One of those things that my siblings and I joke about quite often is that when we were growing up, we never had toys that made noise — mechanical or battery-powered. Or actually — the truth of the matter — we never had toys that made noise… and that still made noise after a month or two. Somehow, mysteriously, the…

“Now for the next exercise, you are to go outside, find a tree, and invite God into your consideration of it. Write in your journal as you go, and be back here in an hour.” These were instructions I was given as part of a spiritual retreat some years back. And they left me more…

On Wednesday this week, I was conversing with someone I know in Denmark. In the midst of chitchat, they remarked how they had to make sure they went to the grocery store because everything would be closed the next day. I quickly scanned my brain and could not come up with any reason for a…

This past week, I attended a webinar involving Miguel De La Torre, a theologian and ethicist who holds a professorship at the Iliff School of Theology. I have known of Dr. De La Torre for many years, having first been introduced to him by our former Regional Executive Minister, Larry Greenfield. In his writing and…

The scenario is one any parent is familiar with: one child has inadvertently harmed another. There was no ill will. There may not have even been an awareness that harm was done or that they were involved in any way whatsoever. Their ignorance may be genuine. Their heart may be good. But they still — without meaning harm…

In this season of Eastertide, we are reading from 1Peter. And as the readings there are starting to talk about the manner in which a follower being formed in the likeness of Jesus faces suffering, it seemed appropriate to revisit certain authors who perpetually challenge me: Howard Thurman, James Cone, James Baldwin, Countee Cullen, and…

When she showed me the picture, my face brightened — because that is what you do when a child shows you their creations. It was obviously a person, about that there was no doubt. Who it depicted was less clear. Perhaps a friend? Perhaps someone from a show she watches? Perhaps a family member? “They look…

What a strange week it has been. I returned home from our Easter service to find that while we were celebrating Christ’s victory over death, the president was threatening war crimes on the coming Tuesday, and telling Iran to “Open the F*****’ Strait, you crazy b*******, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH!” Then…

Take a moment. Breathe in. Breathe out. Today is a big day. It’s Good Friday, and Jesus will die. That’s the story we remember and we relive each year as we seek to sync our life to the life of Christ. We journey from the anticipation of Advent to the arrival of Christmas, from the…

On Monday, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan (Singapore’s minister for foreign affairs) was interviewed by Reuters about the impact of the Iran war on Singapore and economics. Within that interview, he offered the following historical perspective framed around the concept of a “Pax Americana”: “For 80 years, the US was the underwriter for a system of globalisation…