Category: fear

America, Baptist life, Bible, Christian Nationalism, Christianity, Citizenship, Evangelicalism, fear, Immigration, Interfaith Dialogue, Jesus, Politics, Race, racism, reconciliation, Theology

Reading the Bible Amid the Culture Wars

Gary Furr

How we read it determines what we see, no? Part one of a four part series This article arose originally from a writing assignment from the Women’s Missionary Union of the Southern Baptist Convention. It is more than an irony for me that this assignment came even as Baptists were still reconciling their own painful history with slavery in the 19th century. As an ardent mission-sending organization, it is nonetheless a continuous wonder that the SBC was birthed out of a split in American Baptists of the Triennial Convention when a slaveholding Southerner was put forward to become a missionary … Continue reading Reading the Bible Amid the Culture Wars

9-11, America, Anger, Bible, Christian Nationalism, Christianity, Citizenship, Culture, death, fear, Grief, Politics, Story, Tragedy2 Comments

Reaping the Whirlwind

Gary Furr

Waiting out the firestorm while America goes for its kerosene cans and lighters. Some random thoughts: It is striking to see the overwhelming need to comment about a senseless murder. We’ve all become content providers and there are no consumers left to think about each others’ thoughts. The one thing about tragic and unexpected loss is that the more you say to the sufferer the worse you make it. The less you say, the wiser you appear. If you are silent, you are kept from stupidity. If you post your opinions about it your foolishness can live eternally. Much is … Continue reading Reaping the Whirlwind

ancestors, Christianity, Culture, Family, Family, fear, history, humanity, racism, spirituality

Ancestors

Gary Furr

I made the mistake of getting interested in my ancestors several years ago. Genealogical research is when you set off in the most hopeful of frames, just knowing we will discover Dukes, Earls, celebrities, inventors, Queens and famous artists in our personal tree. More likely you will find ordinary people who farmed, had children and never moved. Or worse, horse thieves and other people running from debtors prison or an ex-wife and children. It’s like a fellow who was looking into his heritage, but he wasn’t very encouraged by what he found. He wrote a friend and said, “It’s not … Continue reading Ancestors

Disappointment, Faith, fear, hope, humanity, Jesus, Spirituality, spirituality, Story1 Comment

The Gift of Doubt

Gary Furr

My children asked the question, “Have you ever doubted your faith?” This is what I wrote. I hope it reassures you to know that the answer is simple: Yes, of course. In some ways, the question itself could open so many different directions. Is the question, “Have I ever doubted whether I have faith?” Yes. Many times. Have I ever had questions that threatened to undo my sense of belief, everything I had trusted in my life? Yes, those are more about the subjective experience of faith. Sometimes it could be taken to mean, “Have you ever doubted the faith?” … Continue reading The Gift of Doubt

Bible, Christian Nationalism, Christianity, Citizenship, Culture, Ethics, Faith, fear, Hope, hope, humanity, Jesus, Love, Politics, Story, Television

Random Thoughts from the Bargain Bin

Gary Furr

When the new Pope began speaking, I wasn’t sure what language I’d be hearing, so I turned on “live captioning.” When he said, “We must pray to Mother Mary” in Italian, it said, “Pray to Mother PayPal.” (Did that J.D. Vance do that?) In the gospel of Matthew, we are told the Wise men came to Jerusalem, asking where the child was to be born. The Bible says, “When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him.” As a precaution, he ordered all the baby boys massacred. So when terrible things happen, trace irrational oppression. You … Continue reading Random Thoughts from the Bargain Bin