Best of Enemies Movie: Klan leader, Black Activist; Race, Religion, Reconciliation
What happens when you assign a Ku Klux Klan president and a Black civil rights activist to collaborate on school desegregation – in the racially charged 1971 U.S. South?
What fueled their change? Atwater wrote in the Durham Herald-Sun, “In church the preacher says that if you want to be like Jesus you must be ‘born again.’ That really is the only way I can describe it. Something came into our lives…. The blinders came off and we…saw how much we had in common.... Continue Reading
Abby Johnson and the Movie ‘Unplanned’
Abby Johnson: “Unplanned is a movie I never planned on making”
“You know, I was a little disgruntled. I had been told that we were required to double our abortion quota in our clinic. They told us we must sell more abortions, and start doing them through the 6th month of pregnancy. I thought that was absurd, that it was much too late in the pregnancy.... Continue Reading
The Eight Deadly Sins of Political Conservatism
Given that my primary allegiance is to Christ and his church, my commitments to political parties, platforms, and leaders should always be tentative.
Thus, since I land on the right side of the American political spectrum, it is especially helpful to beware the dangers found on the right. That’s why I enjoyed re-reading The Revenge of Conscience, by University of Texas (Austin) philosopher J. Budziszewski, in which the author exposes the “sins” of various political ideologies on the Left... Continue Reading
The Dying Thoughts of a Godly Man
May Baxter’s dying thoughts be my dying thoughts, and the thoughts of all Christians in all times.
When Solomon wrote that it’s better to go into the house of mourning than mirth—that funerals really are better than frat parties—he meant it as a reminder to number our days so we could appreciate how valuable life is. Meditating on death does not need to be a sorrowful endeavor. C.S. Lewis wrote, “There is a... Continue Reading
The Heart of the Matter
Every time I open my phone, he knows exactly what I’m seeking.
Like many things, there’s an undeniable presence of redemptive qualities that come with our unprecedented access to one another. I think many of us are trying to get this social media thing right. We’re thankful for the gift of connection it offers but when we’re honest, we see what a grip it can have on... Continue Reading
Broken Pieces and the God Who Mends Them
Though her book is tragic, it is also inspiring.
Broken Pieces is first a mother’s memoir as Carr recounts her efforts on behalf of her son. She goes to great lengths—any length, really—to attempt to find him help and healing. She aptly describes the agony of not only the one who is ill, but of those who love him and care for him. She... Continue Reading
Parenting in the Pews
Like all good things in life, we have to learn to love worship.
God calls us to worship and to rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30) because He loves us. We go to church and worship because we love the Lord. Our obedience should never be done with a cold heart or from a sense of obligation alone. That’s not what God wants from us, and that’s not what we... Continue Reading
What’s the Purpose (and the Benefit) of Family Devotions?
Our devotions call us to a family experience each day.
By gathering the family for shared devotions we display the priority and necessity of hearing from God and speaking to God. And I think we also declare something about our priorities when we show that we are unintimidated to miss a day here and there as circumstances dictate—we show that devotions are not the means... Continue Reading
Girl, Follow Jesus
Hollis’s message this time around is, “All that really matters is how bad you want those dreams and what you’re willing to do to make them happen.”
In her latest book, Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals, Hollis has gained momentum. She wants you to believe in yourself, to take great pride in your hard work and accomplishments, and to do so without shame and with gusto. She wants you to go hard and unapologetically after your... Continue Reading
The Value of Biography
The best way to learn about leadership is by reading good biography.
In Seven Leaders: Preachers and Pastors (Banner of Truth, 2017), his most recent volume, Murray presents shorter biographical reflections on the following Christian pastors and preachers: John Elias, Andrew Bonar, Archibald Brown, Kenneth MacRae, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, W. J. Grier, and John MacArthur. Much like his previous volume entitled Heroes, this book combines a variety of biographical sketches from... Continue Reading
