(12 minutes) In an extraordinary interview with Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel just weeks before he died, the great philosopher and biblical scholar said that religion must have validity more than mere relevance. Today, there are many calls to relevance. I’ve noticed that I have referred to the necessity of relevance… Continue reading
(10 minutes) The Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley is a Cherokee descendent, ordained pastor, activist, college professor, author, and farmer. For decades, he has been active in ongoing concerns that include Indigenous peoples, racism, eco-justice, social justice, sustainable and regenerative agriculture and earth practices, and inter-faith dialogue. In a lecture entitled… Continue reading
(14 minutes) In a church I pastored years ago, there was a sweet older lady who was simple in her faith, steadfast in her devotional life, and obsessively regimented in her daily routines. During one of our class discussions on the nature and priority of love, she said, “I just… Continue reading
(14 minutes) In the second part of Dr. Martin Luther King’s sermon entitled Loving Your Enemies, he spoke specifically about why we should love our enemies. The following are some the reasons he gave along with some thoughts of my own. So, why does Jesus say that “you may be… Continue reading
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, in an incredibly insightful sermon entitled “Loving Your Enemies,” revealed the wisdom, practicality, and necessity of such radical love. Much of the opposition to such love is based on a miscomprehension of the concept of love in the New Testament. Continue reading
(9 minutes) After quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr regarding his call for Blacks to forgive those white supremacists who had caused them so much suffering, I ended the previous article by suggesting that there was so much more to be said about the blindness and ignorance of those who… Continue reading
MLK recognized that “some men are segregationists merely for reasons of political expediency and economic gain.” However, he also realized that many good people were convinced that segregation was good for their families, their nation, and their faith. But all such people are spiritually blind and ignorant. “Millions of Negroes have been crucified by conscientious blindness. With Jesus on the cross, we must look lovingly at our oppressors and say, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know now what they do.’” Continue reading
(10 minutes) Luke’s Gospel tells us that as Jesus was being crucified, he prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34) What many people do not know is that these words are not found in some of the most ancient Greek copies of the… Continue reading
(10 minutes) When I was a child, I always looked forward to the Sunday paper. The paper for that day of the week was several times bigger than the newspaper we received the other six days. My interest was solely in the comic section which contained about five times the… Continue reading
This country has no hope of maintaining its democracy or any moral decency until it repents of its Original Sin of racism. We were built on genocide of one race and the enslavement of another race. And to this very day, that evil legacy continues to bear bitter fruit. We must remember, and in that remembering, experience the repentance necessary for needed healing and reconciliation. Continue reading
