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essay

A collection of 19 issues

The Forgotten Story of Two Public Lynchings

I did some research during our short stay in Springfield, MO this week. I jotted down a few thoughts about a significant, yet buried bit of history I discovered: On Saturday, April 14, 1906, two young black men were lynched in the public square downtown Springfield, MO. Executed for a

Exposing the Invisible Contract That Underlies Racism in America

The morning of the day George Floyd was murdered, an encounter between a man watching birds and a woman walking her dog in Central Park (NYC) turned hostile. His name is Christian Cooper. Her name is Amy Cooper. No relation. If you missed this story in the news, read Christian’

George Floyd Is the American Story We All Need to Learn

In the aftermath of the horrific murder of George Floyd, I have been praying and processing a lot of thoughts. So far, I’ve come to this: We have a lot to learn. We have a lot to learn about America, about the black experience in America, about each other.

We Suffer and We Dance.

*I wrote this unfinished essay on January 1, 2020, days before I went on a writing hiatus. In light of everything that has transpired so far this year, I felt this was worth publishing. I’ll come right out with it. There is no such thing as “the best year

Be Careful Not To Spoil Your Own Fruit

A vignette from the gospel of Matthew. // The tree wasn’t dead. For some reason it was more alive than it should have been. So early in the season, no one would have expected a fig tree to be in leaf. But it was. Chock-full of veiny, hand-shape foliage. So

Justice, Mercy, and the Court of Public Opinion

A young man, likely a teenager, on the witness stand addressing the felon who has just been sentenced to ten years in prison for murdering his brother under suspicious circumstances. He is saying things like “I love you” and “I don’t want you to go to jail” and “give

Stop Being Yourself, Your Personality Might Betray You

Remember high school yearbooks? I’m convinced you do. I’m convinced you have a few packed away in a closet, basement or attic right this moment. And I’m convinced that if you cracked them open you’d see heartfelt scribbles from people you can hardly remember now telling

Learning the Scent of Living Water

Read these words of a man name Job who had just lost everything he loved. His life had crumbled to the ground, and in his hopelessness he exclaimed: “Even a tree has more hope! If it is cut down, it will sprout again and grow new branches. Though its roots

Forsaking Fig Leaves: On Sin and Creativity

There is no question that we were created to create. To reflect God’s creative power and wisdom. Speaking life and justice and truth into the world through our words. Expressing love and beauty through the work of our hands. We are engineers. We are medical professionals. We are parents.