“THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE.” JOHN 8:32 Some time ago, Jason Micheli interviewed David Bentley Hart on Micheli’s podcast Crackers and Grape Juice. (The interview can be found on YouTube under the title “All Creation Afire as a Burning Bush.”) During the interview, Hart spoke eloquently about freedom as… Continue reading
(This sermon was preached 39 years ago. I was a college professor teaching religion in a Baptist college. Fundamentalists had chosen me as their target in that college with the intention of having me fired. Susan and I decided that we were no longer Baptists. The straw that broke the… 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
While pastoring in Montgomery, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached a sermon entitled “A Tough Mind and a Tender Heart.” His text was Matthew 10:16 where Jesus said to his disciples, as they began their mission trip to the house of Israel, “Behold, I send you out as sheep… Continue reading
Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) has captured the hearts and minds of millions of people over the centuries. He certainly is one of my favorite saints. Through the insights of such brilliant Franciscan theologians as Richard Rohr, Francis’ life, teachings, and example have impacted countless persons of all faiths. As a… Continue reading
In Tenacious Solidarity: Biblical Provocations on Race, Religion, Climate, and the Economy, biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann offers this definition of totalism: By “totalism” I mean a system of signs and symbols that make a claim of validity that is all-encompassing, that will allow no challenge or competition, and that will… Continue reading
After four years of a national nightmare, at noon on January 20, 2021, most of the United States (as well as most of the world) can breathe a collective sigh of relief. We can look forward to our eyes, ears, hearts, and very souls no longer being assaulted on a daily, if not hourly basis, by a constant barrage of lies. Continue reading
The Trump train has taken them as far as it can—at least, for now. The cash cow can give them no more milk—at least, for now. Time is running out—at least, for now. And so, like Sauron in The Lord of the Rings, many of them are willing to retreat… Continue reading
Christians today fall into three camps when it comes to the question of the Devil’s existence. Conservative Christians assume the objective reality of the Devil. Liberals often deny that reality. However, most Christians simply choose to ignore the issue. My approach is to set aside what theologians call the “ontological… Continue reading
One of my favorite singing groups, the Canadian Tenors, wrote and perform a beautiful song entitled “Lead with Your Heart.” Here are some of its words: In this world, it’s hard to tell the shadows from the light.What is real can find a way to hide behind the lies. Don’t… Continue reading
