Reading a Samurai code alongside Howard Thurman’s meditations on nonviolence
Tsunetomo and Thurman both say death is not to be feared for those who understand their purpose in life.
Remembering a 19th-century lynching near my church
A historian contacted us about a tour of sites where mobs had lynched people—including the locust tree across from our sanctuary.
How I learned to love the “vengeful Old Testament God”
My class had struggled with the psalmists calling on God to kick in the teeth of their opponents. Then we got to the 94th Psalm.
Silence in an evil time
An enigmatic verse from the prophet Amos stuck in my soul’s craw.
What makes a violent story also a sacred text?
"Is this feeding your souls?" I asked after we slogged through another biblical bloodbath.
Writing about the Amish without romance
“I tried to remember that these are human beings, not caricatures.”
Yay singing
Our small church doesn't have praise teams or a chorus with dozens of members. But we have something precious.
What the Johnson Amendment really prevents churches from doing
There are constitutional arguments against allowing nonprofits—including congregations—to endorse political candidates. But the religious one is stronger.
Dylann Roof, the unrepentant
I despise the murderer of the Emanuel Nine, and all he stands for. But I can't embrace his death.
The peaceful transfer of power
Walking through the battleground of Manassas, Virginia, conjures up visions of what happens when mutual respect breaks down in society.
In defense of niceness
You don't want a nice church, or so I am led to understand. You want a church that zealously defends the Truth.
Dying and rising
The morning was hot, the thick wet suffusing heat of a late southern summer, and I was walking.
The dangers of monoculture
My garden is cranking again this summer, and one of the most remarkable things about a garden is just how much it varies year to year.
You'd think, given how much remains the same, that a garden would be a consistent thing.
What augmented reality reveals
It's been the hum and buzz of the last few days, a welcome change of focus from the toxicity of our culture....
Fossil fuel divestment and the ride from hell
This is a 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. It is the Platonic form of the muscle car, a huge slab of overpowered absurdity, arguably the high water mark of the guzzoline age. It only has two doors, but seats four comfortably, being a huge hulking beast of a car.