Commentary
Reframing or Gaslighting: Perceptions of Christian Faith in Today’s Chaotic World
Some non-believers often become disappointed and frustrated when they ask Christians to help them understand their faith better or help with their doubts and are simply told “Oh, I’m so sorry, I’ll be praying for you” or “God is good.”
Trump and R. Kelly: Are Christian Values for Sale?
Maya Angelou famously said, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” That’s why some Christians stand by Trump and others love R. Kelly.
Let the Word Speak
Spoken word is a compelling alternative to hip-hop in the articulation of a Christian point of view.
How Maya Angelou made me feel
“I want to acknowledge how Maya Angelou made me feel as a young black American woman, and how those feelings have defined how I experience myself as a complete human being.”
Is this Kwanzaa’s Moment?
Could it be that the principles of Kwanzaa are more relevant now than ever as we struggle against renewed assaults on our very value, freedom, and right to exist?
How parenthood has changed the way I look at Joseph, Mary and Jesus
As Christmas approaches, many Christians will reflect on the Nativity, or birth of Jesus. But there are precious few details about the rest of his childhood in the New Testament. Some Christians today may wonder, what happened next?
Does Alice Walker have a Jewish problem?
You have to call out the anti-semitism of those who would otherwise be your allies. If you don’t, then you have allowed your politics to outweigh your morals.
The Brats of Christmas
What “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” teaches us about being true Christians — even when the Herdmans come to our church.
At least one person defends the Christmas Rush
One writer says activities in preparation for Christmas may not be as worldly or secondary as we might think.
Reuse or recycle your Christmas tree
All kinds of factors influence choices about Christmas trees. Regardless of your choice, the key to relieving environmental angst is planning to reuse or recycle your tree.
BLM, Social Movements, and the changing role of chaplains
Chaplains are increasingly present in social movements including Occupy, Black Lives Matter, and Standing Rock. They provide a steady presence to protesters grappling with existential questions amid deep tensions that characterize such situations.
Why We Must Wait: An Advent Reflection
With Advent upon us, it is time for us to reclaim, now more than ever, the discipline of waiting and delayed gratification.
The Me I See: My Race, My Faith, My Identity
“Are you brown all over?” The innocence of the question did nothing to prevent me from being flabbergasted. As I stared into the almost cartoon-sized blue eyes of this 4-year-old boy, compassion filled my heart. I simply smiled and replied, “Why yes, of course!” He...
Generosity: Going beyond the tithe
It isn’t by force or threat that we should approach generosity. It is with full conviction of who we are in Christ that we live generous lives. It goes far beyond one moment one day a week. It should bleed into our everyday lives.
50 years in, Chisholm’s historic victory offers inspiration
For inspiration and example, the list of winners that includes Ayanna Pressley, Lucy McBath, Jahana Hayes, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and others might want to learn from the lessons of Shirley Chisholm, who made history as the first African-American woman elected to Congress.
7 ways to teach civil discourse to students
A former middle school teacher offers a series of tips on how educators can teach young people to engage in more civil discourse.
Why are we STILL explaining that blackface is racist?
Once again, another racist incident about blackface has made headlines. This time it surrounds NBC host Megyn Kelly, who apologized both on air and in a memo to colleagues after her on-air comments defending racist Halloween costumes.
On The Pursuit of Kiki … and the Church
Leaning into the last quarter of the year, we won’t soon forget #summer18 as the time Drake and Kiki had us in our feelings. The Drake and Kiki dynamic is cute, but pales in stark comparison to the dynamic of Christ and his pursuit of the Church.
What does the Bible mean to Black millennials?
In our shifting religious landscape — one that largely does not formally hear and heed the voices of Black millennials — I’ve wondered how they value and engage Scripture as they flip the pages of the Bible or scroll the sacred text on smartphones.
White boys will be boys: Kavanaugh, #MeToo and race
Thursday’s drama on Capitol Hill and evangelical Christians’ responses to it reveals much about the racial problem at the heart of white conservative Christian America. In short, black boys can never simply be “boys.”
30 Years of Christians in Hip-Hop
A notable, special, and interesting collection of 30 rap songs by Christian artists, including a bunch of “honorable mention” titles.
Are today’s white kids less racist than their grandparents?
Over the course of two years, a sociologist studied a group of affluent, white kids to see how they made sense of sensitive racial issues like privilege, unequal opportunity and police violence.
Why black women’s experiences of #MeToo are unique
Any movement against sexual assault must take into account historical, state-sanctioned violence against black women in the US that goes back centuries.
Battle lines form over social justice: Is it gospel or heresy?
Christians, both as people of faith and citizens of this country, have pondered what to do in this current social climate.
Are You Afraid to Raise Your Voice?
Author Kathy Khang will motivate you to find your own personal voice for the good of the community and sharing God’s Word — particularly when race, ethnicity, and gender are at play.
We Need Servants of Peace, Not Soldiers of Fear
A broadened sense of fear can promote the tribal instinct to band together against a dangerous ‘Other.’
Difficult Conversations: Pregnancy, Childbirth Complications
Black mothers are three to four times more likely to die than white mothers in pregnancy and childbirth. The disparity has existed for decades. Women of varying ages open up about their experiences to address how the disparity has affected generations of black women — and even women in the same families.
A Giving Father
A personal tribute from a daughter about her selfless father, a man of unwavering faith who cared deeply for his family and ingrained a ministry of caring for others in his children.
Urban Faith Update: Kaepernick, Kavanaugh, and Christians
The latest relevant and stimulating conversations about today’s news, faith and culture.
Dangerous stereotypes stalk black college athletes
Brains vs. brawn: Does big-time college sports value black student-athletes?
PODCAST SHORT: Christians in SC can be a model for us
Dr. Melvin E. Banks has a biblically based, two-minute podcast short on how bitterness can rob us of peace.
LeBron James, Welfare King
With the I Promise School, LeBron James embodies the principle of engaging the welfare of a people.
Women athletes honor God with their bodies
For young women, a focus on physical discipline can be great practice for developing their spiritual discipline. A meditation on female athletes, the Olympic spirit, and our bodies as reflections of God’s glory.
From Fatherless to ‘Abba Father’
A son’s reflections on fatherhood, abandonment, and forgiveness.
The surprisingly beautiful Africa the media never shows you
When Motebang Moeketsi looks at his country, he sees the majesty of its mountains, the stillness of its rivers and the joy of its people. Moeketsi lives in Lesotho, a country that sits between the Drakensberg and Maloti mountain ranges and is surrounded by South...
Podcast Shorts: How Do People of Faith Address Violence?
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, the founder of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.), has biblically based, two-minute podcast shorts that cover injustice, gang violence, drug dealers, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
What Pastors Can Learn from Barbershops and Salons
Barbershops and salons are not just about style, but about creating sacred spaces that allow people to be themselves. Find out what pastors can learn from these spaces.
Millennials, Faith, and the Black Church
UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.) and Urban Faith led an open dialogue with millennial influencers on Millennials, Faith, and the Future of the Black Church at the 104th Hampton Minister’s Conference.
#HarveyTaughtMe Part 1: Storms and Skeptics
I have been working in the city of Houston since 2012 and in my five years of living in the state of Texas I never experienced a “real” hurricane making landfall—until Harvey. What our city experienced was something much more than any of us could have imagined, as so...
How to Avoid the Box of Limitation
We have been privileged to live in a generation that has mastered the art of multitasking, being able to do multiple things at the same time and excelling. You really have to, otherwise, life will pass you by. Sometimes the news changes so fast that if you wait too...
What’s Really Going On in Syria?
As an American, it is very difficult for me to understand the conflict in Syria; the depth of which encompasses hundreds of years of political and religious battle lines. Modern technology brings international attention to the plight of the citizens there. Images...
Flip The Script For An Invitation into Artistic Inclusion
So another Black History Month is here, and for artists, writers, musicians, and other creative types that hail from the Black community, it’s an opportunity that comes with a burden. February is a time when your workplace, school, or church might be more open to...
National Observance of Juneteenth is Still a Struggle
With the release of films such as 12 Years a Slave and The Birth of a Nation and the re-make of the "Roots" mini-series in 2016, we have seen our fair share of the history of black slavery. However, the past few years may have marked the beginning of a burgeoning...
Why Are We So Fascinated with the Illuminati?
We are fascinated with the Illuminati. If you have been following any celebrity of note, then you have to be familiar with the concept of the Illuminati. The secret society that controls the world from the shadows is supposedly filled with Black celebrities. Jay-Z,...
Inside the Prison Industrial Complex
An analysis of the prison industrial complex from the racial bias inherent in incarceration rates to exploitative labor practices and how the church should respond.
The Sex Slave Next Door
Human sex trafficking is harming women and children around the globe, but it’s also enslaving people in our own neighborhoods. Here’s what you need to know about a growing crisis.