“The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us.” – Walter Brueggemann During the summer months, my Church studied the minor prophets in order to be reoriented to what it means to restore our community (and world) with […]
Sitting with Loneliness
Recently, I bequeathed one of the very few prize heirlooms from our family – the McGee couch. For 20 years this extra long and extra wide plaid couch adorned either our game room, living room, or study. When my parents moved to a smaller house in the country, it ended up nearly consuming half my […]
Geti’s Story — Fleeing her Taliban Husband
Shrieks filled the air, followed by the occasional whimper and whine, as kids bounded unaware of each other around the Frankfurt park covered by a panoply of fully-leaved trees. Scrapped knees and bruised egos caused many kids to scamper back to their parents who were underneath the white tents outside the ice-cream shop. They would […]
Leon Bridges and Asad — A Middle Eastern’s Story of Forgiveness
(Italicized below are the lyrics to Leon Bridges’s song, “Lisa Sawyer.” As I went to a coffee shop in Europe to write this, the Ft. Worth native was gently singing about Lisa’s life and eventual encounter with Jesus. I couldn’t help but connect the lyrics, ever so loosley, to Asad’s story.) She was born in […]
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
For the past 10 years, I have been caught in between many worlds of the Christian faith. I grew up southern baptist; I worked at progressive non-denominational church; I went to a Catholic college; I have led trips for churches from the mainline denominations; I have friends in the Orthodox church; I am now an […]
My Displacement in Athens
After engaging in intensive and intentional ministry to the Syrian refugees in Jordan, I knew my opportunities to serve in Athens would look different. I arrived with some baseline expectations, though. I would work with Helping Hands, a 20+ year old refugee ministry, my first day, and an American church, serving all summer throughout Greece, […]
In Isa’s Name — Mohammed’s Story
We were caught in No Man’s Land. Men, pregnant women, and children were all on their hands and knees, crawling across the Jordan and Syrian wilderness as rebel bullets whizzed over our heads. We just had to reach the Jordanian military vehicles. If only we could get there, we would be safe. There is something […]
