Growing up in the Bronx, New York, I was raised for the majority of my formative years by my grandparents.  My grandfather (Lord, bless his soul) was a very stern and serious man. Both intelligent and compassionate, much of what I have learned about what it means to be a man, I take from him. But, despite this model of merit that I had the privilege of being parented by, it was not the patriarch of our family that left the most lasting impact on me. Instead, it was actually the matriarch of our family, my grandmother, that was responsible for the resounding lessons of life that presently resonate in…

-This new Jay-Z Album is fresh!  I love how great music is dropping unexpectedly again like it did back when I was a child.  I also love how the collective consciousness of our community is elevating & that elevation is reflective in so much of the artistic expression out right now. -Don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but there is a black owned professional basketball league that shows games on TV. …yeah… Black Owned. Professional Basketball League. We need to support this.  I wonder if they sell jerseys? -Have we gotten to the point where we can claim “Christian” as a belief without the accountability to look & live…

By the time you read this, It will be my 3rd anniversary as the privileged pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Circleville, Ohio.  It has truly been a blessed union of pastor and people; not without its share of struggle, but one where God’s goodness, grace, and mercy have proven faithful to His people. Often, I hear and read about the difficulties that come with leading a congregation.  In particular, I often hear of how many parishes mistreat their shepherd. I even heard a pastor once refer to Pastoral ministry as “the ministry of misery”.  Seems as if every other day, I see an article about a church taking their…

In the 5th Chapter of the Luke’s Gospel, we find a particular passage of scripture.  One in which Jesus is having a very curious conversation with an unlikely collaborator.  The context in which the text occurs suggests that Jesus has traveled across the sea of Galilee with His disciples for the purpose of releasing a man who is possessed by demons.  Jesus arrives in the Gadarenes and is met by this beleaguered brother. The demonic influence upon the man has driven him to the point of insanity. The text tells us that he cannot be restrained, so much so that he has not only become a danger to those around…

A few days ago, I was at a City Council event where citizens, elected officials and community leaders alike all gathered in the same place to discuss issues going on in the city. In Columbus, Ohio, tensions between police officers and the public are high because of the deaths of Jaron Thomas, Ty’re King and Henry Green; all young African American men who have lost their lives at the hands of law enforcement. While at this event, as it was beginning and opening remarks were being made, a group of brothers & sisters began to walk down the left aisle of the gymnasium where the gathering was held. Carrying signs…

The reality of the prison industrial complex is one that negatively affects persons (the majority of which are people of color) all over this country.  Presently, the United States houses over a quarter of the world’s prison population despite representing only 1% of the world population. Upwards of 2 million Black and Brown bodies presently find themselves locked behind bars. Statistics show that most of the African Americans who end up incarcerated have been sentenced for non-violent offenses or possession of infinitesimal amounts of illegal narcotic. Mistreated while inside of these facilities and marginalized when released from them, the lives of these people are not seen as viable, valuable, or…

  The 15 Chapter of Paul’s letter to the body of believers in Rome finds him offering perspective to way in which the church ought view Old Testament writ.  The Apostle Paul writes in the 4th verse, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope”.  Paul suggests that the sacred text ought not be exclusively considered as written wisdom of the past but should also be seen as a tool to provide direction for how we ought to live and engage our present. The Apostle’s epistle provides a framing for the way that…

– Man, I was sleeping so good just now.  Must have nodded off while reading. Why am I up?  Lord, why did you wake me?  I’m listening… -In a few hours, Donald Trump will be elected as somebody’s new President.  He won’t be mine and I won’t be watching.  I think he is ok with that. -Eddie Long passed away unexpectedly this past Sunday morning.  I was saddened by the news.  I pray for the people who are unable to understand the difference between mourning the loss of someone’s life and condoning what they may have done wrong in their life.  Lord, tear down all of the limits we have…

I had a dream that I was meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for lunch at a small, family owned, soul food restaurant on the poorer side of town.  I sat at the table reading a book when I noticed him walk through the door and address the greeter stationed at the entrance.  She directed him to our table and he began to walk towards me, formally dressed in his customary black suit & tie. There were two things that I couldn’t help but observe as he walked through the eatery. The first was that no one stopped the pioneering civil rights leader as he walked in.  A few people…

It’s so quiet.  I would love to start this piece with a more provocative opening, but the truth of the matter is that those three words encapsulate what I observe happening (not happening, as it were) in the moment we, as a nation, find ourselves in.  By the time this article is published, not only will Donald Trump be a month away from being sworn into office as President of the United States, but the Electoral College will have cast their votes confirming Trump’s candidacy &  renouncing the voice of the popular vote.  The last scenario in which this election ends without a fascist winning the White House has come…