Black History Month, held each February, is a consecrated time on America’s calendar when we honor the sacrifices of our ancestors: the tireless efforts of women’s rights activists like Sojourner Truth, abolitionists like Frederick Douglass, thought leaders like W.E.B Du Bois, movement shakers like Martin Luther King Jr., and voting rights activists like Fannie Lou …
Continue reading Black Future Month: Why We Choose to Look Ahead
I was a junior in college the first time that I read Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life. The Young Adult group out of the church that I attended at the time jumped on the 40 days of purpose bandwagon and committed to changing our twentysomething, chaotic lives (and mine at least, was certainly chaotic). As …
I still remember the first time I left the United States for a country other than Canada. The year was 2000 and I had just finished the 11th grade. After getting through the Y2K craze that year and all of the fearmongering that went with it (whatever were we thinking), I decided that I wanted …
Continue reading Systemic Oppression: Understanding the Nature of Poverty in the U.S.
Have mercy on those who are suffering, have mercy on the persecuted, oppressed and marginalized. Have mercy on those who are targeted because of the color of their skin; have mercy on those who are profiled because of who they decide to pray to, disregarded because of who they love. Have mercy on those whose hopes …
Continue reading Have Mercy: A Prayer for Justice and Reconciliation
The following is the text of the sermon that I preached this morning for Race Relations Sunday. The Bible reading is out of Acts 19.1 - 7, which was one of the lectionary texts last week Sunday. If you would prefer to listen to the audio, click here. I have been walking with Christ for over …
Continue reading Race Relations Sunday: Have You Received Since You Believed?
In a little less than 24 hours, 2014 will be over. 2015 will be here. As I reflect over the last year, however, I honestly don't think that we are ready for it. We are not ready for 2015 because we still have not learned from the mistakes of 2014. We have not made much …
Continue reading Hitting the Reset Button on 2014 (Living More Peaceably in the Year to Come)
Ebony Johanna 