An Awkward Jacob’s Ladder
Jacob left Beersheba and went to Haran. He came to a certain place and camped for the night since the sun had set. He took one of the stones there, set it under his head and lay down to sleep. And he dreamed: A stairway
Category Archives: Society
The Comfort of Fundamentalisms
There’s a real comfort in being fundamentalist. And disturbing that comfort invokes a protective response that tells us that the depth of the appeal of whatever fundamentalism is involved serves a purpose that has little to do with the kind of doctrines to which a
Hong Kong: Why Injustice There is a Threat to Justice Everywhere
Hong Kong and Birmingham Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s fight for justice brought him into direct collision with various local governments who characterized his brand of nonviolent direct action as “outsiders coming in.” He pushed back against this viewpoint most eloquently in his 1963 “Letter
If Just This One Idea About Manhood Is Changing, There’s Hope
It was a competitive nine-year-olds’ baseball game. Grandson’s team was in the process of experiencing their first loss of what was so far an eight-game season. Watching a grandson thrive as a truly self-motivated, avid – and grampa would add gifted – baseball player who
Is There Room in Our Encounter for a Conversation or Not?
To say that the country is polarized is hardly news — especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ equality. It’s also not news that arguments with those who still want to deny full equality to LGBTQ+ people rarely hinge on facts. The president has even made
Stop Making the Bible Be an Excuse for LGBTQ+ Discrimination
The Bible is just an old, old book sitting on a bookshelf. Well, really, it’s a collection of old books from different times and places that’s more an anthology of writings originally written in different languages. Sometimes people do read it, but most often they
A 30-Day Riot of Love
My calendar this morning reminded me that we’re almost halfway through June 2020, perhaps the strangest Pride Month in LGBTQ+ history. Am I the only one for whom the last three months of sheltering in place feels as if it’s both the longest and shortest
Letters to Home: This New Normal Is Anything But
Dear Bro, I have put so many letters together to send to you in my head, but none have made it to paper until now. I have seen so much on Facebook these days — people trying to keep everyone home safe, entertained, challenged to
Of Pandemics, Social Distancing, and Hugs
For those of us who are old enough and were somewhat “woke” back then, the COVID-19 pandemic invokes hidden emotions that remind one of the painful early years of the AIDS crisis. There are differences, certainly, because this pandemic is directly affecting a broader demographic,
Love in a Time of Panic: God is Greater Than This Virus
For those who are or will be impacted by the coronavirus — either physically or economically, directly or indirectly — mine and the Whosoever staff’s prayers go out to you. This is a difficult, challenging and frightening time for all. Support from our friends and