I want to consider some cautiously good news today. The good news is that certain cultural, political, international, and legal guardrails are holding against Donald Trump and his government right now. Democratic resilience is appearing from three directions at once: institutional resistance, civic mobilization, and international democratic solidarity. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new […]
The Guardrails Preserving Our Democracy
It is both a blessing and a curse to be an American in Amsterdam tonight. On the one hand, it is a blessed escape. On the other hand, people look at you with worry and pity. On the one hand, being in a context where politics is more or less normal is comforting. On the
An American Ponders the Meaning of “A Whole Civilization Will Die Tonight.”
My Devotional and Prayer in Atlanta, March 9, 2026 Today, I had the rare privilege of serving as Chaplain of the Day for the Georgia House of Representatives, an invitation initiated by Rep. Sam Park, who introduced me very kindly. It was truly an honor to serve in this role, and an eye-opening experience to
A Word to the Georgia House of Representatives
Note: This statement was released today in the US. I was one of the 300+ original signatories. Check it out at: https://acalltochristians.org/ A Call to Christians in a Crisis of Faith and Democracy. Why We Write There are moments that call for repentance and resistance, courage and conviction, faith and fortitude. This is one of
A Clarion Call to US Christians
Note: I preached this sermon today at Towne View Baptist Church, Kennesaw, Georgia. Text (NRSVue) 15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with
Note: A slightly longer version of this talk was presented on Friday night, 19 September, at a conference in Hamburg, Germany called the Entscheidungschristentum (“Decision Christianity”) Conference. The title in the German program was: “Believers Churches als Auslaufmodell ? – Eine amerikanische Perspektive,” which translates as “Believers Churches as an Obsolete Model? An American Perspective.” INTRODUCTION Greetings
A Sermon on Luke 4:16-30 and Isaiah 61 Note: I wrote this sermon and preached it with (this was a participatory congregation!) the lovely Edgewood Church, in Atlanta, on Sunday, 23 March, the 3rd Sunday of Lent. The Luke 4 text was selected by the pastors of the church. Luke 4:16-30 16 When he came
How Jesus Subverted Nationalist Religion and Almost Got Himself Killed
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain went to Munich on September 29, 1938 for a last-ditch peace conference with Adolf Hitler. The issue was Hitler’s demand for the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia as the price for Germany not invading. With the Czech government refused admittance to the conference room within which its survival was being debated, British
Winston Churchill on Appeasement: In Honor and in Defense of Ukraine
The Moment We Have Been Preparing For Note: On January 26, 2025, I had the special privilege of offering the closing keynote address at the Q Christian Fellowship conference in Atlanta. This organization describes its mission as follows: “cultivating radical belonging for LGBTQ+ Christians and allies.” Below is the text of my Sunday morning address, which followed
Closing Address, Q Christian Fellowship Conference, Atlanta
WHERE I WAS BEFORE 5 NOVEMBER 2024 The election results came as a shock and great disappointment to me and many academics (of course, not all!). While we knew that Trump could win, I now see some of us were self-soothing by screening out information that we did not like. My favorite pacifiers were the
Final Reflections on the Lessons of 2024