My new blogging home

Here we go! I must say that I was deeply honored to be invited to blog here at the Christian Century. It is a significant hub for thoughtful Christian reflection on things that matter, and I am proud to have my blog associated with such an awesome group. So, of course, this is my “introductory post.” Hello to those that have been frequent readers here at the Century for a while now but aren’t familiar with me yet. And also, hey to all my old readers that (hopefully) made the jump with me to this new location (please help me spread the word!). We are all going to have a great time! 

So, my blog is called “Taking Jesus Seriously,” which might sound a little obnoxious to some. My intent in the title, though, is merely to casually describe my method and approach to my writing and thoughts (and life). I try to write reflections that are uniquely and authentically shaped by my lived experience, a life which I am always seeking to more seriously immerse into, and then embody, the story of Jesus. I hope to think and speak from that vantage point. While I have been influenced by many theological streams, the most prominent are Black theology and Anabaptism. Both of these traditions are inclined to zone in on the specifics of Jesus’ life and teachings as a way of norming ethics and Christian life. It pushes back against popular and dominant cultural distortions of Jesus that look more like Uncle Sam or ourselves than the Jesus revealed in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Therefore, my title doesn’t mean that everything I write will be a direct reflection on Jesus, but that everything will flow out of my life while intentionally pursuing a Jesus-shaped way of experiencing our society. I believe that Jesus meant what he said, and it should be taken seriously. I hope you journey with me, helping me to also see Jesus as you have encountered and known him in your own life. 

You probably also might want to know that I am a young African American male (I think early 30s is still young, right?), I have been involved in pastoral ministry for the past decade, and I am also a PhD candidate in theology and ethics. In various ways, you can expect these aspects of my life and experience to texture my posts. I am probably best known for my anti-racism reflections, confronting oppression, post-Christendom practices, and the type of discipleship and formation needed to sustain a faithful life in American society. That said, I see my blog as a space to reflect on any subject matter that is weighing heavy on my mind, or that I just find interesting. 

That brings me to the last thing I think I will share as an introduction. My posts are intended to be conversational, desiring engagement with you. Together, we do better than any of us do alone. A vibrant dialogue, in which we all struggle to remain open to hear and see things from a different vantage point than our own, will prove to be the most significant and transformative experience for all of us along the way. I am thankful for the ways my readers in the past have stretched me, and vice versa. And I’m really excited about getting familiar with new names, and maybe eventually even new faces, along the way. Please consider subscribing to the blog or adding it to your RSS feed. Let’s converse!