Joy Martinez-Marshall, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, writes that the Christ child knows what it is like to be born in a place not his own to a world that did not value his humanity and dignity. Today, innocent lives are caught
Rev. Jennifer Butler, founder of Faith in Public Life, writes that Advent begs us to notice how God’s power shows up most for people in the wilderness rather than those ensconced in the halls of power. Our hope resides in joining the cloud of witnesses
Elisey Pronin, a professor at Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary in Lviv, Ukraine, writes that we are used to Christmas as a bright, joyful holiday. But not on the day Jesus came into the world. And also not for Ukrainians this year. But we believe in
Elijah M. Brown, general secretary & CEO of Baptist World Alliance, writes that Advent is a call to find comfort in the miraculous arrival of the Savior, but it is also an invitation to prayerfully journey with the many who will live this Christmas in
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove writes that in this season of watching and waiting, we do not have answers. We learn to be present to the pain of places like Mariupol and to pray with its suffering people for the peace we all need. For rulers who cling
Rose Marie Berger, a senior editor at Sojourners magazine, reflects on Advent as a time of waiting. During Advent, we wait for something that is coming — we prepare for an arrival. We think of it as a joyful season, a season of sweet anticipation.
Andre Khudyakov, a Ukrainian Baptist pastor, reflects on how we tend to read the Bible as stories about what happened centuries ago as well as descriptions of events that will take place far in the future. So, we place ourselves in a “safe zone in
For day 2 of our Unsettling Advent devotionals, Rob Schenck reflects on reading New Testament Advent story against its historical backdrop: An aggressively militant imperial occupier had invaded the ancient Levant, annexing it and subjugating various nations, bringing sorrow and suffering to countless peoples. Sound
For day 1 of our Unsettling Advent devotionals, Brian Kaylor reflects on the importance of learning from those who have lived under authoritarian occupation like what is happening today in Ukraine.
Too often we await the Christ child without connecting his life to ours in any meaningful way. Last year, we sought to correct this oversight by offering a daily email devotional called Unsettling Advent. We’re excited to announce the devotional is coming back again to