America – The Roofless Church

A Conversation Among Equals: The Importance of De-ranking Conversations

January 23, 2021

The fact is that, whether we intend them to or not, most of our conversations happen in frameworks that are upheld by socially accepted ranking systems. And, when conversations happen in a context where someone holds a perceived “higher ranking”, it is virtually impossible to have the conversations we need to move our society forward into an age of cooperation and compatibility. … More A Conversation Among Equals: The Importance of De-ranking Conversations

Can We Just Agree on What the Issue is?

November 8, 2020

Two weeks before the election, I was blessed to participate in a Living Room Conversation with people from across the political spectrum to promote post-election peace. Wherever you are, I encourage you to take part in opportunities like this to help us fulfill the vision of a nation where liberty and justice for all is … More Can We Just Agree on What the Issue is?

The Curious Case of Mohamed Noor

September 25, 2020

Remember when Mohamed Noor was convicted of murder when he mistakenly shot Justine Ruszczyk. I knew he was going to go down because of how it is. And notice that I didn’t define “it”. Because most of us who have to live with “it” know how “it” is. That’s why even though they say their … More The Curious Case of Mohamed Noor

If I Die Before I Wake – A Reflection on the Regal Nature of Chadwick Boseman

August 31, 2020

I can’t stop thinking about Chadwick Boseman. He’s been on my mind so much that I caught myself shaking my head in the gym on the edge of tears. Now if you know me, you know that this isn’t characteristic of me. So, I had to examine why I was taking this so hard. Even … More If I Die Before I Wake – A Reflection on the Regal Nature of Chadwick Boseman

What We Can Learn From George Floyd’s Death

May 30, 2020

When we realize how much we’ve been failing each other as we have in the wake of the death of George Floyd, we tend to try to close our hearts. We lock ourselves away from the pain by getting into old patterns of thinking. But as Winston Churchill said when he borrowed from George Santayana, … More What We Can Learn From George Floyd’s Death

Society Unmasked

April 5, 2020

After posting this, a friend sent me this piece from The Boston Globe: Additional articles that you may want to reflect on: Black Miami doctor handcuffed while helping homeless during pandemic By Cynthia Silva Why some people of color say they won’t wear homemade masks By Fernando Alfonso III

State of Confusion 2020

February 17, 2020

Sometimes I feel actual physical discomfort when I think about the decisions that are before our world over the next generation or so. I’m the type of person who will choose to try and see where other people are coming from almost to the degree of great emotional risk. I have listened to people of … More State of Confusion 2020

Stop In the Name of Love

August 29, 2019

If you had the power to end all of the violence in the world with a single action, would you do it? I imagine that most of us would say that of course we would. No one wants violence, right? It is just an unfortunate deterrent that we must use to prevent greater violence from … More Stop In the Name of Love

How Am I Supposed To Feel? (After Another Shooting)

May 8, 2019

Last night when I put my daughter to bed, she told my wife and me that she didn’t want us to worry about her being shot at school. We don’t either. When she said this, I felt my heart breaking and it took almost everything out of me to keep my mind from descending into … More How Am I Supposed To Feel? (After Another Shooting)

Communicating to Death (or some better title)

May 7, 2019

“Urkel is dead and I can’t breathe.” Those were the words Oprah spoke to the interviewer when they asked her about one of the most recent casualties of a senseless shooting. I couldn’t breathe either. How could Urkel be gone? He held the hopes of so many of us. He had achieved the dream and … More Communicating to Death (or some better title)

The Roofless Church

Let Your Light So Shine

Category: America