Opinion

I smiled when I read the news that long-time Baptist journalist and longer-time friend of the family Bill Webb had decided to retire.

I did not smile because he was leaving Word & Way, or not even because he had chosen to retire and spend time with family and other pursuits of passion. I smiled because of the overwhelming gratitude that I felt watching him end this chapter of his vocation.

Our culture seems to have shelved “and” in favor of “or.”

Liberal or conservative. Prolife or pro-choice. Gun rights or gun control. Let’s be honest: Polarization sells more news (and more politics) than consensus.

With this column I am formally announcing my retirement later this year as Word & Way editor after more than 20 years of service.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson created the National Park Service. This makes 2016 its 100th birthday.

During this past Lenten season, our congregation journeyed together around the theme of forgiveness — God’s forgiveness of us as well as our forgiveness of ourselves and others. Here are some takeaways.

Given the circumstances of the time, the Missouri Plan was considered revolutionary. Leaders hoped it could become a model for Baptists in other states. Many hoped that one result of the plan might be for Northern and Southern Baptists to come back together once again.

In short, the plan was a way for Baptists who held different views to work together, particularly in missions.

In nearly every other area of our lives, curiosity is highly valued. Where would the world of information technology be without curious college dropouts working in their garages? Savvy entrepreneurs succeed because they invest in “what if?” So instead of shunning all this ambiguity and confusion, perhaps churches should embrace it.

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.