Category: culture
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Glenn Beck Doesn’t Speak For Me. Or Does He?
By now Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally on Saturday is old news. The event has been sliced and diced every way possible. I have my own thoughts about the rally, especially the decision- foolish from my angle- to claim the date and location of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, but I’ll withhold…
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A Christian Response to Park 51?
I’d like to cautiously dip a toe into the controversial waters of Park 51 (formerly known as Cordoba House), the planned Islamic community center near the World Trade Center site in Manhattan. Not surprisingly, this has become an incredibly polarizing debate with politicking and posturing on all sides. At issue is whether it is appropriate…
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“Calling a white person a racist…”
Over at Urban Faith Edward Gilbreath has a great overview and reflection of the saga with Shirley Sherrod. As Ed points out, this story is significant not just for the grief suffered by Sherrod but also for what it exposes about race in America. In this case, the Tea Party, the NAACP and the Obama…
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Rage: The Ultimate Conversation Killer
There is little I find as satisfying as an hour or two of good conversation. Of course both talking and listening must be present for conversation to take place. One without the other may be necessary at times but certainly doesn’t qualify as conversation. I’m lucky enough to have friends who value ideas, thoughts and…
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Preaching on Independence Day
A question for those of you who attended a church service yesterday: Did any elements of the worship service- the songs, sermon, announcements, prayers- acknowledge Independence Day? Did these elements, or lack thereof, seem like an appropriate way to recognize the nation’s most significant holiday while still maintaining the distinction of a Christian worship service?…
David W. Swanson 