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You never know the day your life will change—or the person who will change it. For me, her name was Om Hassan. I was 23, an American soldier…
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“Let anyone who is without sin…” : On Serving as Arthur Brown Jr.’s Spiritual Advisor During his Execution
Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published by Jeff Hood at Patheos and is published here with permission. I used to think that God was everywhere…but God don’t live in…
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Kairos Center Prophetic Voices In The Public Square featuring Shane Claiborne
By RLC EditorProphetic Voices in the Public Square, a collaboration between Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice and University of Pennsylvania’s Office of Social Equity & Community, focuses attention on the life and…
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What is Resistance?
Resistance always begins with curiosity, with questions. We often do not ask our questions, not because we are afraid of the answer, but because there might not be a clear…
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Love Small
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of…
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Deconstruction, Fear, and the Sermon on the Mount
When I was thirteen, I had a green faux leather Living Bible with illustrations of a very 70s Jesus. For whatever reason, I flipped to the beginning of the New…
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Making Room for Opposing the Death Penalty on the Evangelical Agenda
By Sam HeathUntil speaking with Columbus megachurch pastor Rich Nathan, I never knew about the “gloomiest city in America” list. I live in Charlottesville, VA, which regularly makes the “happiest city in…
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How to Love God
By Jon CanasAn extract from the essay of the same name from the recently published book, Religion, Politics, and Reclaiming the Soul of Christianity: A Spiritual Imperative for Our Time and Our…
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Abide in Me: Excerpt from Lent Reflection
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. –…
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A Prayer for Those Experiencing Trauma
Gracious and Eternal God: You are the God and Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ. Lord God, I thank You for Your grace and Your mercies; And…
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I’ve Been Praying for You
It all started with an article in my local newspaper. The article stated over the next 13 months Tennessee would carry out 11 executions! It had been over a decade…
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On Longing and the Asbury Revival
Editor’s Note: This piece originally appeared on The Corners by Nadia Bolz-Weber. Shared with permission. As I write this, I have a YouTube livestream open and playing in the background, listening to…
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Why students at a Kentucky Christian school are praying and singing round the clock
By RLC EditorEditor’s Note: This piece originally appeared in Religion News Service. Students have packed the chapel and overflow spaces at Asbury University for nearly a week, holding round-the-clock prayer and worship. Last Wednesday (Feb.…
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Bless Their Hearts: A Southerner’s Response to Christian Nationalism and other “Ordinary Radicals”
I have lived in the south, specifically Georgia, for my whole life. My family is from the mountains of Appalachia, the stickiness of Macon, the giant KFC robot chicken in…
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An Excerpt from “Reparations: A Plan For Churches”
Introduction Six years ago, Georgetown University acknowledged that in 1838 it sold 272 enslaved people of African descent to prop up its failing finances. The university followed that acknowledgment with…
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Being Jesus’ Instruments For Life, Justice, and Amplifying The Voices of Those In The Margins
By Curt MartinAs Christ-followers, we are to live as Paul states in Galatians 2:20a. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in…
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Launching TODAY! Shane Claiborne’s “Rethinking Life”
Chapter 1: Life Is Good Our goal is to develop a comprehensive, all-encompassing ethic of life that compels us to be champions of life, to cherish life, and to defend…
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What Black History Means to Me as a White Woman
By Emily JonesAt a time of increasing backlash to the teaching of America’s racial history, one might ask, “What does Black history mean to America?” and, “What does Black history mean to White…
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Launching Next Week! Shane Claiborne’s “Rethinking Life”
By RLC EditorIntroduction An Invitation to Love Life I grew up in the heart of the Bible Belt, in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. I fell in love with Jesus there.…
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A Pastoral Word from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry (Episcopal Church) on the Death of Tyre Nichols
By RLC EditorEditor’s Note: Originally published on the Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs website on January 28, 2023. Shared with permission. Sense cannot be made of the murder of a young…
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White Privilege from a White Male Perspective
Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published in TRENDS in Global Grassroots Organizing, December 2022 issue. These days the expression ‘white privilege’ is becoming more prevalent. Unfortunately, it is used…
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Gandhi and Coretta Scott King: A Short Tribute for Two Heroes
75 years ago today, Gandhi was assassinated. Gandhi was assassinated on Jan. 30, 1948 Coretta Scott King died on Jan. 30, 2006. Grateful for both of them today… and every…
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Tyre Nichols. Tyre Nichols. Tyre Nichols. Say His Name!
By RLC EditorSay his name… #TyreNichols His life matters. It more than matters – his life was, and is, precious. He should still be alive. RLC Editor’s Note: The post and video…
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What Is an Orphaned Believer?
By Sara BillupsGod loves the sojourner. Deuteronomy 10:18 says, “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you.” When I talk about orphaned believers,…
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John Francis O’Mara’s “Kill the Dreamer” and Dr. Martin Luther King: The Story of the Song
Back in 2003, singer/songwriter/musician and activist John Francis O’Mara was inspired to write a song, “Kill the Dreamer”, that only grows in intensity and meaning every day. Like the dream…
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It’s Time for a Franciscan Renaissance
Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published in TRENDS in Global Grassroots Organizing, December 2022 issue. We live in a time of conflict and polarization — in the church in…
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Shane Claiborne, Co-Director of Red Letter Christians, Honored with the 2023 Beloved Community Social Justice Award from The King Center
By RLC EditorAnnually, The King Center leads the observance of the national holiday commemorating the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Beloved Community Awards is one of the marquee programs…
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As We Enter Black History Month, ‘Do Not De-Radicalize King’
Editor’s Note: Originally published on the RLC Blog January 31, 2018. Editor’s Note: As we move towards the month where we celebrate the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther…
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Philadelphia Activist Shane Claiborne to be honored at The King Center’s 2023 Beloved Community Awards
By RLC EditorAuthor, Activist, & Co-Founder of Red Letter Christians to be honored alongside Dolly Parton For immediate release Press Contact: Mary Grace Puszka January 9, 2023 | Philadelphia, PA – Shane Claiborne,…
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To the Christian Nationalists Who Attacked the Capitol in Jesus’ Name
Editor’s Note: This piece originally appeared in Religion News Service. In the New Testament’s Letter of Paul to the Galatians, the apostle Paul wrote, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting…
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January 6 Shows Us the Path to Religious Freedom is Not Christian Nationalism
Political pundits will fine tooth comb the January 6 committee’s highly anticipated report. As faith leaders, that is not our job. Our work is to reach into the moral conscience…
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Becoming a New Person
By Morf MorfordThe new year, in every calendar and every tradition, is usually both a time of reflection and a time of renewal. In most, if not all traditions, it is an…
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Say ‘No’ to Christian Nationalism: Condemning Christian Nationalism’s Role in the January 6th Insurrection
By RLC EditorEvangelical Leaders Statement Condemning Christian Nationalism’s Role in the January 6 Insurrection As leaders in the broad evangelical community, we recognize and condemn the role Christian Nationalism played in the violent,…
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Hundreds of Organizations Urge President, AG to Halt Federal & Military Death Penalty
By RLC EditorEditor’s Note: Please consider this call to action from one of our co-conspirators. For Immediate Release January 2, 2023 Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action abe@deathpenaltyaction.org 561-371-5204 Hundreds of Organizations Urge…
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Basic Instructions for Seeing What’s True, an Excerpt from “Start With Hello”
Our ability to relate with others is largely tied to our exposure. Because of systems put into place across time immemorial, most of us live sequestered from the wisdom and…
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Greeting the Prince of Peace 10 Years After Sandy Hook
Editor’s Note: This piece originally appeared in Religion News Service. The Christmas season makes room for commemorations of violence done against the innocent. It’s now been 10 years since the shooting at Sandy…
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Racism: My Upward Climb
Editor’s Note: This article begins with a description of racialized violence that may upset some readers. I watched the video of George Floyd’s murder from the comfort of my cozy…
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Amanda Tyler Speaks to Congress on Christians Against Christian Nationalism
Editor’s note: Red Letter Christians is a supporter of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign. If you haven’t already signed the statement of principles, we encourage you to do so. Amanda Tyler,…
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The Shooting in Buffalo Happened within a Context of Complicity with White Supremacy
By Jemar TisbyEditor’s note: this piece first appeared on the RLC blog on May 16, 2022. On Saturday, May 14, 2022 a young man entered a grocery store in predominantly Black neighborhood…
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The Shooting in Buffalo Happened within a Context of Complicity with White Supremacy
By Jemar TisbyOn Saturday, May 14, 2022 a young man entered a grocery store in predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York and opened fire. By the time he surrendered a short time…
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An Interview with Charles Keith, Impacted Communities Liaison of Death Penalty Action
By RLC EditorCharles Keith is the brother of Kevin Keith and Impacted Communities Liaison of Death Penalty Action. This Advent, Red Letter Christians is highlighting how God shows up for us at…
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Waiting in a Right Now World
We live in a time of instant mashed potatoes and overnight shipping. No longer do I have to go with our family to Blockbuster to pick a movie, which took…
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Magnificat: The Mothers of Advent
Mary didn’t fight; Mary sang. She stood in the tradition of Deborah, wise judge and mighty warrior, singer of the oldest song in scripture. She channeled the canticles of Hannah…
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Red Letter Christians’ 2021-2022 Annual Report Now Available
We’re thrilled to share Red Letter Christian’s 2021-2022 Annual Report. The report outlines our priorities, showcases direct actions we took together, and provides transparent financial information to our growing network of…
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It’s been a week since the Club Q shooting. Let’s not move on.
Note: This piece originally appeared in Religion News Service. The LGBTQ community continues to bear a disproportionate amount of hateful gun violence in America. It has been a week since the…
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Do Not Worry: A Communal Approach
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ -Jesus (Matthew 6:31) Don’t worry about what you’ll eat. Don’t worry…
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On Thanksgiving: An Honest Home in the Uncomfortable ‘Both’
But this little plot of land, where my son swings from oak branches beside the bayou . . . where we make mashed potatoes for three instead of twenty-three .…
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On Thanksgiving: An Honest Home in the Uncomfortable ‘Both’
For many (most? all?) of us here in America, today is a lot of things. It’s odd, different, bizarre, quaint, lonely, dull, sad, triggering, exhausting, celebratory, energizing, or uncomfortable. This…
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On Thanksgiving: An Honest Home in the Uncomfortable ‘Both’
Editor’s note: this piece first appeared on the RLC blog in Nov. 2020. For many (most? all?) of us here in America, today is a lot of things. It’s odd,…
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Let’s Uproot the Bias that Holds Us Back
Book excerpt taken from Color-Courageous Discipleship: Follow Jesus, Dismantle Racism, and Build Beloved Community. (Waterbrook, November 2022) Permission available upon request. Like the ancient Greeks, we tend to envision ourselves…
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Cross > Sword, an Excerpt from “Everyday Activism”
By J.W. BuckA few years ago, I read a groundbreaking book called Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict. In this book, two political scientists named Erica Chenoweth and…
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A White Person’s Guide to Racial Justice and Reconciliation
As a white person, speaking into the racial justice and reconciliation space can often feel like a loaded deliverable. Questions about the validity of my voice and how it should…
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Make the vision plain on November 8. Vote to save our democracy.
How should we respond when our democracy is being torn asunder in the name of our Christian faith? Recently I answered the call of Faithful America and local clergy to…
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Gethsemane Standoff: Resisting the Temptation to Justify Violence (Even in Ukraine)
By Bob EkbladThe conflict in Ukraine has been rapidly escalating, drawing Western nations deeper into war with Russia– with increasing and grave risks of a nuclear confrontation. Followers of Jesus are inclined…
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Why the False Prophets of Christian Nationalism Don’t Speak for Me
This article was originally published by Word&Way and is shared with permission. In an important panel discussion with the Christians Against Christian Nationalism initiative and Jim Wallis last week, Episcopal Church…
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The silence of the witnesses hurt more than the shouted bigotry
(RNS) — Recently, I visited my local DMV to renew my driver’s license. As I waited in a crowded room of about 25 people, a middle-aged man with a graying…
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There Is Only Us, an Excerpt of “Loving the Hell out of Ourselves”
By Elaine HeathMy therapist suggested that I let my feelings out in a controlled environment that was safe. So instead of driving too fast or eating the entire carton of ice cream,…
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Statement regarding Parkland School Shooting Jury Recommendation
By RLC EditorI offer my prayers and love to the families, co-victims and survivors of all of those killed and injured in the Parkland school shooting. As I watched the hearing this…
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Statement regarding Parkland School Shooting Jury Recommendation
I offer my prayers and love to the families, co-victims and survivors of all of those killed and injured in the Parkland school shooting. As I watched the hearing this…
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Statement regarding Parkland School Shooting Jury Recommendation
I offer my prayers and love to the families, co-victims and survivors of all of those killed and injured in the Parkland school shooting. As I watched the hearing this…
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Joining Pope Francis as We Abolish the Death Penalty
Pope Francis has designated the month of September to address the death penalty and call for its abolition worldwide. In his newest appeal, the Pope invites us to pray “that…
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Apocalypse now: how historic floods are unveiling the exploitation of Appalachia
This article was originally published by Accidental Tomatoes I was five years old the first time I heard the term strip mining. I was with my mom and a friend of…
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Now more than ever: Let’s get the Equal Rights Amendment finalized
As women of faith, we are committed to the common task of making the ERA the law of the land. (RNS) — Recent Supreme Court opinions dangerously undermine women’s equal…
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Rev. Don Heath: Oklahoma executions will continue until the people say ‘Stop’
This opinion was originally published on August 28, 2022 by The Oklahoman I was in the execution chamber with James Coddington Thursday for the last 45 minutes of his life.…
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This School Year We Should Get Curious rather than Punitive When it Comes to Kids, All Kids
By Emily JonesScripture tells the story of a 12-year-old Jesus who slipped off without the courtesy of a quick word to Mother Mary or Stepfather Joseph about where he was going or how late…
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The Kingdom Is Yours
”The Kingdom Is Yours is a song for everyone who thought God left them when he was needed the most. The opposite is the most true. God shares his hope…
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I Don’t Know Justice
I don’t know Justice! And I have not met Peace. Well, I was told that I met her. I was told that Peace has been around here, but they must…
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8 over 80: At 92, John Perkins still mobilizes Christian communities
At 8 a.m. on Tuesdays in July, as usual, John Perkins was participating in his weekly Zoom Bible study. Officially the leader and the attraction for the more than 200 who…
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H.R. 40 (REPARATIONS NOW)
“While it might be convenient to assume that we can address the current divisive racial and political climate in our nation through race neutral means, experience shows that we have…
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Beyoncé invites church girls to celebrate their freedom
“Lord, place me … I want to be centered in thy will.” Mixed with the sounds of the iconic pioneer of New Orleans bounce music, DJ Jimi, these words, written…
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Love Thy Neighbor – Start with Hello
The invitation awaits us, but first we must choose. Will we believe the loudest voices, which warn us to choose sides quickly, dig in our heels, and rely on our…
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I was a Christian Nationalist, here’s how I changed. (excerpt from Waging Peace)
I understood that my faith does not require me to kill as proof of my loyalty. It requires me to give myself away, to love my enemies instead of harming…
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Expanding Our Understanding of a Christian’s Duty
Ultimately, there is an urgent need to transition to renewable energy that prioritizes public health for frontline communities, women and children, communities of color and workers for whom the current…
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Faith leaders attend White House celebration of gun control law
“Claiborne added that he understood that the bipartisan legislation ‘is the most substantial gun reform bill that we’ve seen in 30 years. But what we also heard is how dysfunctional…
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The Death of Roe and the Resurrection of White Men in America
Whenever white men have controlled women’s bodies on American soil, the men have benefited. Now, on the other side of Roe, it’s clear: the 40-year fight of my white evangelical…
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Christian Nationalism is Dangerous to Christians
More Christians must step up. We must do more than just watch the January 6th hearings aghast. We cannot allow our faith to continue to be hijacked by white supremacists…
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Anti-LGBTQ+ Rhetoric Is On The Rise: How Should We Respond?
In a strange way, I am glad Pastor Awes preached what he did so clearly, because he is revealing the truth that most other evangelicals don’t want to acknowledge- their…
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Sharletta Evans: Pioneer of Restorative Justice (Excerpt from Beating Guns)
Sharletta’s story of forgiveness and extensive work to offer the opportunity for restitution and restoration for offenders is awe-inspiring. It’s an example of what it looks like to no longer…
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In the Kentucky Derby of Religions: Do we have a winner?
Over this last century, things have often gone, not as Rev. Fosdick hoped, but as he feared. Were he here today, I think he would challenge all non-fundamentalists — Christian…
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How Christian nationalism paved the way for Jan. 6
By Jack JenkinsChristian nationalism — in the broadest sense, a belief that Christianity is integral to America as a nation and should remain as such — provided a theological framework for the…
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Praying at the NRA Convention
I believe in prayer. That’s why we went to the NRA prayer breakfast. But I also believe in action
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Amid Recent SBC Report Release, Abuse Victim Advocate, Ashley Easter, Reaffirms Her Commitment to Uplifting Survivors
Last month an explosive report was released detailing the massive amount of abuse and cover up of abuse that has taken place within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) over the…
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Whiteness is Rooted in Inadequacy (An Excerpt from Straight White Male)
By Chris Furr_1We are worthy only because God has made it so. The irony is, nothing puts just how unlove-able we can be in starker relief than when we soothe our own…
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Meet the first minister of gun violence prevention
“The mass shootings capture our attention because it could be us. The randomness feels so much worse as opposed to the one child that gets ahold of a gun or…
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The Small, Deadly Love of White Mothers
By Suzie Lahoud“…it is the nice, Christian mothers like me who are often the quickest to question the means and motives of good faith activism in defense of the Black right to…
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Stop Lying on God: white ‘Evangelical’ Bible Illiteracy Upholds Status Quo
There is no such thing as justice outside of community. There would be no need for it. It wouldn’t exist. The sin that is injustice can’t be done in isolation.…
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The NRA’s Thoughts & Prayers
Our society has also chosen to sacrifice our children, not merely in a valley but in our schools, churches, theaters, concerts, restaurants, grocery stores, homes, and basically any other place…
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June 17th, 2015 ( Excerpt from For such a Time as This: Hope and Forgiveness after the Charleston Massacre”)
“You cant heal in isolation, Trust your gut instinct and cling to your faith, Be prepared to get rejected. You’ve got to persevere. Don’t give up on humanity. Everybody has…
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Image: A Lament for George Floyd
“In the midst of all the work to be done, we must not forget—even two years later—to stop and lament the tragedy of his death. Let us mourn with the…
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Slow To Speak and Quick To Listen (An Excerpt From The Race-Wise Family)
“When we hold the Bible in one hand and the news in the other, our posture as a race-wise family will be to listen often and well, and to be…
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Why #IStandWithJemar & Hope You Will Too
“…having spent time on Christian college campuses, my heart aches for the young people who thought they were learning to follow Jesus and the faculty and staff who show up…
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The Beloved Community and the Heresy of White Replacement: How “Beyoncé Mass” Gave Me Hope After the Buffalo massacre
“…over the opening notes of Beyoncé’s “Halo,” which preceded communion, Rev. Dr. Norton also offered these words of hope: Repentance is not a one-time thing, but a developmental process, a…
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Masquerading as Compassion: The Church‘s Latest Move to Deal With the LGBTQ+ Issue
When Christians talk of rules, lines, and statutes, they’re focused on arbitrary commands instead of the law of love, which Jesus brought forth.
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To Affirm the Death Penalty Is to Reject the Christian Gospel
We need a broader moral reckoning on capital punishment—in the Bible belt, in particular. In a recent forum, we zeroed in on the challenge of problematic theology, which in Shane’s…
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Abortion, Racism and the True Origins of the Religious Right
By Jemar Tisby“Repealing Roe v. Wade stands as a perennial high-priority issue for conservative Christian voters, so much so that today it is hard to imagine a time when that was not the case.…
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A Call to the Transformational, Lifelong Work of Antiracism
I had been on a quest for years to prove to the world how not racist I was. Sitting in that room, facing the ugliest of truths about myself and…
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Change the Question
By Kathy BrooksThese talented artisans were very happy to have orders coming in. They would continue to work at whatever price we said we could pay. It is the nature of living…
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Grove City College rejects ‘wokeness,’ CRT in new report
By Kathryn Post“…the report uses CRT as ‘a junk drawer for anything about race or justice that makes a certain type of person feel uncomfortable.” Because of the rhetoric around CRT, he…
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An Excerpt From Indigenous Theology and the Western Worldview
The message was simple to understand: It’s just like when I used to pastor and I would tell the children’s sermon before the regular sermon. I would tell them, “If…
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The Feasts of God’s Calendar
We know through revelation of the scripture that blood that was on the doorpost was foreshadowing– was symbolic of the Blood of Jesus that was to deliver us from sin…
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An Interview with Tennessee Activist, Justin Jones, On the #March4Mercy: “God is calling Us to Be on The Margins”
By Justin JonesOn April 21—just days after Easter—Oscar Smith is set to be executed in Tennessee. The state has 32 people currently on death row and though they have written a letter…