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The Art of Honesty

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Recently while traveling for work in Chicago, I came upon an art gallery along the Magnificent Mile. I’d noticed the enormous canvas works walking by before I noticed the free entry sign at the front door and walked in. Quietly, I paced myself through the floor-to-ceiling paintings, noticing how the artist had hidden images in the paint itself in some of them. Layers of bright yellow, green and shades of pink and purple paint were outlined in thick strokes of white and black on one. I thought: “Is that smoke rising from a building?

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People Die in the Gaps

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During Nashville’s historic ice storm this winter, one of our newspaper vendors died on the streets from hypothermia. Her name was Sharon, and she had a way of speaking that stayed with people.

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Disenfranchise Tag

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In sports, a “franchise tag” is supposed to lock in a player, keep them on the team, and keep them in the game. But being Black in America comes with something different, something we never asked for and can’t negotiate our way out of. I call it the “disenfranchise tag.”

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The Backs Of Black History

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We stand on the backs of Black history … arched spines, scarred skin and names pressed into the soil so future generations could rise without chains on their ankles.

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How to Challenge Government

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It feels like the War on Poverty, which was launched in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson with the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act has turned into a War on the Poor. In early January, the Trump Administration announced the cut of $2 billion in grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which falls under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Due to a national public outcry, the administration reversed the grant cuts within hours. At local levels the damage was already done. Chaos was created among providers, and I have even heard of some agencies in Middle Tennessee that had already announced that grant-funded staff would be let go.

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A sermon on scarcity delivered to St. Augustine’s Episcopal Chapel

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The Gospel of Luke, y’all. It is no surprise that our gospel lectionary text gets into wealth today. The writer of Luke is so very concerned about wealth contrasted with the folks who don’t have what they need to exist. In Matthew’s version of the sermon of the mount, we hear “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and in Luke’s version of it, it’s just:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”

And instead of blessed are those who hunger for justice, in Matthew, Luke just says: “Blessed are you who are hungry now.”

Those are two very different slants. And no doubt, this story that Jesus shared in response to this brother’s request for arbitration is absolutely addressing the economic crisis of Jesus’ day.