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For years, I have sat in dialogue rooms across from people whose politics, experiences, and understanding of the place we both call home were very different from mine.…
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From Tubal-Cain to Jesus: Waging Peace in a World at War
By Mike MartinThe recent movie Noah (2014) casts Tubal-Cain as the antagonist, organizing an army to take the Ark. Genesis 4:22 states he was “the forger of all implements of bronze…
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A Hope Greater Than Our Confidence
One Sunday night, Emily approached me as people were making their way out of our home. We’d gathered to worship and share cake with a sister in celebration of…
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The Dangers of Hashtag Activism
It’s been a great year for slacktivism. Tweeting has ushered in a new kind of benevolent human being, the hashtag activist. The following list is a few of the…
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Superman is Great, But Jesus Is Better
By Micah BalesThe stories that captivated as a child all featured a leader – or, sometimes, a whole team of of them – who made bold decisions, took decisive action, and generally drove…
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Why I Could #FloodWallStreet, but Refused to #Occupy It
It’s easy to dismiss protests like this week’s #floodwallstreet as another gathering of unemployed hipsters with nothing else to do. It is true that the crowd protesting on lower Broadway…
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How Jesus Views Women
By Emily TimbolRay Rice and Adrian Peterson have more in common than the fact that their domestic violence has become headline news. They’re both running backs in the midst of successful careers.…
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Acting Like A State: ISIS, the US, and Jesus as Lord
Like most Americans, I’m horrified by each new story I read about ISIS. A friend who works in the region wrote weeks ago to tell me ISIS had taken Rutba,…
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Adoption's Reality: My Time With A Teen Birth Mom
As we walked into Mrs. Ava’s house, I wasn’t sure what to expect. A negligent, unstable ox of a woman, ready to trample me for having taken her daughter…
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Why I’m Marching About Climate Change
By Mick PopeToday people are coming together around the globe to march on climate change. I’ll be marching as well, not in spite of my faith but because of it. In…
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Doing Good Without Giving Up
By Ben LoweJesus calls and transforms us who follow him to be salt and light in an often dark and decaying world. This is a remarkable responsibility and an unmerited privilege.…
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A #BringBackOur Girls Confession
I am going to trust you with the truth. I wish we could sit down, you and I, with two cups of coffee and a brownie split between…
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Practicing Generosity: Giving Circles for the Kingdom
With the sun setting and a slight breeze picking up, my wife and I look at the table spread before us with no small sense of anticipation. We are…
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Eat, Sleep, Pray: Spiritual Practices with Newborns
With a summer baby we slip into bed while the sun is still setting and get up after the sky is already bathed in light. But still we haven’t slept a solid stretch. Because all night he…
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Cultivating a Lived Faith: Spiritual Practices for Activists and Contemplatives
Some Christians find themselves more naturally inclined toward activism—toward throwing themselves into the mix of it all. Others find that contemplation—an orientation toward rhythms of silence, prayer, intercession, etc.—is…
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A Nonviolent Uprising
Dr. King said: a “riot is the language of the unheard.” What happens when folks do not feel like their voices are being heard? They shout louder.…
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Why I Won't Watch #RayRice
Have you seen it? The Ray Rice video? The one where he knocks out his then-fiance, now-wife? You should know about this, they say. You should see this,…
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A Day At The Beach: Theology Under The Sun
By Mick PopeAs spring is struggling to establish itself here in Australia, summer is ending in the Northern Hemisphere. I hope my US friends are enjoying the last of the sun,…
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ISIS vs the Way of Jesus
Obama admits to not having a strategy when it comes to ISIS. Duck Dynasty Godfather, Phil Robertson, wants to “Convert ‘em or kill ‘em.” But what does Jesus’ Way offer…
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Step by Step, Block by Block: Letting Ferguson Change Us
After almost two weeks of hearing news stories about the tragic, frustrating and chaotic story unfolding in Ferguson, Missouri, my friend Shane and I decided to go get between the…
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Freely, Freely, You Have Received: An Experiment in God's Economy
This past Sunday, our church gave away $160, 000… to the congregation. No, it’s not a church growth strategy or a scam or a shell game. And we didn’t do it…
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Saved By Bitterness? Fighting With A Whole Heart
By Erin Lane“Why is being bitter such a bad thing?” I ask Rush on one of our regular night walks. Amelia strains her neck into a bush of monkey grass while I continue. “I mean, I don’t…
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What Resurrection Looks Like: Standing Together for Justice
By RLC EditorEDITORS NOTE: Capital punishment was in the news this week as two brothers twice convicted in North Carolina were declared innocent by a court of law. People of Faith Against the…
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Doing Good Without Giving Up by Ben Lowe
Running for Congress at age twenty-five, Ben Lowe seized the opportunity to meet voters waiting for their morning trains into the city. “Hi, I’m Ben Lowe, and I’m running…
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Doing Good Without Giving Up by Ben Lowe
Running for Congress at age twenty-five, Ben Lowe seized the opportunity to meet voters waiting for their morning trains into the city. “Hi, I’m Ben Lowe, and I’m running…
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Violence in God's Name: Our Greatest Sin
By Derek FloodSome Christians seem to talk about little other than sin. In reaction, others try to ignore it. But we can’t understand Jesus’ plan to redeem the whole universe without understanding…
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The Pacifism of Jesus: Reclaiming Christianity's Challenge
By John WatsonEarly Christians were confusing. They were pacifists living in the Roman world, a world which saw violence and death as constant positive reminders of the struggle of life over…
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Seeking An Epathethic Space: The Challenge of a Christian Witness in America
Rev. Michael McBride, known simply as “, ” is the Director of Urban Strategies and Lifelines to Healing Campaign for the PICO National Network. The Lifelines to Healing Campaign is a…
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The Dignity of Work: What I Learned from Jesus and Mr. Jefferson
I grew up believing the myth that poverty is out there, somewhere else in the world. I was taught that if you work hard enough, you can make it…
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Labor Day Lessons: What I've Learned From Workers About Hope For Our Times
This summer, I marched with McDonald’s workers from three dozen cities to the company’s corporate headquarters outside of Chicago. I knew I had to come when the workers invited…
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Coming Home: A Friend's Return from Prison
By Chris HokeThree weeks ago, I sat in a prison’s small, sterile waiting lobby on a Sunday morning, alone. We’d waited for this day for seven and a half years. …
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Back to School: Learning to Love God's Good Earth
By Nancy SleethI’ve started seeing school buses on my walk into work each morning, which makes me reminisce about my teaching days. One of my best memories: going green at the…
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No One Is Beyond Redemption: What Billy Moore Taught Me
In the fall of 2010, I was working for the Montana Abolition Coalition to pass a bill that would end the state’s death penalty. As a part of my work,…
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Ferguson: Reading From a Script
Sometime on Aug 9 in Ferguson, Mo., Michael Brown and Darren Wilson lost their unique identities as individuals and picked up a script as old as America itself. Older…
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Why "Burn Out" Is Often a Falling Out (And What We Can Do About It)
Theology doesn’t save us from spiritual burnout— people do. No matter how convincing our doctrines and beliefs may be, they’re ultimately empty and unsatisfying if there’s no human…
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Blow the Shofar! Women Lead Day 5 of #MoralWeekofAction
By RLC EditorEDITOR’S NOTE: In 14 state capitals across the US, faith and justice leaders are organizing a Moral Week of Action to conclude the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have…
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Pilgrimage to Ferguson
Something felt right about going to Ferguson. And something felt right about going with Derrick. I’ve watched Derrick grow up as an African-American youth in North Philadelphia, facing unfair obstacles…
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Blessed Are… Those People?
As a middle class American girl growing up in rural Baptist churches, I learned that the Kingdom of God means heaven, and that heaven is like the gated communities…
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Jim Foley, ISIS, and What I Learned from Being Kidnapped
By Peggy GishWe sat on mats in a traditional sitting room in a remote village of northwestern Iraq. One of our captors guarded the door with his assault rifle at the other…
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Don't Let Anyone Look Down On Your Youth
By RLC EditorEDITOR’S NOTE: In 12 state capitals across the US, faith and justice leaders are organizing a Moral Week of Action to conclude the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have…
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We Make the Road By Walking by Brian McLaren
By RLC EditorThis summer Jericho Books released Brian McLaren’s newest book, We Make the Road by Walking. We got to catch up with Brian during his book tour to hear more about…
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We Make the Road By Walking: An Interview with Brian McLaren
By RLC EditorThis summer Jericho Books released Brian McLaren’s newest book, We Make the Road by Walking. We got to catch up with Brian during his book tour to hear more about…
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Moral Week of Action, Day 3: Equal Protection Under the Law
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third daily meditation in a seven-part series of prayers for the Moral Week of Action coordinated by the Forward Together Moral Movement at 12 state…
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Moral Week of Action, Day 2: Education
By RLC EditorEDITOR’S NOTE: As we noted yesterday, faith and justice leaders have joined together for seven days of action at state houses around the country to highlight the many ways corporate…
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A Better Way to Talk About Homosexuality in the Church
By RLC EditorBy Tim Otto One evening, sitting at a restaurant with friends, I found myself on the receiving end of an angry lecture by a young woman whose goal was to…
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Moral Week of Action: Labor and Economic Justice
By RLC EditorEDITORS NOTE: Since May of 2013, the Forward Together Moral Movement, led by Rev. William J. Barber II and other faith and justice leaders, has challenged the North Carolina state government…
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What If It Were Your Son?
By Leroy BarberEDITOR’S NOTE: RLC Contributor Leroy Barber, who was interviewed by Romal Tune on the Red Carpet this week, flew to Ferguson, MO, yesterday. The questions he took with him are…
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Reading Revelation in An Unjust World
By Ed CyzewskiInjustice appears to be the main thread running through the news these days. Systemic racism has been exposed when a police officer, according to all eyewitness accounts, murdered an unarmed…
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Life Among the Bus-Riders: A Window on My City
“You smoking ganja?”he asks into his cell phone as he cozies up to your group at the bus station. He’s selling weed with tact—taking advantage of the crowded space, pretending…
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Go to Hell: God's Gracious Word to American Christians
For every season, there is a message. “Do not be afraid.” “Let my people go.” “Take up your cross.” “I have a dream.” In America today, I’ve come to believe,…
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Wake Up, America: Why We Can’t Afford to Ignore Ferguson
By Josina GuessMy four year-old daughter covers her ears at the sound of the thunder and says, “I wish I didn’t have ears.” We snuggle under her Great Grammy’s “crazy” quilt, and…
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The Dangers of Jaywalking: White Power, Black Rage, and Ubuntu in America
By Chris LahrWhen the police in Ferguson, MO, released the name of the officer who shot Michael Brown last week, they also released surveillance camera footage of Brown in a convenience store,…
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Five Reasons Post-Christianity is Good for Followers of Jesus
Anyone who has been paying attention knows that Christianity is in decline in the western world by all accounts. From progressive mainline churches to evangelical mega-churches, most institutional religious bodies…
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Red, Yellow, Black and White by Leroy Barber
By RLC EditorLeroy Barber has dedicated more than 25 years to eradicating poverty, confronting homelessness, restoring local neighborhoods, healing racism, and living what Dr. King called “the beloved community.” Leroy starts projects…
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Two (or Three) Things NOT to Say About Your Short-Term Mission Trip
By Amy PetersonLast night I was reading a book by a young woman who moved to Africa as a teenager. Her story stirred up a lot of feelings, both positive and negative,…
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Who's Most Precious in God's Sight: An Interview with Leroy Barber
Leroy Barber has dedicated more than 25 years to eradicating poverty, confronting homelessness, restoring local neighborhoods, healing racism, and living what Dr. King called “the beloved community.” Leroy starts projects…
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Meet Sofia, Mother of Unaccompanied Minors Who Crossed US Border
By RLC EditorEDITOR’S NOTE: Photos of children warehoused in detention centers have compelled Americans to ask, “Why would parents send their children to the US alone?” A team from World Vision recently traveled…
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Ebola, Inequality, and the One Who Brings Us Hope
A couple of weeks ago, when news of the Ebola crisis in Africa first broke, my husband Ben said something surprising to me. “You know, as soon as somebody from…
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38 Minutes to See What’s Behind Ferguson, MO
Give me 38 minutes. If you don’t have them now, block them out on your Google calendar, right now, for later this evening. Stay up past your bedtime if…
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Everyone Has to Eat: The Story of WIC, the Story of Us
Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident…
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The Bible says ‘Mourn’ for Iraq and Gaza before you tweet for it!
By Matt DarvasLike it or not, the world is at war. However most of the time, we don’t give it a second thought. We don’t have to, that is, until a crisis…
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Gungor and the Two Faces of Evangelicalism
By Derek FloodThis past week the Christian corner of the internet has been somewhat abuzz with headlines like: Gungor drifts from biblical orthodoxy (World Magazine), Dove-Award Winning Gungor Rattles Christian World, (Christianpost) and Singer to Answer for…
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Do Christians Really Need The Bible?
Christians need Jesus and God but do we really need the Bible? Before you label me as a heretic, here’s why I think there may be good reasons to answer both…
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Is Jesus “Religious”?
By Micah BalesAs he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see…
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We Spend Lifetimes Striving to Give Love, Create Beauty and Find Peace. Why?
It was a bright September day, clear, cool and perfect. My wife Genie, my grandchildren Lucy (age 5 and in the picture here taken that spring at Easter), Jack (3)…
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War, Women, and Children
By Pete Newlove“I am looking for peace. I am looking for mercy. I am looking for evidence of compassion. any evidence of life. i am looking for life.” (Suheir Hammad, “First Writing Since”) Just…
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The Serpent Sheds its Skin: Porn, Homo Economicus and Human Flourishing
By Mick PopePornography goes back thousands of years with early examples being found on Egyptian tombs dating back 3000 years ago. Today it is so all pervasive that we can speak about…
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The Chaplain who Blessed the Hiroshima Bombers, Repents
Sixty-nine years ago, as a Catholic Air Force chaplain, Father George Zabelka blessed the men who dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over the next twenty years, he…
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It’s time to review our recent Middle East history and recalibrate our reactions
By Jim HookerI got up this morning thinking about writing a blog post about the horrible carnage taking place in Gaza and my reactions as an American and as a Christian involved…
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From Behind the Walls, pt. 3: Freedom
“From Behind the Walls” is a series of stories and prayers on encounters Michael McRay had while serving as a volunteer prison chaplain. He leaned over and whispered to me,…
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From Anne Frank to Gaza
By John WatsonSeventy years ago today, on a hot August day, the Dutch hiding place of the Franks was discovered by the Nazis. The family was sent east. Only one of them,…
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From New Vaccines to Capetown Townships, Discovering People Who Are of Value to Christ: An Interview with Arthur Ammann
Arthur Ammann, M.D., is a pediatric immunologist and advocate known for his research on HIV transmission in women and children and his role in the development of the first successful…
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Deported: A View From the “Other” Side
By Jon HuckinsI was recently sitting in a Tijuana shelter that houses men for 12 days after they have been deported from the United States. I was guiding a group of pastors and…
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postChristian: What’s left, can we fix it, do we care? – An Interview with Christian Piatt
RT: What’s the concept of church that you are addressing with postChristian? I think we’ve fallen victim to the misapprehension that worship, or church, is the point. Those are simply…
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Christians: There’s only ONE side to pick in Israel vs. Palestine
By Matt DarvasWhen my wife and I visited Israel and the Palestinian Territories last year as part of a study tour run by a leading seminary from the United States, I was…
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Illegal Immigration, Child Refugees, and Christian Compassion
I am thankful that a considerable number of religious leaders –including conservative evangelicals- support a compassionate immigration policy. But, sadly, there are still many Christians who urge harsh, exclusionary policies…
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War is Abortion: Why Pro-Life Christians Should Care About Gaza
By Brian GormanIf there is one thing that most Christians of all denominations agree on, it is abortion. A 2012 Gallup poll found that 54% of American Catholics and 57% of Protestants/Others…
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Is Christianity Getting Better or Worse?
Christians often follow a narrative that assumes everything is getting worse. Sermons, books, and movies preach that the End Times are just around the corner, and apocalyptic doom is an…
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From Behind the Walls, pt. 2: A Human Being (Almost) Died That Night
“From Behind the Walls” is a series of stories and prayers on encounters Michael McRay had while serving as a volunteer prison chaplain. Disclaimer: Contains somewhat graphic descriptions of blood…
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The Oppressor has more responsibility than the Oppressed
I have been having some ongoing social media debates with people about the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. There have been points when I have wanted to give up on this conversation only…
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Boy Soldiers and Doughnut Girls
Today, Monday July 28th 2014 marks the centennial of the start of World War I, or The Great War as it was called at the time. People thought it was…
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Do We Really Need “Church”?
By Micah BalesWhen I was a kid, my family was part of what I would consider a fairly traditional Quaker church. We attended for a couple of hours every Sunday morning. On…
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A Gay Christian's Journey: And God Save Judy Garland
There’s a kind of unique club in the world called “friends of Tony and Peggy Campolo.” I’m a grateful member of that group. It began when Tony was the first…
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Beam me up Goddy: Eschatology, Dualism, and Creation Care
By Mick PopeMy title for this blog post is both slightly irreverent in its misuse of God’s name. It is also ironic in that it was a popular joke obituary for the…
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Remember Those Who Are in Prison
America’s addiction to locking people in prison for interminable periods of time began in the 1970s. Prior to that time a relatively small number of criminal offenders were incarcerated. Today…
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The Gospel, and Immigration Crisis, According to the Grinch
By Morf MorfordFans of the Dr. Seuss Christmas special are familiar with the Grinch whose heart was two sizes too small. The Grinch didn’t understand Christmas until it touched him directly and…
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When Prayer Feels Both Normal and Crazy at the Same Time
Why does prayer feel both right and normal to me and crazy, too? The best I can do is offer this analogy. In the movie Close Encounters of the Third…
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How Would Jesus Vote on Hot Topics?
I read an article on Huffington Post today about a new survey by a nonpartisan organization called YouGov of self-identified Christians. Asked how they believe Jesus would vote on various hot current…
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From Behind the Walls, Pt. 1: Jesus Under Lockdown
“From Behind the Walls” is a series of stories and prayers on encounters Michael McRay had while serving as a volunteer prison chaplain. Disclaimer: The names of inmates have been…
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What Christian Aid Worker Can’t Even Stop Child Labour being used at his Own House?
By Matt DarvasIt all seemed so easy when I was a young student activist crying out, “End child labour now!” It didn’t take too much thought to get up in youth group…
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American Church Community Solves Immigration Crisis
By Yaholo HoytDISCLAIMER: This is a satire piece, the names and churches are made up. It is merely what I wish to wake up one day and see in the news. The…
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A Small Step Towards Peace in Israel-Palestine
By Tony CampoloJesus once said that if we are faithful in little things, He would make us the ruler over great things (Matthew 25:21). To that end, I want to offer a…
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Beyond the Diminished Cross
There is a lot more to the cross of Jesus than you are likely to learn from those who endlessly say, “Jesus died for our sins. Jesus took our place…
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Raising Girls In A World Where They Are Less Than Human
By Jon HuckinsI have two daughters. They are little spark plugs of utter joy and complete chaos. They make me laugh. They make me cry. They remind me to view the world…
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A Cure for Ministerial Burnout: Contemplative Prayer
By Tony CampoloBurnout is a big problem. In far too many cases we hear of missionaries who go to the field and then, before long, we learn that they have lost their…
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Religious Exceptions Have No Scriptural Basis
By Emily TimbolIn the wake of President Obama’s promise to sign an executive order barring discrimination against LGBT persons by companies that do government work, a large group of religious conservatives have…
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“Peace and Justice Have Kissed”: Conflict Resolution in Israel-Palestine
Israeli bombs demolish Gaza. Hamas rockets launch toward Israel. Palestinians die in scores. Israelis take cover amidst the wailing sirens. The tit-for-tat violence has escalated and deescalated countless times over…
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The Ends Can Never Justify the Means
Having been involved in church leadership for the best part of three decades my wife (Bev) and I have seen our fair share of debate and controversy. Not too long…
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Domestic Violence and the Church #yesallchurches
A young college student went on a shooting spree, killing because he felt rejected by women. A pulsing wave of men, ignited with grief and frustration began a hashtag on…
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An Open Letter to the Evangelical Establishment
Dear Evangelical Establishment, I know you don’t trust or like me and I don’t blame you! Lord knows what a pain in the ass I am! But instead of just writing me…
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3 Core Beliefs that Can Change How We Perceive the American Dream
We live in one of the wealthiest economies on earth. Yet many of us feel crunched for time, stressed in our finances or perplexed about what makes life meaningful. Our culture is…