First Words
When Ruby Bridges prayed for her enemies
In the face of mob violence, a six-year-old responded with love.
A refugee’s gift
In offering another refugee his citizenship, Chuong Nguyen is not submitting a transactional sort of sacrifice. He is giving a gift of selfless love.
A roominess within the soul
In the Bible, freedom is always more than a simple choice or the absence of coercion.
Good habits shape good ministers
Even the most mechanical routines can transform our inner lives.
Our microbes are Legion
My friend Angie’s life is crippled by compulsive acts of decontamination.
All of us are beautiful
Our identities—gender and otherwise—are shaped by community and God.
What drives hate?
Hate isn’t new, but it does appear to be thriving.
Swaddled in an orange jumpsuit
She gave birth to a son in the back of a squad car.
Consumed by the news
Does being a good citizen require keeping up with current events?
Christian conviction in the age of Trump
Practice the beatitudes. Speak truth to power. Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.
Addiction teaches us the truth about lies
Small deceptions work like a narcotic, making us feel nicely respectable. Especially in church.
Make today great again
Instead of glorifying the past, what if we treated the present as precious?
What Glenn Ford deserved
He was exonerated—but the state refused to pay him for his 30 years on death row.
Read. Share. Support the Century.
What to do with that stack of old Bibles (or that stack of old issues of the Century)?
Feasting on the unexpected
A missed flight, a cheap motel, and a mushy apple
Need thy neighbor
As I drive past boarded-up churches, I am more convinced than ever that many congregations could afford to revisit their neighbor ethic.
Rights or gifts?
In America, we cherish the inalienable right to have things our way.
Winning an empty game
The cross is anything but a success story. Failure and disappointment are at the heart of Christianity.
Pastoral sabotage
Those of us who sought to change the congregation's communion practice met with indifference. So late one Saturday I took matters into my own hands.
Real people’s mistakes
My friend the public defense attorney doesn't teach her clients to evade error. She helps them acknowledge it—and stop pretending.