In a season of polarizing political rhetoric, with deliberate distortion and exaggeration the order of the day, people of faith are called to seek higher ground. We ought to move into authentic dialogue, and work on our individual and collective ability to listen to one another.

It is in this...

I was a teenager when the rock 'n' roll "documentary" Spinal Tap premiered. Like many in my generation, I love the scene when Spinal Tap member Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) proudly shares with reporter documentarian Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) that the band's special amp has dials that go up to...

Fraud is a strong word. Webster's defines fraud as deceit and trickery, and an "intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another person to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right." Fraud is a serious matter.

The word "fraud" is now on billboards around Ohio....

Turn on your television or radio in Ohio today and what do you hear? Commercials and political commentary filled with raised voices, angry voices, cynical voices and acidic voices. The prevailing wisdom is that the best way to win the day and win this election is by destroying the other....

A few weeks ago I had the great privilege to help launch a new faith organizing initiative in my home state: Ohio Prophetic Voices (OPV). Over the two-day event, over 150 clergy and faith leaders, including African Americans and Caucasians, Catholics, Presbyterians, and Evangelicals, participated in a call for Christians...

As a new board member of Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ), I'm pleased to share the following letter approved by the IWJ board last week:

To Whom Much Is Given, More is Required:
An Open Letter to the One Percent

During this time of financial crisis and economic...

On Oct. 5, 2011, the United States stopped to remember the life and accomplishments of Steve Jobs. Retrospectives on the brilliant Apple co-founder filled the airwaves and overloaded Twitter. A few hours before I learned of Jobs' death, while at a gathering at a church in Cleveland to work against...

We live in a world of competing values: greed vs. sacrifice.

On the one hand, we are taught to look out for number one, to pursue the best for ourselves and our loved ones. We are taught by those in power that greed is good for everyone. We know...

I love how Psalm 41 begins: "Happy are those who consider the poor; the Lord delivers them in the day of trouble."

Unfortunately, here in Ohio and around the nation, our politicians seem to be employing the exact opposite strategy: "Blessed are the politicians who consider the rich; for their...

As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 approaches, many of us are wondering how best to honor the many victims of that tragedy and its aftermath.

I found my own answer when a friend asked me to join him and a few others on a walk with some Muslim and Jewish...

Socrates famously said that the unexamined life is not worth living. Sometimes I wonder if the Church that fails to robustly examine the life's challenges in light of faith is a church worth having.

Let's be honest. The Church has done a great job avoiding serious theological examination of many...

I first heard about Bernard Pastor via Facebook, from a former member of my church, who is now teaching English in Japan. The caption on Facebook simply said, "This is crazy!" with a link to a story by Mark Curnutte of the Cincinnati Enquirer. When I read the