My father once shared a quote with me: “Some start early and finish late, and others start late and finish early.” This quote essentially embodies development, growth, success, and many other aspects of life. It conveys the truth that the sun may shine on some earlier than others, but it will most certainly shine on […]
My son identifies himself as peach, the crayon color. His grandmother, my British mother in-law, asked him what color he thought she was and he said, without hesitation, “Peach!” She said, “Good.” There are times when I wish we all would identify with each other in such creative descriptors. God is much more creative than […]
How does one begin to explain this feeling? Korean culture has a name for it … they call it Han. Han: the overwhelming feeling of helplessness in the face of irreversible cultural sorrow; a cold fist that reaches deep into a people’s collective soul, only to pull away having grasped a fistful of emptiness and […]
The opening plenary session of the November 2012 Facing Race conference reveals the danger of seeking racial justice without first seeking God. The opening speaker, Rinku Sen, is the publisher for Colorlines.com, “a daily news site where race matters.” I stumbled across the website and the Facing Race conference they host because I’m interested in what people […]
The Prosperity Call Let me give you some backstory. I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and even though there is a church on literally every corner, I was not raised as a Christian. Being young, angry and Black allowed me to fully embrace my disdain for the church. God saved me the summer before my […]
A few weeks ago, a new friend, Justin Fosu-Jones, introduced me to the story of Jordan and Jessica, who were widowed in their 20s and by God’s grace found each other. Their story has been covered by ABC News, Huffington Post, Daily News, and Essence to name a few. Jordan is actually a follower of […]
by Dr. Anthony Bradley I’m returning to a question I asked last summer but with a slightly different angle. Last summer, I asked what happened to popular Presbyterianism in a world where the Calvinist resurgence is almost entirely Baptist and non-denominational. In the 1980s and 1990s when I was first introduced to Reformed theology three names dominated […]
Since 2002, Jim Ward has been the Director of Music at New City Fellowship, a Reformed, multicultural congregation in Chattanooga Tennessee. Ward is a highly skilled musician with a love for God, a passion for sound theology, and a great respect for the musical expressions of other cultures. Add to that mix the chops to […]
All of Us, Not Just You and Me Dr. Anthony Bradley tackles: What does it mean to be made in the image of God? Who is made in the image of God? Is the image of God fully realized in one human being? INTERESTED IN MORE FROM DR. BRADLEY? WE RECOMMEND: Aliens in the […]
Seven years ago I walked onto the campus at Fuller Theological Seminary completely unaware of what to expect. I’d already gotten some ill-fated advice from others about my decision to attend seminary for my formal theological education. A black pastor who’d earned his Master of Divinity (M. Div.) told me, “I wouldn’t suggest you go […]
Several years ago, a friend of mine asked me for my opinion on a fiction manuscript. While I had many things to say about it, one of my comments stood out to me: “There was one thing I thought I’d mention, though there is really no need to address it. It’s a pet-peeve of mine, […]
I recently read my brother Odd Thomas’ blog entitled, “We are a Kanye,” which was written in response to Kanye West’s song, “I am a God.” I applaud Odd Thomas’ astute observation of the pervasiveness of idolatry in our hearts as well as the tendency to see ourselves as much further along than we actually […]
While many people are loyal to a single news outlet in their homes, my wife and I take in a considerable amount of daily news from a variety of viewpoints – domestic and foreign, liberal and conservative, and much more. A few nights ago, Fox News featured an audience of articulate African American citizens who […]
A word once spoken can never be taken back. So goes the old African proverb, wisdom no doubt gleaned from a lesson that was learned the hard way. Last week, we all watched the train wreck that resulted in Paula Deen’s removal from the Food Network. While Ms. Deen’s racial slurs were reprehensible and offensive, […]
The issue of inter-racial marriage has been getting a lot of press in Christian circles lately, which has got me thinking, ‘Why is this such a critical issue?’. I’d like to write from my point of view: the view of a recovering racist. Some Church History I grew up without overt or bigoted comments or […]
I named my hair Wild Mike. And that’s what we call him, whether he’s been recently tamed by the flat iron or has just been washed and is jutting away from my head in all of its stubbornly-straight-yet-wildly-frizzy glory. Though I’d been bereft of the “kiddie perm” (a slightly milder version of the sodium hydroxide […]
Today is Juneteenth. June 19, 1865 commemorates the day when the Emancipation Proclamation that declared all slaves free was announced to citizens in the state of Texas. Although the proclamation became official on January 1, 1863, it wasn’t until after the war ended that it had any real effects. Photo Credit: rollingout.com A Day of Freedom […]
Learn to love whether marriage is in view or not. “Look, I can testify about seeing something that isn’t there. You buy the off-brand crackerjacks and start chowing down with gusto, anxious for that prize. Halfway through, you realize they don’t taste just right, but you just keep eating. You’re sick before you realize the […]
What do you do when Father’s day hurts? What happens when our view of God is shaped more by a father figure who has harmed us than it is by God’s own self revelation? This father’s day, let’s wage a war against depression, anxiety, and despair by storing these precious truths into the treasury of […]
The importance of Fathers When we think of the word “father,” many thoughts flood our minds and many emotions fill our hearts. Some of us have amazing fathers who love us, care for us, provided discipline in our formative years and guidance as we got older. They are excellent models for us, holding together strength […]
