“Surprised” doesn’t quite cover it when explaining the response of the 396 men graduating from Morehouse earlier this month. Robert F. Smith, during his commencement speech, calmly let the class know he was “going to put a little fuel in their bus” and would be covering their entire student loan debt. Just watch this video to hear what …
Grounded and Rooted
Our creation account in Genesis, familiar as it may be to us, hinges on the reality that God created the first person from the dust of the ground. This given name, Adam, is itself derived from the Hebrew word adamah, or ground. We now understand that each day this earth receives over 60 tons of cosmic dust which …
Called to Be Neighbors and Witnesses
They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. Jeremiah 17:8 (NRSV) Rootedness is an essential character of the Christian life. At Paul Huffman’s funeral I shared that his life was one of intense rootedness, spending most of his 97 years right here in this zip code. For …
Seeing Things Again for the First Time
In the days of daguerrotypes sitting for a portrait was a rare and special occasion. Film cameras, Polaroids, disposable cameras, One Hour Photos and the rest democratized taking pictures through the 20th century and increased our willingness to capture a given moment, sure, but digital photography truly changed things. With digital photography and, particularly, internet-connected …
Just Keep Swimming
The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back …