your grief with platitudes like, "Well praise God, s/he's with Jesus now. You'll see them again." [Insert eye roll, sigh, balled fist.] As we... Continue Reading →
Prayer is not my strong suit. I am more a Christian seeker and a learner than I am a pray-er. But this morning I prayed for Derek Chauvin. It was a winding road during my quiet time that got me to praying for him. I wasn't even thinking about the killing of George Floyd when... Continue Reading →
I recently cropped my white son-in-law out of a photo of the men in our family. I hated to do it, but Ryan's not black. I don't worry about him the way I worry about the black men in my family, so I cropped him out of my Facebook post. I consider this a good... Continue Reading →
After a black man is killed for minding his business, I often ask God why. I plead with him because I don't get why he has allowed black people - my people - to be mistreated for 400 years. Often, I go to Exodus Chapter 2 where Moses "saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one... Continue Reading →
Last week's disinfectant debacle is a really great object lesson. We can draw a simple principle from James 3.1: while all are uniquely gifted by God, teaching is for those called to teach. A more modern way to put it: we need to stay in our lane. The president's refusal to stay in his lane... Continue Reading →
Week Four into COVID-19 has me humbled. I realized this after I prayed one morning, "What do you want to do in me during this pandemic? How do you want my heart and life to change?" Grow in humility was God's answer. Let's face it. This pandemic, this virus, this microscopic thing has humbled all... Continue Reading →
The stimulus package that passed in Congress exposes the truth about American self-reliance: it has limits. Lawmakers have acknowledged that a pandemic is an unforeseeable crisis outside of our control. Even Republicans who decry government handouts most of the time, concede now that trouble has befallen us and it's not our fault. Welcome to the... Continue Reading →
During week one of social distancing, I helped distribute food. The public schools and another nonprofit had done the hard work of rallying volunteers to donate and assemble bags. I set up a table one day and handed out bags another day. It was easy to keep six feet away from people except during the... Continue Reading →
