Dear friends,

The shooting at former President Trump’s rally today was reprehensible. In its wake, “Civil War” and “Prayer” are trending together on Twitter.

So, how should followers of Jesus pray in a time of so much uncertainty, grief, and fear?

Why not pray the way that Jesus himself taught us from the beginning of his movement? Jesus offers us a seven-part spiritual practice.

I believe it’s exactly what we need to orient ourselves in crisis moments like this. Here’s a quick refresher:

1. Our Father in heaven

When we pray with Jesus, we enter into the presence of our Father. And so, hate for the other must be surrendered. In our most basic identity, we are not enemies or aliens. We are siblings in God’s family. Praying with Jesus reminds us that we are we.

2. Hallowed Be Your Name

When we pray with Jesus, we renounce a false familiarity with God. God is not our group’s mascot or political weapon... Read More

Dear friends,

Today, after 248 years, can be legitimately described as America’s first post-democratic Fourth of July.

We’ve had plenty of pre-democratic Independence Days. This is because our republic existed for over a century without giving Native and enslaved people, women, and others the right to vote.

But today is something different. It’s on the other side of the presidential office being given dictatorial powers of impunity. The historian Heather Cox Richardson has correctly named that our country has undergone a “coup.”

In honor or infamy of this 4th, my mind goes to our dear old brother Karl Marx. Marx called for “a ruthless critique of everything,” and that’s precisely what I think America needs today.

If you’re allergic to Marx, that’s fine. I disagree with him on plenty of things. But that old scary bearded German has a lot to teach us about our time and its task.

In 1843, when Marx was just 25, he wrote a short but powerful essay entitled “For a Ruthless Criticism of Everything Existing.”.. Read More

Dear American Christian,

Can you imagine your life without America? (If you’re a citizen of another country, kindly insert your own.)

Can you still feel life, liberty, and happiness if you imagine America as part of your past and no longer part of your future?

If you can’t, you’re probably more American than Christian. Your nationality has shaped your humanity more than your spirituality.

It’s time for us to go back to Christianity 101 and remember the very basics:

1. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down… Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to practice everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 24:2; 28:19-20)

2. Paul wrote, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20)

3. Peter taught, “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from corrupt desires, which wage war against your soul.”

Dear friends,

This is a story of unconditional love.

On Mother’s Day, my mom told me, “When you entered this world, your daddy was there when you came out.” Starting from that primal moment, my dad was always with me, whether in person or across the distance during my many years of living in Ethiopia.

Throughout my life, dad always made me feel loved, accepted, and secure. This wasn’t primarily because of the things he told me. I don’t remember him ever saying, “Andrew, I will always love you unconditionally.” Dad didn’t talk this way. It was because of who he was and the way he treated me.

When I was growing up, my dad didn’t have many rules. He didn’t care how I cut my hair. I didn’t need to be home by a certain time, and I often got home in the middle of the night. There weren’t places I couldn’t go, and I was free to explore pubs and clubs in Chicago with my friends... Read More

Dear friends,

Today marks seven days since my dad – Joseph James DeCort Jr. – died (February 9, 1944 – April 27, 2024). It’s a kind of sabbath in this new world with(out) my dad living in it.

I won’t simply call it a world “without” dad, because I don’t believe that. He’s still here, with us, near us — but in a different way that’s more mysterious and difficult to access and discern.

When I walked on the prairie path the day after he died, I felt the wind on my body and told Padre, “I feel like you’re close to me; you’re in the wind now.” And I knew that to be true. I could feel his presence on my skin, even as I often wake up with a dull sense of absence now.

He went home to his Creator a week ago on April 27 at 9:14pm due to cardiac arrest. He had gotten the flu and fell out of bed on April 18... Read More