Becoming Reparative Communities
By Terence Lester, PhD
(Editor’s note: This is the final piece of our 4-part series on economic injustice. You can find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here. In this final piece, Dr.
This Online Articles area (formerly our Library) gathers reflections, op-eds, and essays that engage the pressing questions of faith, justice, and public life. Here, you’ll find hundreds of thoughtful and engaging pieces from scholars, practitioners, and everyday Christians — leaders and writers who bring fresh insight and faithful imagination. These articles are meant to spark deeper discipleship, fuel courageous action, and equip the church to embody the gospel in a complex world. We invite you to explore, learn, and join the ongoing conversation toward a fuller expression of Christian faithfulness and a more just society.
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By Terence Lester, PhD
(Editor’s note: This is the final piece of our 4-part series on economic injustice. You can find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here. In this final piece, Dr.
From Gene Sharp
Reporting Sick (“Sick-In”)
Where strikes are forbidden by or are not feasible for other reasons, workers can achieve the same goals, ranging from a reduction in production to the equivalent of a real strike, by agreeing to call in sick.
From Gene Sharp
Displays of Flags and Symbols
This technique showcases the flag or colors of a national, religious, social or political group, in a form of nonviolent protest that draws on the existence of deep emotions or from the intention to stir them.
From Gene Sharp
Refusal of an Assemblage or Meeting to Disperse
A formal or informal meeting may demonstrate opposition by rejecting requests, whether official or not, to disperse. Sometimes, this technique is closely linked to non-obedience or civil disobedience with “illegitimate” laws.
From Gene Sharp
Removal of Signs and Placemarks
This technique involves removing, altering or replacing street signs, public transportation signs, and other placemarkers. Doing so can temporarily mislead, hinder or delay the movement of troops or foreign policemen, with both practical and psychological impacts.
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.