The occasion of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday should be a time of reflection for each of us when it comes to the relationships between the races in our culture. As a white, middle-class, suburban pastor who most recently served a largely white, middle class, suburban church, I have to admit that I have blindspots [...]
"When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice". So said President Donald Trump in his inauguration address back in January. As I analyzed his speech in a blog from January 20th, I wrote these words: I hope we hear more of this from our new president. Trump's message of restoring [...]
A few years ago in researching my new novel “Sparrow” a story about a small country church that fights a white supremacist group in its community, I read a few books by some black authors because I wanted to accurately listen to their heart and voice. I was humbled by what I read. One of [...]
Tulsa. Charlotte. Two police shootings. Two deaths. Two black victims. Yet Charlotte exploded in violent riots – echoing Baltimore and Ferguson, while Tulsa simmered but did not boil over. What was difference between the two cities? A LA Times article credits two things: engagement of the Tulsa clergy and transparency of city leaders. “In Tulsa, [...]
The occasion of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday this week has inspired me to do some deeper than normal reflection on the relationships between the races as seen through Scripture. As a white, middle-class, suburban pastor of a largely white, middle class, suburban church, I have to admit that I have blindspots when it comes to race. [...]
