Block: Why Protecting People Matters
Blocking is the strategy of protection. When systems harm people, especially the vulnerable, silence becomes complicity. Blocking is necessary. More to the point: Blocking is about love. I recently listened to some Lutheran leaders in Minneapolis/St. Paul. They have been organizing with many groups to support neighbors in terror imposed by the federal government there.…
Bridge: Why Trust Is the Oxygen of Democracy
Democracy does not run on agreement. It runs on trust. Right now, trust is collapsing. We sort ourselves by media. We assume the worst about people in other groups. We rarely sit at tables with those who see the world differently. That is not accidental. Polarization is profitable. Outrage drives engagement. Fear mobilizes voters. But…
Resistance is Not Futile – And Not Enough
Resistance Is Not a Vision You may remember the Borg from Star Trek. They would appear and announce: “Resistance is futile.” It was terrifying because it meant you would be absorbed into a system with no freedom, no individuality, no humanity. Today, many people feel something similar. So people say, “We must resist.” And sometimes,…
So What Do We Do?
Practical Steps for Faith and Interfaith Leaders Living on the Edge If we agree that the sacred–secular split is hollowing out both faith and public life—and if we reject domination as an answer—then the question becomes practical: What leaders of wisdom traditions and interfaith leaders actually do? Not next decade.Not after the culture cools down.Now.…
Part Three: Shared Values, Shared Life, a Renewed Civic Covenant
Here is where I believe a real opening appears. Across cultures, continents, and centuries, wisdom traditions have named remarkably similar public values. These values were not designed to win arguments or decorate sanctuaries. They were shaped to help human beings live together without destroying one another. They functioned as a kind of social contract—shared commitments…
Part Two: Two Bad Options—and the One We Keep Missing
Read part 1 here! Many people sense another danger just as clearly. They have watched some Christians move in the opposite direction—seeking to impose their worldview on others, using law, policy, and cultural pressure to enforce religious norms. In this version of faith, very little is left to conscience. Difference becomes threat. Power replaces persuasion.…
When Our Double Mind Turns Deadly
Our founding documents say that all people are created equal and born with rights that cannot be taken away—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I believe that. But those same documents denied the full humanity of women, Indigenous people, and Black people. From the beginning, we told ourselves two stories at once: All people…
Part One: Faith as a Theme Park
Why the Sacred–Secular Split Leaves People Tired and Divided For most of my 34 years as a pastor, I’ve seen a pattern that keeps repeating. Many people want the church to be a kind of theological Disneyland. It’s a place you visit for inspiration, comfort, and meaning—and then you go home to the real world,…
Awaken to Our Challenges and Rise to Meet Them
As we finish our fundraising campaign, we want to share a quick snapshot of this year. We clarified our mission to “Gathering Neighbors, Growing Trust.” We also expanded our work into three clear areas: local practice and shared tools, media, and public leadership and civic engagement. These changes give us more focus while staying true…