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CSA’s free weekly publication, a carefully curated collection of original articles at the intersection of spiritual formation and social action.
From Gene Sharp
This technique consists of a group of people occupying a public place while sitting on chairs, stools, or even the floor, with the aim of disturbing normal activities.
Attributed to Saint Patrick
Christ, as a light
Illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield
Overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me;
On my left and my right.
By John Seel, PhD
Why the cultural enchantment with Game of Thrones? The anticipation of the Season 7 finale begs the question: “Why this broad appeal?” The answer to this question reveals the dominant frame through which one assesses reality.
By Leslie Leyland Fields
We are all racist in some ways. We all make judgments based on externalities. We all categorize—it is the mind’s natural state to sort and order and try to contain all the disparate information our brains are constantly receiving , which means we all place people in boxes with labels.
From CSA
Because this is not a time for ambiguity, we reject the idol of white supremacy
From CSA
…Because this is not a time for ambiguity, we reject the idol of white supremacy, of neo-nazism, and of a nationalism that places country before God. We affirm that every person is made in the image of God.
By Mark Phifer-Houseman
I don’t really believe in prayer.
I’m not talking about mindfulness or centering or yoga-breath-prayer or contemplation in nature—all of which have immediate, easily measurable embodied benefits. I am talking about intercessory prayer the way Jesus, Paul, and your grandma talk about and practice.
By Jon Carlson
Where do you locate evil?
In the aftermath of the deadly white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, it’s easy to point to places where evil was active: evil was marching down the streets, under Confederate flags and Nazi swastikas.
By John Backman
Who in their right mind wants to be a prophet?
No one who’s read the Old Testament, that’s for sure. God kept asking prophets to do weird things, like go naked for three years as a warning (Isaiah 20:1-6), or marry a prostitute just to make a point (Hosea 1:2), or incur the wrath of people in power and end up left to die (Jeremiah 38:1-13).
By Amy Knorr
Recently, my family stayed with dear friends who have two darling little girls. One night, during bath time, screams erupted from the second floor. Leaving my own girls to work on the clean-up project we were in the middle of, I climbed the stairs to see if I could help.
By Nikki Toyama-Szeto
It is tempting to say the rally in Charlottesville to “Unite the Right” was ignorant. Or to call it bigotry. It’s easy to call this “divisions between people” or something else that analyzes, holds the situation at arm’s-length, and allows us to return to our plate of penne.
By Brett McCracken
God doesn’t love us because we are lovable, or because we first loved him. He loves us even while we rebelliously undermine his rule and flee his righteousness.
Nor did God love and choose Israel because they added something valuable to his existence or because they were irresistible.
By Russell Jeung
“I used to bus from work to UCLA and it would take two hours each way. That’s the whole day on the bus. And late at night, I’d be scared waiting at the bus stop alone.”
By Victor M. Parachin
When masses of people in Northern Ireland gathered to demand equal rights from the British, they rallied together singing a song of hope.
After the Cold War era came to an end, people in Eastern European countries protested communism by organizing huge demonstrations and singing a song to inspire courage.
By John Seel, PhD
I taught Kris in high school. His grade sheets are still on my computer. I cheered him in soccer, where he excelled. I wrote his college recommendations. I also attended his full military honors funeral.
Interview By Kristyn Komarnicki
Krista Tippett brings faith to public radio
Krista Tippett has been hosting the public radio show “On Being” (formerly “Speaking of Faith”) since 2003. Every week she gently but passionately probes the heart and mind of a new guest—pastor, scientist, poet, philosopher, practitioner—identifying and gathering treasures along the way.
CSA is a group of Christian scholar-activists, stirring the imagination for a fuller expression of Christian faithfulness and a more just society.
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