Podcast: Play in new window | Download Jemar and Tyler discuss a few safe havens that have blessed them in the midst of the tumultuous year that has been 2016. Donate to RAAN Subscribe – iTunes – Satchel – RSS Social – @_PassTheMic – Facebook
Category: Theology
In 2013, Christiopher Muther wrote on the connection between instant gratification and impatience in American culture saying, “The demand for instant results is seeping into every corner of our lives, and not just virtually….But experts caution that instant gratification comes at a price: It’s making us less patient.” This is not only true of American […]
To many, the death of Walter Scott appeared to be the most clear-cut case among many tragic shootings of unarmed black men by law enforcement. After all, he was unarmed and shot multiple times in the back while fleeing on foot — an incident clearly (it seemed) captured on video. That’s why the news that […]
Dear Friends, In the aftermath of the election, many of my majority culture friends are asking, “How do I help?” I hear your hearts and see your earnestness. And I believe you can help, and be a force for change. I believe you can do it. But you might not like the answer as to […]
When you hear the phrase “white supremacy,” you might naturally associate it with violent, white hate groups that assaulted, harassed, and murdered people of color in the 1900s to create and preserve a white society. In my view, this is a narrow understanding of white supremacy. Certainly, the above definition is an example of white […]
To my brothers and sisters, we must weep with those who weep. In the wake of this election, I am not primarily concerned with the well-being of our country. America is my home-in-exile, but the Church is my country and family. My primary concern is for the Church. She is deeply divided, and, to be […]
The holiday season is my favorite time of the year. It kicks off with Thanksgiving. On this Thanksgiving Day, there are many things for which Christians should be thankful. Perhaps the two most important are Jesus’ substitutionary death for our sins and his bodily resurrection from the dead, without which there is no salvation (1 […]
If you’ve looked at my bio, you may have noticed something about me: I’m white. And I’m not urban white. I’m folk-music-and-chewing-tobacco white. Yet I live in the inner city and pastor at an inner city church. Lately, there’s been some talk regarding white inner city church planters and pastors like myself. There aren’t many […]
This article first appeared on The Twelve blog. It has been re-posted with permission. Christina Edmondson is the Dean of Intercultural Student Development at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. You can find the original and more great content by clicking here. The Jesus of the Bible was a deeply connected, culturally credible Hebrew son. There is […]
Some of my comments on an episode of Pass The Mic have invited scrutiny and strong disagreement. In general, I accept this as part of the task of racial reconciliation and a positive sign of tackling the right topics. Due to distorted interpretations, however, I do sense the need to clarify those statements and extend their application. What […]
Many Christians of color are stunned by the support the president-elect received from white evangelicals. They’re not only stunned, but many have expressed feelings of deception and betrayal by their white brothers and sisters (and black and brown brothers and sisters) in Christ who voted for the president-elect despite his racist and offensive rhetoric against […]
One of the greatest relationships I have had has been one with a brother who was a Jewish believer. I recall when we sat down and talked about the Holocaust tragedy. The Holocaust was a tragic event, where millions of lives were lost and left a permanent scar on the World. What has been most valuable […]
This election season has brought out the worst in many. During the primaries, candidates slandered, mocked, and publicly shamed their opponents. We’ve seen power abused to advance campaigns. During the general election, we’ve seen both candidates lie and Trump dishonor women and ethnic minorities. But this election season has also brought out the worst in […]
Jesus is a friend of “all” kinds of sinners from different backgrounds. We see this in Mark 7. Here he confronts some Pharisees and scribes (religious people who rejected him), heals a Gentile woman’s daughter (a woman with a different ethnicity from his), and healed a deaf and mute man (a person with special needs). […]
When the Academy of Motion Picture and Science announced early this year that only white actors and actresses were among those selected to be chosen for an academy award for the second year in a row, it ignited a firestorm. It resulted in the resurgence of the social media hashtag #OscarsSoWhite and raised a bevy of concerns […]
Incivility in American politics is hardly new. Politicians and ordinary citizens alike have long bemoaned “the divisive tone of politics.” But this year’s presidential race seems to have broken new ground. We’ve beheld an embarrassing litany of personal invective, verbal aggression, puerile put-downs, and playground insults. We’re now at the point where the presidential debates […]
The doctrine of justification by faith was a central belief of the Protestant Reformation. The Reformers believed the church had forgotten this doctrine, and they believed that to lose this doctrine was to lose the gospel. In this October anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, we Protestants would do well to meditate on justification by faith. […]
By now, everyone in the U.S. should be well aware of the Access Hollywood tape recording Donald Trump and Billy Bush making lewd comments about women. On the tape, they also laugh about how Trump’s celebrity status grants him the privilege and the right to do whatever he wants to women. In light of this […]
People often interpret life through their personal and individual worldviews. I would go so far as to say that a great symptom of our sinful nature is how hiddenly narcissistic we can be to think that our experience is the only experience that matters. Both sides of the race conversation does this. The phrase “I […]
In spite of numerous racial tensions in the U.S. in recent months, there are still Christians who choose to remain silent about reconciliation and justice. They continue to remain steadfast in the belief that the gospel of Jesus Christ has nothing to do with rectifying the racial divide. In fact, a prominent white evangelical celebrity […]
