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“Democratic Space” (excerpted from The Introduction) It was Martin Luther King Jr. who, in 1963, spoke to “the fierce urgency of now.” Now more than then, we need…
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Fear: The Church’s Operating System
Years ago, my pastor preached a message from Romans 8, which starts “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” It took me some years…
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What Spider-Man Can Teach Us About Burnout in the Pursuit of Justice
By Josh OldsSpider-Man: Brand New Day slung its way into theaters a few weeks ago, grossing over two billion dollars worldwide and on pace to be one of the highest-grossing films of…
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“Roosevelt Park Rising: A memoir of the renewal of a pastor, a church, and a neighborhood”, an excerpt
Introduction: Practice Resurrection I witnessed two resurrections while working as a pastor and community leader in Roosevelt Park, a neighborhood on the southwest side of Grand Rapids, Michigan. A resurrection—bringing…
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The End of Us vs Them
Us versus them. It is one of the oldest sentences the human heart knows how to say, older than language, certainly older than scripture. Us is the circle drawn warm…
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“How the Church Can Directly Support a Detained Sister in the South Texas ICE Detention Center”
This is the story of my friend, Linda. Linda has been detained and separated from her community and family in the South Texas ICE Detention Center in Pearsall, TX since…
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Who Deserves a Place to Go?
By Tom HeatonEvansville sits on a bend in the Ohio River, down in the southwest corner of Indiana where the state runs out and Kentucky begins. It’s a working town—coal barges on…
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Dolly Parton Knew How To Be Human.
This one hurts like hell. This planet has lost so much with the passing of Dolly Parton that it’s difficult to even find a foothold for the grief, a place…
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“Church Tomorrow? What the ‘Nones’ and ‘Dones’ Teach Us About the Future of Faith”, an excerpt
From the Introduction (pp. 3-5) Decline hurts all over. It feels like a judgment on our congregations and on us as followers of Jesus. He told us to “therefore go…
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“Beneath and Between: And Other Overlooked Words That Illuminate God”, an excerpt
HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT I have been a heartbroken Christian, but I am not a retired one. While the expression of Christianity has been alienating and in some ways forsaking,…
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As ICE closes in, Ohio churches line up families to care for Haitian kids left behind
By Kathryn PostSPRINGFIELD, Ohio (RNS) — In Springfield, Ohio, ICE shifts tactics to stealth raids and ankle monitors. Churches are responding by helping Haitian parents line up temporary caregivers, preparing for the…
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My Daughter Brought Me Back to Jesus—But Not Back to Religion
If you had asked me ten years ago what role faith would ultimately play in my life, I’m not sure I would have had a meaningful answer. I grew up…
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What Kind of Christian Have We Become?
By Jack NassarHere is a Tuesday in my part of the world. My friend is a Palestinian Christian living in a village near Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. On her way…
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With three prisoners scheduled for execution, southern churches toll their bells
(RNS) — Faith-based anti-death penalty activists have used the bell-tolling tactic throughout the country in various waves. Kristen Hansen, minister of music, rings a bell in opposition to the death…
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False Peace and Real Unity
Unity as seen within Scripture is just something we don’t tend to think about or talk about much in our current Christian culture, and honestly, the fruit proves it. We…
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Looking Beyond Birthplace: Opening our eyes to see each other as beloved
I asked my mom the other day, how far back our Norwegian ancestors are: my mom’s paternal grandfather came as a young adult to the US, and her great grandmother…
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When Women Change the Story: Centering women’s voices isn’t optional, it’s essential
I didn’t decide to study women’s history until I was already in graduate school. My initial plan was to study religious and intellectual history—the history that really mattered, or so…
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Grace After Institutional Betrayal
Several years ago, I sat with a volunteer after a difficult disaster response who said something I have never forgotten. “They kept telling us to care for people,” she said…
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The Odyssey and Caring for the Stranger
By Josh OldsChristopher Nolan’s long-anticipated adaptation of the Greek epic The Odyssey has finally released to the public, quickly becoming one of his most successful films to date and driving cinemas to…
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2025 Peacemaker Summit Clip: Lisa Sharon Harper – Genesis and Shalom
Please enjoy this clip from last year’s Peacemaker Summit and be sure to register for the upcoming Peacemaker Summit. Transcript: Shane: And now you’re going to hear from Lisa…
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The Hidden Loneliness of Reliable People
There are people in almost every community who quietly hold everything together. They organize meals after funerals. They answer late-night phone calls. They stay calm in hospital rooms. They volunteer…
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When Courage and Cowardice Caught a Train
By Jer SwigartParables often arrive disguised as ordinary moments. A seed. A child. A widow’s coin. A stranger on the side of the road. This weekend, another parable emerged in a photo…
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Releasing the Mystery of Christ
“There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own soul.” — Carl Jung The topic of…
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Do Not Be Afraid of Him: The Courage to Speak to Power
There is a sentence buried in one of the odder stories in the Old Testament that, once seen, refuses to leave you alone. The story is in 2 Kings 1,…
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“Befriending as the Antidote to Othering”, excerpted from “The Way of Befriending”
OTHERING IN THE NAME OF ALLYSHIP In the pursuit of justice, inclusion, and belonging, allyship often emerges as a go-to framework for supporting marginalized communities. While the intention is noble—standing…
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The Blessing of the Weeds
A subversive approach to a subversive parable [From Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43] On the surface, the story reads quite clearly—maybe a little too clearly. If you’re a regular church attendee or peruser…
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A simple prayer for complex times
Holy God, You see the wounds in our bodies, our minds, and our spirits, and You see the brokenness in our communities and in our world. We come to You…
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Is Prayer Enough?
By S.M. Reed“Thoughts and prayers.” This phrase is often tossed around after a tragedy. Whether it’s spouted from a politician or swamping social media, there are plenty of well wishes for the…
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What Gaza Has Done to My Faith in America
By Alex AwadThe day I became an American citizen remains one of the proudest days of my life. It was February 1977. Standing among dozens of immigrants from around the world, I…
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Courageous Empathy: Because the Globe is Our Neighborhood
I still remember what it felt like to dread walking into school. When I was in the ninth grade, three students bullied and taunted me about my weight. The taunting…
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‘The Korean War’: Theologically, a brick wall (with prayer requests)
By Dan YiThe Korean War was a proxy war enacted on the Korean Peninsula by neighbouring great powers. Millions of people were butchered over those three brutal years, and the former national…
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America and the Disinherited: Why We Cannot Rest
My understanding of America did not begin in a classroom. It began in Tuskegee, Alabama, a place where the stories of struggle, resilience, faith, and possibility seemed to rise from…
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‘God commands us not to kill’: Faith leaders protest 50 years of executions
WASHINGTON (RNS) — On the anniversary of a Supreme Court ruling reinstating the US death penalty, faith leaders, those affected by murder and activists organize to call for an end…
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Eighth Letter of Revelation: Lay Down Your Flags and Take Up My Cross, An Open Appeal to the White American Evangelical Church
To the Church of White Evangelicals in the United States of America: You have created a large network of worship and praise. But whom do you worship and whom do…
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Heeding the Mandate of Gospel Nonviolence and Pope Leo’s Call to Resist War and the Military Industrial Complex and AI’s Threat to Humanity
By Art LaffinOn March 27, 2026, twenty-seven peace and justice makers, including many Catholic Workers, were arrested at the Pentagon as they prayed and sang for peace and the abolition of war and…
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After 50 years of death row, resistance has never been stronger
(RNS) — There is a powerful movement working tirelessly to abolish the death penalty. Editor’s Note: Previously published on Religion News Service on July 2, 2026. (RNS) — This week…
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“Profound Inconveniences,” Excerpt from Strangers in the Province of Joy: Practicing Radical Hospitality on the US-Mexico Border
By Mary FontanaBeing ‘interrupted’ by a guest is being invited by God. -Jesús Tellez, volunteer Annunciation House is a Catholic house of hospitality that provides basic humanitarian services—shelter, food, clothing, and…
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“Myths That Founded Christian America,” excerpted from “The Christian Past That Wasn’t: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths That Hijack History”
According to the minutes, Roger Sherman, an orthodox Christian from Connecticut, seconded Franklin’s motion. After Sherman’s second, discussion ensued. Some delegates, led by Alexander Hamilton, were worried the public would…
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New Poll: 250 Years In, Americans Prefer Religious Diversity
(RNS) — A new poll by PRRI shows two-thirds of Americans still prefer a nation made of many different faiths, despite the growth of Christian nationalism in the public square.…
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Frederick Douglass’ 1852 speech “WHAT TO THE SLAVE IS THE FOURTH OF JULY” Read By Christian Leaders from Around the Country
By RLC EditorOn Monday, July 5, 1852, abolitionist, writer, and statesman Frederick Douglass gave a speech to the 600 members of the Rochester Ladies Anti-Slavery Society entitled “What to the Slave is the…
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A Christian nation? At 250, America is still fighting over what that means
By Bob SmietanaScholars say American history is more Christian than secular advocates claim — and less religious than Christian nationalists would assert. A look at the complicated, contested history of America as…
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“How Western Christianity Got It Wrong: Replacing the God of Fear with a Spirituality of Healing”, an excerpt
Introduction Western Christianity has wreaked havoc on people across the globe. I have tried for so many years to speak truth to power—through my many books and other writings, through…
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These houses of worship are older than America. How they outlasted wars, schisms and lawsuits.
(RNS) — Only about 1% of houses of worship in the U.S. today existed in 1776. Here are four that predate the revolution — and still hold services. Editor’s Note:…
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Amid protests at Delaney Hall, a Catholic nun has been offering ‘radical hospitality’
By Fiona MurphyNEWARK, N.J. (RNS) — In a new video series, RNS goes behind the front lines of the immigration crisis. Episode 1 is about Sister Susan Francois, who bears witness and…
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Bothering with Politics, excerpt from “Reimagining Biblical Politics: What Scripture Says About Public Life and Why It Matters”
Bothering with Politics What’re you teaching on at church this week?” my dad asked. “We’re starting a series on the Bible and politics,” I answered. “Yikes! Couldn’t do that series…
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The Only Road to Peace: Why Loving Our Enemies Is the World’s Last Hope
A Scene the World Could Not Understand On the morning of October 2, 2006, a man walked into a one-room Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, sent the boys and…
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We’ve Been Here Before: How Rebellion and Activism Have Always Sustained America, an excerpt
Introduction When former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped on stage to accept the prestigious Chairman’s Award at the NAACP Image Awards program only a month into the second presidential term…
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Celebrate JUNETEENTH Like This…
The first Juneteenth celebration on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas, wasn’t solely a celebration of physical freedom. Juneteenth celebrated economic freedom. The freedom for Black folk to earn money…
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The Gospel According to Project Hail Mary: Loving the Alien Other
By Josh OldsProject Hail Mary is a stunning masterpiece of visual storytelling based on the equally stunning book by Andy Weir. Starring Ryan Gosling as the sarcastic, reluctant hero Ryland Grace, the…
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Juneteenth: Celebrating the Ancestors of American Spiritual Resistance
I think it would be fair to assume we are all keenly aware of the vast tidal wave of racism, division, and so-called “Christian” nationalism which has recently arisen in…
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“They had never known freedom before, and yet…”
Reflections on My Grandmother, Voting Rights, and Building the Next America, delivered at The Public Pulpit on a Moral Monday in 2026. On June 8, 2026, at precisely 5pm local…
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America’s Pharaohs are on the Losing Side of Sacred History
By Bob EkbladOn June 6th I was horrified to hear US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s anti-immigrant tirade from the shores of France. This is a highly disturbing alert to the dangers the…
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In ‘Conversion Therapy Dropout,’ a survivor exposes the discredited practice
By Kathryn Post(RNS) — ‘The biggest lesson I had to learn is that God’s lack of an answer to my prayers to change me was an answer, because there was nothing about…
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Empire: The Beast that Devours Rather Than Serves
The Ancient Pattern of Power When most readers encounter the Book of Revelation, they do one of two things. They either treat it as a coded prediction of contemporary events,…
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A Pride Month Challenge To Would-Be LGBTQ Allies (And A Warning To The Bigots)
June is Pride Month, and straight people who consider themselves allies to our queer neighbors need to understand the implications for us in this iteration of America. Yes, allyship is…
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RAWtools South Turns Guns Into Garden Tools in the Mountain South
In Asheville, North Carolina, RAWtools South brings together blacksmiths, gun owners, and faith communities to transform surrendered guns into art. PHOTO: Scotty Utz, RAWtools South’s blacksmith, leads a demonstration at…
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The Ineffectiveness of War
There is a peculiar habit of mind that grips the modern person, including the modern Christian, when the topic of war arises. The habit is to assume, almost without examination,…
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I Was Lied to By Christians About Migrants
How can we call ourselves Christian, and not understand the most fundamental truth of what that means? It means our shared belief in the resurrection of Christ unites us as…
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What Have We Become?
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer …
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Moral Resistance at Delaney Hall
We cannot accept the violence that this regime seeks to normalize Over the past week, the violence at Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey has become a national news story.…
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Melting ICE with salt and light
The US Christians standing with their neighbours Those of us watching in horror as the USA is plagued by an armed and seemingly unaccountable band of masked and uniformed thugs…
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“To Rebehold the Stars: Reimagining Faith and Formation After Deconstruction”, an excerpt
What does it look like to create your own spiritual lexicon? Honestly, there really isn’t a straightforward answer to that. Maybe you come up with new words you feel are…
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“A Suspension of Disbelief,” excerpted from “Lost and Found in the Cathedral of Cinema: A Spiritual Journey”
I grew up in overlapping communities—a Baptist church and an evangelical Christian school—within which I was often cautioned or even commanded to stay away from “worldly” preoccupations. But I was…
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4 Half-Truths American Christians Have About Land
Adaptation from Every Somewhere Sacred by Ben Norquist and Brian Miller American Christians have some uniquely American myths about land. With the historically unique relationship of Americans to land, and…
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We Mend with Gold: An Immigrant Daughter’s Reckoning with American Christianity, an excerpt
When I was in my twenties, I finally acknowledged that my faith was breaking. For years, my belief in the God of the Bible and Jesus’s love had sustained me and…
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Timshel Translation: An Idiomatic Bible Translation
By B. CoilThe year is 2019 and I have just left a series of church gigs in which I came up against an increasingly large number of voices who said I could…
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How I’m Honoring Memorial Day as a Veteran + Peacemaker
How do we not just observe but honor Memorial Day? How do we wrestle with honoring American soldiers, our brothers, sisters, moms, fathers and sons and daughters who have died…
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Watch and Wonder: Birding as a Spiritual Practice, an excerpt
Our perceptions tend toward the visual. We look, watch, read—all with our eyes. Increasingly, even audiovisual content is presented with closed captioning for those who have no hearing loss. Many…
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Vigil Reflection at the Rededicate 250 Event
By Art LaffinDear Friends, On Sunday, May 17th (58th anniversary of the Catonsville Nine action), thousands of people attended Rededicate 250 on the National Mall to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. The…
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REDIRECT 250 Appeal
I am Diana Oestreich, Red Letter Christians board member and a soldier who Jesus turned into a Peacemaker. We are raising our voices, because you Mr. President are dedicated to waging…
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Ancestors: Those Who Bless Us, Curse Us, and Hold Us, an excerpt
Introduction Aunt Viney was the first ancestor to reach out for me. She beckoned me from an old, oval frame that failed in its attempt to control her energy. I…
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Why Certainty Might Be Holding Back Your Spiritual Growth
I’m a fan of questions. And they seem to be a fan of me too because they visit me daily. I’ve drawn many cartoons on the subject of questions and…
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Leading in Justice and a Divided Church
By Joel SimpsonOne of the biggest concerns I have heard from clergy and lay people is that they are afraid to speak or act on issues of justice because it will divide…
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The Bystander Effect in the Pew: Why Many Christians Stay Silent on Political Matters
In 1964, Kitty Genovese was murdered outside her Queens, New York, apartment building. Initial press reports claimed that 38 witnesses watched and did nothing. Although those numbers were later disputed,…
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Pastors, You Cannot Stay Silent on Civil Rights
By Jemar TisbyVoting rights are under attack. Many pastors are acting like nothing is happening. Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Footnotes by Jemar Tisby, on May 13, 2026. Too many leaders retreat…
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Shane quoted in Newsweek’s “Donald Trump’s Golden Statue: Critics’ Biblical Comparisons Explained”
Check out Newsweek’s recent article, “Donald Trump’s Golden Statue: Critics’ Biblical Comparisons Explained,” featuring commentary from Shane on the dangers of political idolatry and the growing fusion of faith and…
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It’s called “The Bible Sleight of Hand”
By B. CoilHow irresponsible readings of the Bible are being used to hurt people…yet again. “Blessed are the canaries, the ones who keep watch for harm, the ones who resist the structures…
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The Cathedral and the Palace
By Will O’BrienMany years ago, as a wide-eyed and open-hearted student, I spent a year in France. In that long-ago era of cheap Eurail passes and Europe on $10 a Day! guidebooks, I traversed…
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They Will Know We are Christians by our Gullibility
By Sue FulmoreWhen I was growing up, I remember a widespread lament of restaurant waitstaff; they dreaded the Sunday “after-church” rush. The churchgoers were not only hard to please; they were notoriously…
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Protection in Preservation, excerpted from “Love like a Mother: How the Sacred Work of Motherhood Reveals the Maternal Heart of God”
We all know people who have lived through the worst this life has to offer, who have witnessed the shield crack in two as tragedy marched in, who pleaded all…
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What Kind of People Are You?
Necessary Questions On February 16, 1965, Rev. C.T. Vivian publicly confronted Sheriff Jim Clark in Selma. Countless Black Alabamians had been turned away from their constitutional right to register to…
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The Sacred Spaces of Fishing, excerpted from “Catching Hope: The Hidden Spiritual Wisdom of Fishing”
For years I thought I just had bad luck fishing from the surf. Must be the wrong bait, or I’m not casting far enough, so I’d wade out chest deep…
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Are we there yet?
By Morf MorfordLike a little kid, most of us are wondering… There are many reasons we should be wary of cultural movements that tell us that they have all the answers. First…
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Pray-In and Procession for Peace and An End to the US-Israeli War in Iran at the US Capitol
By Art LaffinDear Friends, On Friday, April 17th nearly 60 peacemakers from the DMV held a Noon-time Pray-In and Procession for Peace and an End to the US-Israeli War in Iran at…
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Follow a Compass: The Beatitudes
By Terry Webb“Follow a Compass: The Beatitudes”, extracted from Christian Citizenship: Endangered in America, Part II: God’s Domain, (Chapter 5) When Jesus gathered his followers together, he gave them compass directions—what has…
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Under the Microscope of Jesus
By John WaltzThe State of the Union has been delivered. Applause rose. Some sat in protest. Some stood in celebration. Commentators went to work. Fact checks rolled in. Timelines lit up. That…
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Oracles: words, and what we make of them
By Morf Morford“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” President Trump When it comes to the history books covering the 21st Century, surely those words will ring, not…
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From Golden Calf to Sacred Dwelling: Reimagining Jewish Identity Beyond the Nation-State
By Ariel GoldEditor’s Note: The following is part of a talk given by Ariel Gold at an April 13, 2026 panel on religious nationalism at Yale Divinity School’s Center for Public Theology…
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My Journey Through Sleepless Nights, excerpted from “The Sleep You’re Longing For”
By Ken WytsmaThe sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his [bed]room. —Pascal, Pensées, trans. A. J. Krailsheimer I’ve got a friend named…
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What Are We Becoming
By John WaltzIn today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus commissions the twelve and sends them out as sheep among wolves. That image is not sentimental. Sheep are not predators. They…
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Find Jesus in Others, excerpted from “Everlasting Jesus”
By Rick HamlinThe world is made up of sheep and goats—or maybe I should say sheep vs. goats. There will come a time, Jesus says, when the Son of Man in his…
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Comfortable and Compromised: The American Church in the Mirror of the Early Church
The Uncomfortable Mirror There is a strange kind of spiritual blindness that affects the successful. When a movement grows large enough, wealthy enough, and culturally impactful enough, it becomes almost…
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Livestream April 6, 2026, 5 PM ET: A Time to Break Silence: Faith, Moral Power, and the Crisis of Global Militarism, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
Saturday, April 4, 2026 A Time to Break Silence: Faith, Moral Power, and the Crisis of Global Militarism The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change LIVESTREAM: Saturday,…
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Dr. King’s Historic Riverside Church Speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” read by 27 faith leaders
We are up against some fierce principalities and powers – the triplet evils of racism, materialism, and militarism are as alive and well as they were 55 years ago. But…
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America is exceptional — in its addiction to violence and war
We have work to do to continue to “break the silence.” As our world is increasingly plagued by violence — not just in Ukraine but also in the streets of…
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Knowing The Symptoms of a Nation Approaching Spiritual Death
Editor’s Note: This piece first appeared on the RLC blog on April 6, 2020, but we share it again in honor of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., knowing…
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Peacemaking: The Work of the Church
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 During seminary, I endured a sweltering Texas summer as a faith-based community organizer. I worked with…
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The World Would Not Know Jesus Christ
By John WaltzA lyric found me on the road. Nipsey Hussle. Bigger Than Life. A man the world tried to box into a single story. Gang member. Statistic. Cautionary tale. But Nipsey refused the…
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Choose Your Faith Tools
Every Tuesday morning at 6:30, a group of about a dozen women join a conference call to pray, praise, and worship together. We range in age from our thirties to…
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You are the Salt of the Earth
I was sitting by a pool with my friend Julia in California, chatting about my recent travels to the Holy Land. As I spoke, she listened with a puzzled look…
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No Kings. No Thrones. No Crowns. March 28.
Biggest protest in US history. This Saturday March 28. Join your local revolution. There are over 3000 events happening across the country and around the globe. In America, we have…