Do we know him? I did, and feel that we are missing a huge chunk of his purpose and meaning. In my view the celebrity side largely misses the point of his life. He stood among us as a real person.

This notion that God caused this earthquake as a good thing for the people of Haiti is troubling theology. Where is that "good thing" in the midst of the suffering?

Anyone who has lived or worked in Haiti for any length of time is bound to be asked if Haiti is hopeless. That will certainly be the case this week, when Haitians commemorate the second anniversary of the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake.

Hope, as theologian N.T. Wright says, "is a mode of knowing, a mode within which new things are possible, options are not shut down, new creation can happen."

Within this text of love and support for a child, we unmistakably hear the note of justice sounded clearly. Indeed the rising and falling of many has and will occur in terms of their treatment of children.

This Christmas swords continue to clang in Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Congo -- and plowshares seem to continue to be few in too many places.

Jesus was born into the same world that you and I live in today. Jesus was born to a broke teenage mother. He was born into an occupied nation ruled by outsiders.

An occupation of diversity and of transformation is an occupation and a vocation for which we are born, which is to be in communion with all things and each other through love.

Why are so many of those who believe what I believe homophobes? And more importantly, what is a reasonable response to those who serve the poor, hungry, homeless and mentally ill, but hate the gays?

I am afraid the baby Jesus gets the short end of the stick during the holidays. Given it is his birthday, don't you think he should be on the list?

DEPEW, N.Y. -- Dozens of congregants at a western New York church received a little something extra while attending services this past weekend. Envel...

I want us to get preoccupied with economic justice. I don't think we can rest until everyone has enough.

I made it a point to be with Occupy Wall Street for a time. With my sign -- "I AM in the 1% PLEASE TAX ME!" -- I asked if I could join the others with signs. They welcomed me.

This is a holy struggle, but it is not the one that the Pat Robertsons and Jerry Falwells would have you believe in. Our enemy is not the poor, but poverty; it is not homosexuality, but homophobia.

The Book of Joshua chronicles the way in which the land given by God has been taken by Israel. And now there are decisions to be made of life-or-death proportion concerning life in the new land.

From its foundations the American dream has trumpeted the equality of all humanity. Yet, all the while, our economic system has prioritized the "equality" of some while blocking its realization among others.

There's a verse in Proverbs that speaks to this kind of moment in the movement's story. I learned it in the Baptist traditions as, "Without a vision, the people will perish."

In God's economy, a faithful coalition of people can have a greater impact toward a more just society when they pool resources, enact strategies, build bridges and challenge the status quo.

One would think that people who insist on being monotheistic would be the first in line to walk across the artificial boundaries created by nation states, class systems, cultures and even religions. But often they are the last!

In Luke's story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus makes clear that his disciples must not spurn the poor and the injured, they must not pass by those requiring healing and assistance.

For Christians, supporting the Occupy America protests should be clear-cut. The protesters are lifting up principles of compassion, justice and love. These principles are central to the Christian faith.

Much in this country's political landscape has centered on equal access and opportunity for all. First century C.E. New Testament literature points to similar struggles.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." --Matthew 13:44

Troy Davis issued a statement this morning saying, "I will not stop fighting until I've taken my last breath." What Troy knows is that all of us still have the power to choose life.

If America is to truly be guided by Christian values, Christians would do well to vote for those who actually practice what they preach.