The question that follows me as I move through the world as an African American Anglican priest, who identifies deeply with Black culture, is how did such an anomaly occur? How did I move from the Black Baptist tradition of my childhood to a form of ancient Christianity as mediated initially through the Church of … Continue reading Black and Anglican: A Maundy Thursday Conversion Story
(Editor's note: This was a sermon based on Romans 12:1–9.) Alabama In middle school during black history month we would watch these videos called Eyes On the Prize and make posters lauding black achievement. There were posters about George Washington Carver and his varied uses of the peanut. Alongside Carver, one might find Harriet Tubman … Continue reading The Church as Witness and Protest: A Call to a Faithful Response to Charlottesville
photo credit In the providence of God, he allowed his people to experience an extended period of slavery. This slavery was no passing trial to be endured and forgotten. It marked them and undergirded their ethical reasoning. God called upon his people to remember: Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels … Continue reading The Slave, the Foreigner, and the Compassion of Israel
In the wake of the recent election, I have seen many Christians quote the biblical command to respect authority and pray for the leaders that God has placed over us. Two texts have been prominent in this admonition: Romans 13:1–3 and 1 Timothy 2:1–2. They read: Let every person be subject to the governing … Continue reading The New Testament and Public Criticism of Politicians
