Being a radical has never presented much of a challenge for me. Even as a little kid, I asked hard questions. Took no prisoners. Questioned authority. A radical stance always came natural. Very young, I developed an addiction to anger. I raged for every righteous cause. I still do. Fury and righteous indignation are so easy. Just …
Last week, a young man was shot to death right across the street from us. The murder took place in broad daylight, right in front of a Catholic church. This hit pretty close to home. Literally. You could look out our front window and see the murder scene, right in front of a statue of the …
In the wake of the terror and tragedy of the shooting at Emanuel AME in Charleston, words fail. There’s nothing I can say that captures the gravity of the moment, the depth of the sorrow, the reality of the shock and anger. There is nothing left for me to say except, in the words of Job: therefore …
Pope Francis’ ecological encyclical comes out today, and there are many reasons for hope. It’s encouraging to see a such a high-profile Christian leader taking a strong stand on both ecological issues and those of global poverty. I’m grateful for the way F is intertwining care for the earth and social justice, a message which draws deeply from and amplifies …
Gratitude has always seemed like a scam to me. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a heightened awareness of what’s wrong in the world. In the 3rd grade on the school bus, I was reading Newsweek, learning about all of the great challenges facing us. All of the wrongs that needed righted. …
There are certain words you’re not allowed to say on TV. And there’s at least one that we white people aren’t allowed to say at all, ever. Unless you want everyone to know for sure you’re a bigot. This is the word of lynchings and bombed out black churches. It’s the word invoked over centuries of castrations, rapes, …
The kingdom of God isn’t what you think. It isn’t at all compatible with the lifestyle that most of us are living. It’s not just about thinking the right thoughts or feeling the right feelings; it involves a total life change – including our economics. The way of Jesus is dangerous, because the kingdom of God and the wealth-driven, capitalist system we live in simply …