(7 minutes) In Thomas Wolfe’s novel You Can’t Go Home Again, author George Webber experiences the painful truth that it’s impossible to return to his hometown and feel “at home.” He has changed, but for the most part, his family and childhood friends are virtually the same. Many of us… Continue reading
Two recent political events in our nation are particularly disturbing for anyone who cares about our democracy. Friday a week ago, the Republican National Committee officially described the January 6 attack on the Capitol as “legitimate political discourse.” When I initially heard this insane description, I thought it had been… 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
We are witnessing increasing numbers of white Evangelicals joining the Trump cult, spewing lies, distorting the teachings and example of Jesus, and worshipping the Golden Calves of racism, homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, and greedy individualism. Continue reading
I grew up in the South hearing statements like, “I never owned any slaves. Don’t blame me for what happened over a hundred years ago! I worked for what I have. Let them (and always “them” was uttered with a dismissive and contemptible tone) work as hard as I have…. Continue reading
The reality of hell in this life (in this article, I’m not referring to any concept of hell in the next dimension) should be evident to anyone who has any awareness of the evil, suffering, and oppression in our world. Continue reading
In this article, I want to focus on the Parable of the Long Spoons relevance for the continuing and lethal legacy of America’s Original Sin of racism. Continue reading
One can be prejudiced without being a racist. Prejudice involves ignorance and bias. The very word “prejudice” means to prejudge. In other words, in our prejudices, we make decisions and choose emotions before having all the facts. We are ignorant as we shape or fall victim to our prejudices. Sometimes… Continue reading
Read the Scripture (This is the first sermon in a series of three Lenten sermons on the concept of sin. The second sermon is based on Romans 8:12-17 and is entitled “Scared to Death.” The last sermon in the series is based on I Corinthians 12:12-27; John 3:16-17 and has… Continue reading
The last forty years have seen a growing inequality in income, wealth, and opportunity. The poor are getting poorer, and the middle-class is shrinking. But perhaps most alarming of all is the dangerous and tragic gulf between White people and people of color. Statistics can be boring, but they can… Continue reading
