Commentary - Urban Faith

A Call to Black Leaders to Condemn Anti-Semitism

COMMENTARY: If he were alive, Martin Luther King, Jr. would call upon the moral leaders of the Black community to lift their voices in support of our Jewish brothers and sisters, a community from out of the trauma of the Holocaust understood persecution and hate and stood with the Black community during the Civil Rights Movement. I know because I was there.

What is Kwanzaa Really About?

Perhaps you may attend a Kwanzaa celebration at your church or even participate in Kwanzaa in the comforts of your own home, but do you really know why? What is Kwanzaa and why do so many African Americans choose to celebrate the holiday?

Do you eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day?

Don't see the audio player? Click here.Many Southerners and African Americans eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. Down South, African Americans often ate them because they were cheap and filling. Some believed they offered hope of freedom or prosperity...

Reflections of Christmas Past and Present

“I may not understand His thoughts or His ways, I will not lean to my own understanding; I will trust Him in all that I do. I hope the Christmas season brings you as much joy as it brings me. And always remember: Jesus is the reason for the season!”

Commentary: “Advent-ually” Christ will return and make all things new

As we begin this Advent season, Pastor Chris Armfield shares some hopeful reminders to Christians who are weary and find themselves struggling will loneliness, anxiety, and fear.

Who’s an evangelical and who gets to decide?

COMMENTARY: Virtually every week we get another story of how evangelicals love President Trump, no matter what he does. Pundits likewise offer much analysis of the reasons for evangelicals’ undying fidelity. But the idea that Fox News-watching religious Republican voters are a stand-in for all evangelicals is ludicrous.

10 Commandments of Social Media for Christians

How should you engage the “clap back” and “cancel culture” world of social media? Here are “10 Commandments” of social media for Christians.

The Reconciliation Supper Club

For ten years we broke bread regularly across racial lines, and it changed us forever.

Fatherlessness Is Not Fatal

Despite what experts tell us about the devastating effects of absentee dads, growing up without an earthly father does not have to be a death sentence or a ticket to delinquency. The real danger lies in forgetting our heavenly Father.

Teaching hope during the 2020 campaign season

Election campaigns inspire hope, but they can also quickly lead to political despair. A scholar says young citizens can learn how to take positive action and stay hopeful.

From a black male teacher: Don’t make me the default disciplinarian

Through all of the laughs, head-shaking moments, phone calls home, and “come to Jesus” conversations to come, I grew into my role. It was a combination of teacher, mentor, cheerleader, father figure, critic, guidance counselor, advocate, and even social worker.

Rosy Image of US Equality Glosses Over Systemic Racism

Dr. Tsedale Melaku talks about race relations in America today, the Black Lives Matter movement and the stereotypes that still engulf the question of race.

How a courtroom ritual of forgiveness absolves white America

The show of grace and forgiveness toward Guyger, like those before it, requires that we ask some hard questions. What if “grace” and “forgiveness” and their compulsory racialized performance are part of what makes this anti-black world keep on ticking?

Halloween and the Holy Ghost

Is it a foolish glorification of all things wicked and evil, or just a fun holiday that celebrates the adrenaline rush of being scared and collecting tons of candy? Is there a right choice for Christians?

What the Story of Cyntoia Brown Should Teach Us

In his book “Restored at the Root,” Bishop Joseph W. Walker III of Mt. Zion Baptist Church wrote about what Americans — and the church — can learn from stories like Brown’s.

What did church teach the students posing in front of Emmett Till’s marker?

The young men may not go to church. They may not even be Christians. But in an area known as the “Bible Belt” the cultural influence of Christianity is strong. How the church influences the racial understanding of white Christians deserves probing.

The Marathon

COMMENTARY: It can be an eerie feeling to see everyone around you accomplish the same goals that you have for yourself. But I’ve come to accept that everyone’s race is different, and people don’t achieve things at the same time.

Donor-funded journalism is on the rise in Africa: why it needs closer scrutiny

Western aid has resulted in an Anglo-American culture of journalism education, which has proven impractical to implement in African countries with nonliberal political regimes.

Seeing Jesus in the Migrants at the Border

COMMENTARY: Jesus sees all of the crowds of migrants, harassed and helpless and fleeing from a home where they are no longer safe to journey to a place they have never been. He wants us to see them, too.

Why Christians must support religious freedom for everyone

The fundamental human right of religious freedom is under attack around the globe today like never before. While this disturbing trend should concern everyone, it should be particularly alarming for Christians, because a Christian worldview requires us to care about religious freedom — including the religious freedom of others.

Frederick Douglass, July 4th, and remembering Babylon in America

Frederick Douglass used the words of Psalm 137 in his famous speech, ‘What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?’ For centuries, this poem has resonated with writers and composers on how humans deal with trauma.

A Father’s Day Reflection: Nobody Throws a Parade for the Bad Guy

Nobody will admit it, but everybody needs someone to tell him or her the truth to their faces without blinking. No matter how hard or harsh that truth may be it must be told. So be Dad. In the midst of those that would kill the messenger, be Dad.

What veterans’ poems can teach us about healing on Memorial Day

Memorial Day may have “official” roots honoring Union dead, but veteran poets of recent wars have found ways to honor all those who have died in battle.

Hip-hop’s mourning for Nipsey Hussle shows beauty can be found in brokenness

“Central to hip-hop culture and community is the violent context and the resilient life that survives within it. The pairing of difficulty and survival is the history of hip-hop.” — Jonathan Brooks, pastor of Canaan Community Church in Chicago

God’s Gift of Being Your Mother

COMMENTARY: I am not a biological mother, but I have mothered so many children throughout my life. My life has not played out the way I planned it, but it has worked out exactly as God has planned it.

The Mother of All Gifts

Flowers, candy, and cards are nice, but for moms, the best Mother’s Day gifts of all are the people who make us mothers.

Time to straighten out our Jericho Road

When Jesus wanted to teach a lawyer the universal truth about what it means to be a neighbor, He told a story about a man from one ethnic group who helped a man from another ethnic group who had been beaten and left for dead along the Jericho Road.

Modesty in the Church

Just how far Is too far this summer?

At The Cross

A deeply personal commentary on working through life’s challenges, deciding what to leave at the foot of the cross, and focusing on God’s plan for your life.

The Jilted Lover: A Reflection on the Sacrifice and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the Infamous Easter Bunny

Many Christians will dedicate ample time preparing to spend enormous resources on physical items with far less thought of the spiritual restoration that this season should resonate for all.

REFLECTION: Liturgy in the public square

Moving outside the confines of a church building allows us to remember profoundly the experience of Jesus and his followers on the streets of Jerusalem, in the upper room, before the councils of church and state, and on the road to Calvary. And we come to understand more fully Christ’s gift of vulnerability to us all.

Why Easter is called Easter, and other little-known facts about the holiday

A scholar explains the rich historical roots of Easter and how it has evolved over the centuries.

When It is Not Well With My Soul

COMMENTARY: When I find myself in a funk, here’s what I do to surrender the weight of what I’m carrying and genuinely leave it at His feet.

From black megachurch to big screen: Another team of brothers directs new movie

The movie, which focuses on the need for forgiveness and on welcoming people frowning church elders considered undesirable, was presented last year at several film festivals, including the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Can Science and Faith Co-Exist?

What happens when scientific discoveries clash with your beliefs? Discoveries and theories in regards to evolution, cloning, and astronomy may seem to come into conflict with classical interpretations of the Bible.

Trump signed Bibles. Heresy? Many religious leaders say no

President Donald Trump was just doing what he could to raise spirits when he signed Bibles at an Alabama church for survivors of a tornado outbreak, many religious leaders say, though some are offended and others say he could have handled it differently.

When Lenten fasting is indistinguishable from a New Age cleanse

Increasingly, the popular concept of Lent has been transformed into a kind of vaguely theistic detox. It’s a chance not to give up earthly pleasures but to exorcise toxins.

Rev. Yearwood and the Hip Hop Caucus Not Missing a Beat

With the 2020 presidential campaign season kicking in, Urban Faith reached out to Rev. Yearwood to chat about social justice, Christianity, and his spiritual journey to fighting for underserved communities.

‘Black Panther’ and its science role models inspire more than just movie awards

The film wowed critics and fans. But its hidden power may be black lead characters who are accomplished scientists – just the thing to help inspire future generations to follow in their footsteps.

There are no real evangelicals. Only imagined ones.

Is evangelicalism a theological category? A consumer culture? A white religious brand? A diverse, global movement? What if the answer is “all of the above”?

Return looted artifacts made by brilliant African cultures

European museums are under mounting pressure to return the irreplaceable African artifacts plundered during colonial times. Restitution is long overdue.

We need more biblical literacy in America

President Trump has embraced proposals in six states to offer classes in biblical literacy. Let me state, at the outset, that this is a bad idea — in practical terms, and for political reasons. Having said that, let me also say that America needs more biblical literacy.

How to have productive disagreements about politics and religion

In the current polarized climate, it’s easy to find yourself in the midst of a political disagreement that morphs into a religious argument. People’s religious affiliation predicts their stances on abortion, immigration and other controversial topics, and disagreements about these issues can seem intractable.

Evangelical Christians need an exit ramp from Trumpism

I have opposed evangelical Trumpism from the beginning. Some of those supporters are members of my own family. As long as there is a chance for decency and honor to prevail, I will make the case to them. I will not give up on my family, just as I will not give up on my country.

Laquan McDonald: Forgive, Don’t Forget, and Then Fight

I'm in Chicago and we're reeling over a judge who acquitted three Chicago police officers of trying to cover up the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald. It's hard not to feel some kind of way (insert eye roll here), even though officer Jason Van Dyke was convicted last...