Symbols have long been important for religious and spiritual reflection. These symbols have been employed to provide greater understanding to transcendent truths, to provide comfort amid chaos, and to inspire the faithful to put their faith to action towards the common good. Many times, these symbols have emerged from rather...

My only son turned five years old last week. He is a handsome, articulate, energetic, intelligent, fun-loving and gentle young man. He is the apple of my eye!

There's only one problem; he is Black.

And as his father, I am challenged to do for him what generations of...

Many historians suggest that at least three decades must elapse before one can rightly discern the enduring legacy of an emerging trend or historical occurrence. Having now crossed the thirty year old threshold, I have recently given much thought to the lived-in realities that define my generation, and even the...

Last Sunday, I encountered an unusual blessing; human excrement adorning the cold morning pavement. I did not, however, receive it initially as the great blessing that it was.

As I arrived to church early Sunday morning, I noticed that our dumpster had been disturbed. This is not...

One of the most highly anticipated births in recent memory has now taken place. Shawn Carter, better known by his rap pseudonym, Jay-Z, and Beyonce Knowles have given birth to their first child, a daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, who entered the world weighing seven pounds on Saturday, January 7th at...

The darkest day on the American calendar is aptly named Black Friday.

No other day so vividly captures the travesty that is the American consumer culture. In recent years, Black Friday has wrought in-store fights and has left dozens injured or trampled to death as crowds are moved into...

Few artistic expressions possess as much personal meaning for me as The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Anytime I listen to the album, I am transported back in time, back to my college years, back to the blossoming of new love (When dating my wife, our first song was "Nothing Even...

Last Sunday, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial was formally dedicated on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Thousands bore witness to the dedication of the first memorial to a non-U.S. President and the first to an African American on the National Mall. A tremendous debt of gratitude is owed...

I will never forget the moment that I saw my daughter's heart beating inside her chest.

Two years ago, an equality of estrogen and testosterone returned to our expanding household with the birth of our beautiful daughter. Several months prior to her birth, during a prenatal visit to the...

I did not watch the fight.

After a week in attendance at a conference, I was seeking to relax quietly at home. Then social media went abuzz. An on-line debate concerning sportsmanship began to blaze across my screen; an intense, polarizing debate.

Curious as to the impetus for...

On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, I was a senior political science and religious studies double major at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. I was anxiously anticipating the completion of my senior year so that I could begin seminary. Still inspired by my previous month's travel to England to attend...

I love hip-hop!

I love hip-hop music. I love hip-hop fashion. I love hip-hop culture. A multi-racial, multi-lingual, international phenomenon, hip-hop is arguably the most significant cultural and artistic movement of the last forty years.

I am a proud member of the hip-hop generation, defined by Bakari Kitwana,...

Seven years ago this Sunday, I stood at the foot of the hallowed altar of a stunningly beautiful chapel donning tails, anxiously peering down a seemingly endless aisle, greatly anticipating the swinging forth of towering doors and the grand entrance of my bride. Today, my memory recalls many snapshots of...

An unexpected day's delay in recent airline travel provided an experiential backdrop that gave insight into the ineffectiveness of zero tolerance policies in public education. Scheduled for a 12:45pm departure, my plane was grounded due to a door malfunction. I rescheduled my flight for departure the next morning. This...

Or, People's Instinctive Travels and The Paths of Rhythm

Last month, I was honored to share both time and sacred space with young seminarians recently awarded the prestigious Ministry Fellowship from the Fund for Theological Education (FTE) in Atlanta, Ga. I was privileged to return to this familiar setting having...