Opinions, essays, and reflections on politics, faith, and culture
Last month I enjoyed a fun Memorial Day parade in my hometown of Newburgh, NY. I expected the procession to include a lot of flags, police cars, marching bands, and fire engines—and it did. More surprising to me however, were the large number of Latino evangelicals present in the parade, and particularly the prominent blending … Continue reading “What Critics Often Get Wrong About Christian Nationalism”
A few weeks ago I wrote about the importance of communal repentance, particularly as we work against idolatry, nationalism, and racism. Now, I want to give a concrete example of what a modern-day act of communal repentance might look like; not just a performative act but one that takes ownership of the past and seeks … Continue reading “A case study of a church doing the work of communal repentance”
[Originally published on my old blog on April 25, 2011, this essay was written partially in response to a class assignment. I have reposted it here without edits.] Yesterday I was sitting in the Piazza del Duomo in Milan, Italy. It was a warm and lively evening, as hundreds of people milled about with their … Continue reading “Race, Patriotism, and the Nation State”
One of the most common metaphors throughout the Bible is that of shepherds (political and religious leaders) who are in charge of the sheep (AKA the common people). Throughout the Hebrew scriptures, God continually calls out the bad shepherds that are misleading and mistreating the people under them, while trying to put into place good … Continue reading “Bad Shepherds”