Opinion

Editor Brian Kaylor reflects on the second impeachment of Donald Trump, the role of religion in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and biblical stories of Moses and Jesus that offer a different path.

Karen Swallow Prior writes to explain why she’s still here. Still in the church. Still part of the bride — even if the reality of life in the church hasn’t quite met up to her youthful idealism.

Civil Rights icon Amos C. Brown, pastor of Third Baptist Church in San Francisco where Vice President Kamala Harris is a member, writes in response to White Southern Baptist pastors calling Harris a “Jezebel.”

Joshua Sharp worries that the decision by Southwest Baptist University trustees to deny tenure and effectively fire Dr. Debbie Walker will undo much of her work as one of the strongest allies for victims of sexual violence on campus at SBU.

While evangelical participation in and support for the Jan. 6 event profoundly saddens me, I’m not shocked by it either. Big-name preachers, ministry celebrities and political figures have stoked fear, resentment, and affront among my fellow believers for nearly half a century.

Heather Greene reflects on interfaith experiences to ponder what it means to find unity. The question, she writes, is not really whether we can achieve national unity. It is whether we are willing to do the work.

Houses of worship should not be hit with harsher pandemic rules than similar organizations. But religious gatherings should not be exempt from the same life-saving health rules to which similar gatherings are subjected. Simply put, there shouldn’t be a pandemic privilege for religion.

How do we as a church move forward together after the Trump presidency? Chris Davis doesn’t think we need a new program or the next expert to address this question. Rather, the answer is found in the fundamental elements of church life: worship, nurture, and mission around the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jim Wallis argues that reconciliation needs the truth; therefore, we can never reconcile with White Supremacy. Only the truth can set us free, he adds, which is what we most need now.

The Bible is clear that we are to pray for our leaders no matter what our political preference may be. Paul’s First Letter to Timothy makes clear that we are called to pray for our leaders. Preaching for Carter taught me a few things about how I want to pray for any president.