Tag: Advent
Tearing Down Christmas Lights: The Reason for the Season
Last Wednesday, protesters in downtown Chicago started pulling lights off the city’s newly-lit Christmas tree. Marching to decry the death of Laquan McDonald at the hands of the police, they broke t... Read More
Invoking The Power From Within During the Season of Advent
Patience is not a quality that I demonstrate very well, but I can respect the holy merit of patient waiting. Advent is the season where Christians wait, long, and prepare for the birth of their Messi... Read More
Marching as an Advent practice
Recently I traveled with a group from Christian Theological Seminary to Washington D.C. to join in the “Justice for All” march. It was truly inspiring to witness so many people from so many walks ... Read More
Let The Holidays Land Gently: An Open Letter to Those Struggling Through the Season
“I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.” —Hāfez of Shiraz This time of year, I often see messages and social media posts h... Read More
Advent, the Mason Jar Mentality & the War on Christmas
In the latest edition of the Journal of Interreligious Dialogue, I wrote an article describing the ways in which civil religions become actualized and operationalized in the American South. Through se... Read More
#WeCantBreathe and Advent
On Sunday, December 7, there was a message preached at the Memorial Church of Harvard University. It was an urgent and powerful call, and it affected each person who walked out of that morning worship... Read More
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel: Advent and Waiting, Part 2
We are immersed in Advent now – most American Christians have trees strung with lights, bedecked with baubles and handmade ornaments, and perhaps even an early wrapped present or two hiding beneath ... Read More
People Look East: Advent and Waiting Part 1
I come from a tradition in which waiting and anticipation are part of our worship calendar. As a Christian, I have entered the season of Advent – which literally means “coming” or “arriving.... Read More