Opinion

Word & Way trustees and staff took note of my 20th anniversary as editor with a drop-by reception at First Baptist Church in Jefferson City, Mo., March 19.

I’m glad that Lent is a part of the Easter season experience at the Baptist church where I have been a member the last several years and many others, in part because it helps us see Easter as more than just a single-day commemoration. Because of what Christ’s death and resurrection mean to me, it makes sense to spend more time on the subject and more time with Christ.

Late January marked the 46th anniversary of the death of my 16-year-old brother, Dennis, in a car accident. Forty-six years. If you think all of the grief is gone and my heart has completely healed, think again.

Missouri Baptist University and its students deserve commendation for engaging in dialog about interpersonal violence, learning to identify signs of abuse and helping male students to become “men of integrity” in treating women as God intended.

In Mississippi, where I spent my teenage years, one can acquire a driver's license at the age of 15. Despite its legality, my father thought I should not get a license until I was 16. It was a long year.

February is Black History Month as designated by every American President since 1976. The need is obvious, but I long for the day when we really don’t need to observe it.

Not very many weeks ago, many of us sang the words of Charles Wesley’s familiar Christmas carol, “Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate deity….” We likely also heard the powerful witness of John’s Gospel, “…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us….”

My acting experience is pretty limited. Besides a couple of high school plays, my only claim to fame is the role of a wise man during Maple Grove Baptist Church’s Christmas pageant.

The beginning of 2016 is a good time to think about fresh starts, putting aside mistakes and disappointments of the immediate past and focusing on doing better during the new year.

Every time I boot up my laptop computer, the face of a young Syrian refugee stares back at me.