This Advent, We Cannot Forget the Millions Suffering in the Holy Land
The story of Christ’s birth is deeply intertwined with the realities of occupation, displacement, and struggle.
Unsettling Advent 2024, Day 11
Exploring Advent in a time of dangerous pregnancies, Brian Kaylor reflects on how powerful leaders often seek ways to make women’s journey difficult.
From DC to the Vatican, Baby Jesus Is Wearing a Keffiyeh
The pro-Palestinian creche is intended to point out the disconnect between the idealized Bethlehem of most representations and the reality in present-day Gaza and the West Bank.
Unsettling Advent 2024, Day 9
Exploring Advent in a time of dangerous pregnancies, Angela Denker reflects on how pregnancy is both incredibly vulnerable and incredibly powerful.
Unsettling Advent 2024, Day 8
For our first devotional on Advent in a time of dangerous pregnancies, Susan M. Shaw reflects on how John and Jesus’s births did not come without cost to the women who carried and bore them.
At Christmas, We Celebrate Light Dispelling Darkness
What is the true meaning of the Christmas story for all who claim to believe in and follow Jesus?
Unsettling Advent 2024, Day 1
For the first devotional exploring Advent in a time of rulers clinging to power, Brian Kaylor reflects on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro declaring Christmas in October to distract from his false election claims.
‘Two Very Special Words’
This issue of A Public Witness grabs some tinsel and some lights to unwrap some recent seasonally inappropriate “War on Christmas” rhetoric and rake the problematic attacks over the coals.
Orthodox Mark Christmas, but the Celebration Is Overshadowed for Many by Conflict
Orthodox Christians packed churches Saturday night for Christmas Eve services during ongoing conflicts including the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars.
Ukraine Celebrates Christmas on Dec. 25 for the First Time, Distancing Itself From Russia
The change, enacted in legislation signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in July, reflects both Ukrainians' dismay with the 22-month-old Russian invasion and their assertion of a national identity.