Latest Articles
Pastoring in a city under siege
As a Black man from the South Side of Chicago, I am used to showing up during a crisis.
Repenting for feeling futile (Isaiah 9:1-4; Matthew 4:12-23)
We can’t give up on the kingdom of God.
Irrevocable harm and irrevocable good
A favorable immigration ruling in Chicago was overturned. The growth of our bond fund was not.
How can the Democrats catch up to Trump?
Joan Williams correctly diagnoses the party’s failures. I am less sure about her prescriptions.
The smoke screen of “speaking the truth in love”
It seems like every Christian on social media has an opinion on Philip Yancey’s confession. I think we should keep them to ourselves.
Luther Seminary’s death mask
The school’s replica mold of Martin Luther’s face reminds me that I’m readying the plaster for the tradition that bears his name.
January 25, Epiphany 3A (Isaiah 9:1–4; Matthew 4:12–23)
Remembering the past enlightens our understanding of the present. We have been here before.
Dangerous caricatures
Stereotyping and scapegoating people can unravel a democracy. So why do we do it?
Stranger Things at the hinge point of faith
If it seems impossible that these characters are gone, maybe it’s because in some sense, they aren’t.
When priests are sexual tourists
Kevin O’Neill uses the case study of a predatory Catholic priest shuffled to Guatemala to discuss provocative ideas about abuse and justice.
Learning in pieces
Theological education may be fracturing, but there’s wisdom and beauty in the fragments.
The heaving, howling, rolling, jumping ecstasy of Ann Lee
I know “Shaker musical” sounds like a prompt at a bad improv class. But Mona Fastvold’s new film is wild and wondrous.
Portraits of silence
My week in a convent helped me see how our freedom is contaminated by noise. Silentium is a tribute to the nuns who welcomed me.
January 18, Epiphany 2A (John 1:29–42)
Who is Jesus? The first chapter of John’s Gospel offers many answers.
The new GOP hawks
Trump and his advisers see the Western hemisphere as theirs for the taking, whether it’s Venezuela’s oil, Greenland’s minerals, or Panama’s canal.