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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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Announcing New Conscientious Objectors Resource Page
Why are we as a Red Letter Christian Community highlighting and supporting these courageous Voices of Conscientious Objectors? Because we are living like Jesus meant the words he said. Blessed…
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A Reflection by Father Hubert Van Zeller Contrasting With A Reflection of My Own
Suppose you have an angry prisoner in a cell. Compare him to a hermit, a religious man who has bound himself by vow to the enclosure of his hut. The…
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Do You Have Faith In Change???
James 2:14-20 14) What does it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? 15) If a brother or sister…
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Excerpt from “The Ballot and the Bible”
A city on a hill. These words have captivated Americans for generations. They encapsulate our sense of collective destiny, divine mission, and moral strength. They pack into one little phrase…
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Reflections of a Palestinian Christian Theologian on Lausanne IV
By Tony DeikMission in the Shadow of Zionism: Reflections of a Palestinian Christian Theologian on Lausanne IV by Tony Deik Around a month has passed since the global gathering of Lausanne IV…
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The Struggle of a Christian Voter
The voices are powerful and insistent. They tell me what a Christian vote should look like. They tell me that there is only one choice in exercising my civic right…
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Fleeing Idolatry in a Time of Pretender Saviors
By Bob EkbladMany people have rightly sounded the alarm about the rise of Christian nationalism in the USA. Yet the growing idolatry of the person of Donald Trump (and other authoritarian leaders…
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Heart Problem
By David TitusYears ago, I was for gun control, to pass laws to reduce the number of guns and how powerful guns were on the street. While I do still believe reducing…
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A Path to the Undecideds
The Christian vote in this election is critical. We know because we’ve seen plenty of Christian groups taking a stand for both presidential candidates. But what about the Christians who…
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A Stay for Robert Roberson in Texas
Photo Credit: 12/19/23, Livingston, Texas: Robert Roberson photographed through plexiglass at TDCJ Polunsky Unit. Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Innocence Project. They killed Derrick Dearman in Alabama Thursday night, but in…
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Permission to Leave (Excerpted from “Fire in the Whole”)
Excerpted from Fire in the Whole. © 2024 Robert G. Callahan, II. Used by permission of Westminster John Knox Press. Chapter 12 Permission to Leave While I believe that it’s important for…
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“Who else is going to Stand beside him?” A Different Look at the Death Penalty
For over a decade, I’ve been involved in frontline work against the death penalty. In recent years, I’ve stood in execution chambers and held the hands of eight different men…
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Jesus Loves the Little Children…
I have found myself searching for a church that feels filled with the holy spirit and truly exemplifies the Jesus I have come to know the past couple years. I…
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“Who else is going to Stand beside him?” A Different Look at the Death Penalty
For over a decade, I’ve been involved in frontline work against the death penalty. In recent years, I’ve stood in execution chambers and held the hands of eight different men…
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Practices to Prevent a Civil War
Like you, I am concerned about the deep and deepening divisions in our country. A friend recently commented that “our society is seething”, and the upcoming election is like pouring…
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TOMORROW: A Reflection and Invitation: National Christian Prayer Call on the Death Penalty, Thursday October 10
By Sam HeathJoin me and many others tomorrow October 10 for the National Christian Prayer Call on the Death Penalty and be part of the movement to bring healing after harm. Oklahoma governor…
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(In)justice Themes of Loyalty and Complicity in my latest favorite shows and How They Weave into Spiritual Abuse
(In)justice Themes of Loyalty and Complicity in my latest favorite shows – Suits and Emily in Paris – and How They Weave into Spiritual Abuse I’ve been in cancer treatment…
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Addicted to Death: America’s 2024 Killing Spree
Editor’s Note: This piece was first published on Religion News Service on October 2, 2024. (RNS) — Last week, America executed five people. We haven’t had that many executions in…
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Kristin Kobes Du Mez Discusses the New Documentary ‘FOR OUR DAUGHTERS’ (RLC Interview)
Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Author of Jesus and John Wayne, Releases New Documentary ‘FOR OUR DAUGHTERS’ Which Explores the Conservative Christian Subculture of Sexual Abuse and Silencing Women Renowned historian…
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A Reflection and Invitation: National Christian Prayer Call on the Death Penalty Upcoming on October 10
By Sam HeathOklahoma governor Kevin Stitt made a noteworthy comment following the September 26th execution of Emmanuel Littlejohn, a man the governor’s own self-appointed Pardon & Parole Board recommended for clemency. The…
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It’s Hard to be Sad When You’re Blowing Bubbles
Recently a friend took a day cruise on the Erie Canal, encountering a man and his siblings celebrating the life of his wife. My friend has known and continues to…
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Excerpt from “What Christians Believe About the Devil”
By Joel SimpsonThe full message is here: Online Service, Sept 15, 2024 | “What Christians Believe About the Devil” (Message begins at 38:18) By First United Methodist Church of Taylorsville https://www.facebook.com/fumctaylorsville/videos/1028527539066164 This…
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Stumbling Towards Wholeness
NOTE: All names of patients have been changed along with any identifying details. I’m at the hospital and it’s a Sunday day shift. Jésus is assigned to me. He is…
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JESUS FOR PRESIDENT (special online presentation REPLAY)
By RLC EditorSaturday, September 21st, RLC co-founder Shane Claiborne offered a special online presentation of JESUS FOR PRESIDENT! Enjoy the replay! Also, as a special offering, from now until Election Day…
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Radical Surrender without Resignation
This meditation is an excerpt from Andrew DeCort’s new book Blessed Are the Others: Jesus’ Way in a Violent World (BitterSweet Collective). The book is out September 24; learn more…
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Haitian Residents at Church in Springfield, Ohio: A Reflection
By Troy JacksonI first learned about Haiti in a video series called “You Can Make a Difference” by Red Letter Christians founder Dr. Tony Campolo nearly forty years ago. I learned of…
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Immigrants in Springfield, presented by Pastor Carl Ruby
By Carl RubyA Christian viewpoint on Immigration in Springfield, Ohio Sunday, September 15, 2024 Excerpts from transcript: Let’s quiet our hearts – lead you in a prayer that takes into account the…
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Learned Behavior
By S.M. ReedThis blog could be thought of as a continuation to the previous one. It occurred to me following posting the previous blog, that people might wonder, how? How do I keep…
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A Note on Gentle Instruction
By S.M. ReedThe following blog post was originally posted on my blog, “Letters to the Jaded Evangelical”. The blog is geared towards those who have become discouraged by the church’s intermingling with…
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More than 300 Evangelical Pastors and Leaders Sign “Confession of Evangelical Conviction” and Call for Revival
By RLC EditorEditor’s Note: Shane Claiborne was one of the initial signers of the Confession, as was Lisa Sharon Harper and several other friends of RLC. A significant movement is emerging within…
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Blessed are Those Who Mourn
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 As a pastor I have the opportunity to visit quite a few people in their homes. As…
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Everything Could Be a Prayer (excerpts)
By Kreg YingstAn excerpt from Everything Could Be a Prayer by Kreg Yingst © 2024 Broadleaf Books. Reproduced by permission. JOHN M. PERKINS (1930–) Reconciliation All this is from God, who reconciled us to…
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Being a Sanctuary: The Radical Way for the Body of Christ to Be Sacred, Soft, and Safe (an excerpt)
It was a Sunday at 6:45 a.m. in 2016, 2017, or 2018—it’s all a blur now. The day went by, and just like that it was 8:45 p.m. and I…
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Ephphatha, Be Opened
By Mary Quigley-“He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”- Ephphatha. Be opened. Hear the children in Gaza crying. Hear the children in…
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The Widow Who Demands Justice
Excerpted from The Moral Teachings of Jesus: Radical Instruction in the Will of God (Cascade Books, September 2024). And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry…
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Preparing the way for Jesus— and not for a false Christ, or the next US (or any) President
By Bob Ekblad“Prepare the way of the Lord!” writes Isaiah the prophet– and John the Baptist does this, announcing Jesus. He identifies Jesus as Israel’s Messiah, God’s own Son, the lamb of…
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The Women We’ve Been Waiting For (an excerpt)
The Women We’ve Been Waiting For: A 40-Day Devotional for Self-Care, Resilience, and Communal Flourishing (an excerpt) In our journey of faith, we’d be wise to remember that our whole…
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The Democrats need to be done with death
A version of this essay appeared on Religion News Service on August 27, 2024. PHOTO: Abraham Bonowitz of Death Penalty Action and Esther Brown of Project Hope to Abolish the…
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Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Beyond Spiritual Narratives
As a Palestinian-American leading a ministry in the Middle East, I frequently encounter misconceptions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In evangelical circles, it’s common to frame this enduring struggle as a…
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Clemency for Emmanuel Littlejohn: An Open Letter to Governor Kevin Stitt
August 18, 2024 Clemency for Emmanuel Littlejohn: An Open Letter to Governor Kevin Stitt Dear Governor Kevin Stitt, There are hours that try our souls. We don’t necessarily know what…
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Excerpt from “THE MYSTIC JESUS: The Mind of Love”
I have found over the years that I’m far from alone in having had a strange introduction to Jesus. The prepackaged religious Jesus doesn’t work for everyone, including some Christians.…
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Standing Against Trump and Genocide
A version of this essay appeared on Religion News Service on August 20, 2024. I’m an evangelical against Trump … and genocide Like many Christians, I find myself conflicted this…
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The In-Between Places
By Sue FulmoreThere is magic in the in-between places. We know the beauty of the world at dawn, as the light seeps in. The darkness retreats and our slice of this spinning…
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Womanish Theology: Discovering God through the Lens of Black Girlhood, an Excerpt
My first encounters with God were through my foremothers: my great-grandmother Ma Rosella, my grandmother—affectionately known as Mama Hattie—and her identical twin sister, Aunt Mary. In the 1980s they all…
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Release
The following reflection is based on the story and paintings found in Rebecca J. Craig’s memoir, “Once Upon a Nightmare: Through the Looking Glass of Narcissistic Abuse” available now on…
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“You Are Not Your Trauma: Uproot Unhealthy Patterns, Heal the Family Tree”, an excerpt
When I was sixteen years old, I spent most of my time trying to get high—anything to help me get my body back to equilibrium. I did not know at…
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August 9th: A Day of Repentance?
Editor’s Note: the following piece was originally published on the RLC Blog on August 9, 2017. August 9, 2017 ************* August 9th is a tragic day in history. August 9,…
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Saving Grace
The following reflection is based on the story and paintings found in Rebecca J. Craig’s memoir, “Once Upon a Nightmare: Through the Looking Glass of Narcissistic Abuse” available now on…
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So We and Our Children May Live, an excerpt
A decade ago, I (Sheri) realized I had to work on preventing climate change. My only child, Patrick, was eight at the time, and I kept imagining how I would…
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The Chaplain who Blessed the Hiroshima Bombers Repents
Editor’s Note: the following piece was originally published on the RLC Blog on August 6, 2014. August 6, 2014 Sixty-nine years ago, as a Catholic Air Force chaplain, Father George…
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A Sonnet for Sonya Massey
“Don’t hurt me.” It was tragic enough that Sonya Massey had to greet the officers at her front door with these words, even though she had called them herself regarding…
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Christians, Get Out and Vote
As Christian preachers, we don’t often agree with Donald Trump. But we do agree with one message he has for Christians: we must get out and vote in November. While…
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Pressure Builds on UN to Uphold Court Rulings on Gaza and West Bank
By Kathy KellyPressure Builds on UN to Uphold Court Rulings on Gaza and West Bank For Immediate Release: August 2, 2024 Contact: Kathy Kelly, President of World BEYOND War, kathy.vcnv@gmail.com; David Swanson, Executive…
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More than 200 Christian leaders sign letter calling for cease-fire in Gaza
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in Religion News Service on July 23, 2024. Shane Claiborne signed the letter referenced in the article, representing Red Letter Christians. July 23, 2024 By Chloë-Arizona Fodor, Jack Jenkins…
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Shattered
The following reflection is based on the story and paintings found in Rebecca J. Craig’s memoir, “Once Upon a Nightmare: Through the Looking Glass of Narcissistic Abuse” available now on…
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God Is Asking Us to Do More, Not Do It Alone
By Sally VonnerI grew up in a matriarchal family that was mindful of community; we knew our neighbors, we helped one another. If a neighbor needed something from the mom n’ pop…
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Treasure in Heaven
I think churches feel obligated to break out the red letter words from Jesus found in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew at least once a year, “Do…
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Sighs Too Deep for Words
The following reflection is based on the story and paintings found in Rebecca J. Craig’s memoir, “Once Upon a Nightmare: Through the Looking Glass of Narcissistic Abuse” available now on…
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My Church is Broken, and So Am I
NOTE: All patient names and any identifying details have been changed. It’s a midwestern autumn morning. I wake up early after a late night at my cousin’s wedding. I’m disoriented…
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A Call to Solidarity
Among progressive Christians, there is alarm about the impacts of climate change, and rightly so. According to UNESCO, humanity’s actions on earth are as impactful as a geological force. Climate…
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On Peacemaking: A Litany for Lamenting Every Act of Violence
Editor’s Note: we share this powerful essay and litany prayer from Diana Oestreich originally published in Rally: Communal Prayers for Lovers of Jesus & Justice. The candles flickered and wax…
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Save Pastor Kevin Burns
By RLC EditorTennessee Inmate Kevin Burns Fights for Freedom from Death Row Kevin Burns sits on Tennessee’s death row, maintaining his innocence for a crime he insists he didn’t commit. Despite 28…
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Buying Guns on the Blue Market
A version of this essay appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on June 30, 2024. It’s easier to get a gun in America than it is to get rid of a…
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In A Mirror Dimly
The following reflection is based on the story and paintings found in Rebecca J. Craig’s memoir, “Once Upon a Nightmare: Through the Looking Glass of Narcissistic Abuse” available now on…
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Way to Peace
By David TitusAs he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now…
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God Did Not Save Donald Trump
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in Religion News Service on July 15, 2024. Did God save the former president, but not those who died instead? (RNS) — I’m glad Donald…
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In God’s Hands
The following reflection is based on the story and paintings found in Rebecca J. Craig’s memoir, “Once Upon a Nightmare: Through the Looking Glass of Narcissistic Abuse” available now on…
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Made in the Imagination of Love
I love God. I just don’t trust God. The god of conditional promises. Of quid pro quo practices. Of formulaic certainties. The sow tithes and reap rewards god. The attend-church-worship-pray-read-bible-to-live-a-fully-blessed-life…
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Christian Leaders from Around the Country Read Frederick Douglass’ 1852 speech “WHAT TO THE SLAVE IS THE FOURTH OF JULY”
By RLC EditorEditor’s Note: originally published on the RLC Blog on July 3, 2021. One-hundred and seventy-two years ago tomorrow, abolitionist, writer, and statesman Frederick Douglass gave a speech to the 600…
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RAW Tools 44K Countdown 2024
By RLC EditorOn Saturday afternoon, June 29, RawTools finished the marathon, forging over 44,000 minutes, 1 minute for each life lost to gun violence in 2023. Matt Clarady was a big part…
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UPDATE: RAW Tools 44K Countdown 2024
By RLC EditorSo far, after day 26, 38,140 minutes of forging have been logged, and below are a few more images of the creations formed from the efforts of the highly skilled,…
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Meeting Christ in my Neighbor at the Intersection
“If you eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will surely die”. When I was taught the story of Eden as a child I remember…
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The Aftermath of Coming Out
By Jenn ZatopekLast year I penned my first essay about the wonders of queer joy, coming out publicly as a bisexual woman living in Texas. The essay was well received, first by…
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Stop Grasping for Power – Start Reaching for One Another
By Jer SwigartOn October 13th, after six days of navigating bomb shelters in Jerusalem, I arrived at Logan International Airport. As I shuffled toward customs I watched the sunrise over Boston. I…
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RAW Tools 44K Countdown 2024
By RLC EditorSo far, after day 19, 31,822 minutes of forging have been logged, and below are a few images of the creations formed from the heartfelt efforts of the RAW Tools…
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The Lesson of the Eunuch
Photo credit: “The Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch by the Deacon Philip”, by Lambert Sustris (between 1545 and 1550) When discussing queer inclusion with Christians, a common refrain is that…
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Who is Worthy of Honor?
Black people have never known honor on U.S. shores. From the auction blocks to the voting booths, honor has been as elusive to us as reparations for hundreds of years…
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A Prayer for Pride Month
God, it’s Pride Month, and a lot is going on. Pride Month is always busy for the LGBTQIA+ community, whether we are attending parades and festivals, creating good trouble at…
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An Invitation to Believe in Love
This song was inspired by a small event, an almost chance meeting, twelve years ago. “John and Josie – a true story” was written about an intimate interaction, a moment…
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A Time to Speak
Last Sunday, I found myself brushing shoulders with a crowd of ardent demonstrators. On the streets of Krakow’s Old City, the shoe-polished roads glistened in the light rainfall to the…
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Forgiveness is a Miracle
At our last Pastors, Priests and Guides retreat, we stumbled upon the seismic, nuclear power of a simple spiritual practice. It surprised, provoked and unlocked us, cracking open a door…
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The United Methodist Church Divests from Israel
By Joel SimpsonOn April 30th, the United Methodist Church (UMC) officially voted to divest from Israel because it is an occupier country, taking and occupying Palestinian land. The denomination also voted to…
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Becoming a Prophetic Voice, Excerpt
By Jenai AumanA friend shared the most liberating truth that helped me find freedom in letting my tears fall and my voice cry out. She said, “God can handle your angry words…
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Differentiating Between the What and the How
Editor’s Note: Written by Alan Yarborough and originally published on May 2023 on ECF Vital Practices here. Reposted here with permission. “Fight for the things that you care about, but…
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Fight Wealth Not Poverty
Editor’s Note: Originally published on Plough.com as Fight Wealth, Not Poverty, April 22, 2024. Used by permission. After decades serving the poor, I’ve realized that the problem and the solutions lie closer to…
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A Time is Coming and Has Now Come
By Alex AwadThe writer of the Gospel of John offers his readers an amazing conversation that took place in what we call today, the West Bank (the Palestinian territory west of the…
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RAWTOOLS NATIONAL 44K EVENT
By RLC EditorRAWTOOLS NATIONAL 44K EVENT – JUNE 1- JUNE 30 Guns to Garden Tools Livestream Blacksmith Marathon in Remembrance of Over 44,000 Individuals Lost to Gun Violence in 2023 Beginning Saturday…
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Celebrate Pride Month
By RLC EditorJune is Pride Month, and as Red Letter Christians, we affirm and celebrate the image of God in all our LGBTQIA+ siblings. We stand in solidarity, honoring their dignity and…
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Joyful Noise
“But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” (Matthew 19:14) The…
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Pentecost and Ruth: Reflections on Supporting the Marginalized Among Us
“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and…
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“Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times”, an Excerpt
A few years ago, I was driving along a motorway with my husband and kids. It was hot and the air was stale, my passenger-seat compartment strewn with tepid water…
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Fighting to Love Christ’s Church, excerpt from “The Hope in Our Scars”
By Aimee ByrdFighting to Love Christ’s Church, by Aimee Byrd Author of The Hope in Our Scars: Finding the Bride of Christ in the Underground of Disillusionment Zondervan, May 7, 2024 I…
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Man Enough to Ask For Help
Editor’s Note: This first appeared on the RLC blog on Oct 10, 2018. From the time I was a kid, I had been taught that being strong meant that you…
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4 Reasons Evangelical Men Enable Abusers
By Ryan GeorgeMy story could easily be very different. I grew up in an Independent Fundamental Baptist Church, and I was in my 30s when I learned that my father, also my…
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Finishing the Race: Advocacy for the Global Fight against HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria
When I was a little girl, probably 11, I sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the podium at Belmont Church to hear a special guest speaker, Tony Campolo.…
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Salt of the Earth
By S.M. ReedEditor’s Note: originally posted on 3/28/24 at The Jaded Evangelical blog. The following blog post was originally posted on my blog, “Letters to the Jaded Evangelical”. The blog is geared…
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The Myth of Silence
By Joel SimpsonA teacher once gave a balloon to all of his students, told them to blow it up and write their names on it. Then, he had them throw the balloons…
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It’s Complicated: A Different Liturgy for Mother’s Day
Editor’s Note: This piece initially posted on the RLC blog on May 6, 2020. You don’t need me to tell you that Mother’s Day is complicated for many. A two-second…
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Praying with Mary, through Mary, for Hurting Mothers of War
I am not a Catholic, but I’m praying to Mary … with Mary, through Mary … for the Mothers of Gaza. I am not a Catholic. In fact, I was…
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The Gospel with a Humanizing Instinct
By Mal GreenAn acquaintance from my evangelical past recently posted on social media the fable of Einstein as a young university student undermining the arguments of an atheist professor. The first comment…