Latest from ESAGood Friday: The MakingApril 19, 2019By Prasanta Verma Scattered, broken particles must be remade after life on earth snaps, crushes each bone, sinew, and organ into first-born molecules Dust catches in throat— chokes irrelevancy Smeared ashes reconstruct into wooden cross beams unmade – made – remade Prasanta Verma is a writer, poet,…...Read more...Notre Dame and the End of TimeApril 18, 2019By Bonnie O’Neil I sat glued to the television screen for hours, transfixed by the plumes of fire and smoke rising to the heavens above Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral. Grief-stricken, I hung on every word the reporters shared of the potential fate of this sacred space. As worshippers and…...Read more...A Message for Our Muslim NeighborsApril 17, 2019Evangelical students respond to the Christchurch shootings By Kevin Singer and Chris Stackaruk On March 15th, a white supremacist carried out a horrific terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 50 and injuring 50 others as they prayed. The youngest victim was three years old. Words cannot…...Read more...On Things I Must BelieveApril 16, 2019By Aline Mello There are certain things I have to believe. I have to believe that God is good. Though it doesn’t always seem like He is. It doesn’t seem like His plans are always good. But I have to believe He is consistent in His goodness. I have to…...Read more...How Does Your Church Pursue Justice?April 15, 2019By Adam L. Gustine I don’t think it comes as a surprise to note that the record on justice is spotty at best for white evangelicals. It has not been part of our normative framework for thinking about the gospel and the mission of the church. Beyond that, justice issues…...Read more...Activists: Resisting Compassion FatigueApril 12, 2019By Ed Cyzewski Editor’s Note: For the season of Lent, Ed Cyzewski has created a daily email list that shares quotes from Trappist monk and contemplative prayer author Thomas Merton. Each Friday here on ESA, Ed will share a few reflections on Merton’s wisdom for us today based on these…...Read more...Exploring the Gift of Wonder During LentApril 11, 2019God’s bequest of play buffers us from the spiritual burnout so rampant in our faith communities. By Christine Aroney-Sine My Lenten theme this year is Breaking Down Walls. When I chose this theme I was not just thinking of the controversy about the wall on the U.S/Mexican border. All of…...Read more...A Spiritual Homecoming for LGBT People?April 10, 2019If you missed ESA’s Facebook Live with Alan Chambers last week, be sure to catch the recording at the end of this article! By Andrew Marin Recent research reveals that 76 percent of LGBT people who have left the church are open to returning to their faith community. According to…...Read more...Feet Shod With Some YeezysApril 9, 2019When pastors pretend to be style icons, they’re carrying on a long lineage that erroneously equates material wealth with divine blessing. By Jon Carlson GQ first noticed the trend in 2015, then again in 2017: celebrity pastors outfitting themselves in incredibly trendy—and incredibly expensive—designer streetwear. Their conclusion? “It is rather remarkable…...Read more...
