How green funeral and burial practices can be part of the Black Church tradition, aesthetics, and sensitivity to ecological justice By Sequola Collins Funeral rites and rituals are of great importance to the Black Church, and Black Church funerals, for most spiritual and practical purposes, have been exempt from adaptation…

The Racial Wealth Gap and the Case for Reparations By Christopher S. Campbell Imagine two groups playing a game of Monopoly. The first group makes several fruitful trips around the board and amasses an enormous amount of wealth, enabling them to purchase Park Place and Boardwalk and to build several…

Now it’s time to speak out against hate and stand up for each other By Daniel Lee Bright yellow mustard spread on two slices of white bread. Or perhaps rice with a little bit of sesame oil mixed with some ramen seasoning packets. Ask any immigrant child, and they will…

By Norbert Wilson I raise the morsel of bread, the host. Looking into the expectant eyes, I state: “The body of Christ, broken for you.” Laying the crumby bread into the bowl-shaped hands, I smile. For a brief moment our hands touch. Then, almost reflexively, the recipient scoops the morsel…

The Lenten invitation to healing and community By Katherine H. Smith It seems hard to believe that we are already deep into the season of Lent. In a typical year, this might have been a time to pause in our hectic lives. Slow down a little. Be a bit more…

Bigger than my fear of all that is shifting in this difficult year is the fear that, when everything is said and done, all will be the same. By Jerusha Matsen Neal “I will tell you a mystery … the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable…

Our response to the challenges of our time should be centered in the story of the gospel By L. Gregory Jones I have been reflecting on two novels, one of which has stayed with me since its publication three decades ago, the other of which I just read a couple…

White followers of Jesus must live in keeping with the gospel story and oppose the persistent, systemic racism in American society By J. Ross Wagner On June 1, during a speech in the Rose Garden, President Donald Trump proclaimed himself “your president of law and order, and an ally of all peaceful protesters.” Meanwhile, outside the White House, officers in riot gear backed by mounted police used smoke canisters, pepper balls…

By Sujin Pak Imagine that the world as you have known it has ceased to be. Imagine that the logic with which you approached your life now no longer seems to hold. …