Sunday afternoon. I preached in the morning and following lunch with family and friends was sitting on the back patio, making my way to the coveted Sunday afternoon preacher’s nap. The news alert came on my phone. Not Again. Another shooting, this time at the Landing in Jacksonville. I’ve been to the Landing. People I…
Listening to our Youth
1.2 million followers read Emma Gonzalez’s tweet about Betsy DeVos’ visit to her school; “Good thing I was already sleeping in tomorrow.” 269,000 followers read Sarah Chadwick’s tweet about the same visit; “Literally no one asked for this.” The New York Times made this observation about these two tweets; “And with a few tweets the…
Parkland: What I Would Say this Morning
A clergy friend called me the other day, wrestling with what to say to his congregation this morning about the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Our conversation got me thinking about what I would say to a congregation on this day. So, here is a close approximation to what I would share. We gather…
“Loving On Each Other” as a Poor Substitute for Real Love
“We just need to love on each other” I’ve learned that this phrase, used even by a well-meaning person, typically means that we are going to do nothing to improve the individual or collective well-being. Often it is served up with a side dish of judgement, while having an excuse for not leaving one’s comfort…
