By LaTonya Taylor
March 5, 2010
A controversial billboard campaign in Atlanta is bringing needed attention to an issue that's having a devasting effect on the black community in America. But is this the right way to do it?
Tiger Woods was raised a Buddhist, and now he's returning to his childhood religion. Hopefully, he'll avoid one of the great pitfalls many of us Christians fall into when it comes to living out our faith.
Ten American missionaries are jailed in Haiti for attempting to rescue needy children whose lives were uprooted by the earthquake. The missionaries' plight underscores the potential costs of discipleship, but also the consequences of good intentions gone awry.
Haiti does have a long history of "dealings with the Devil." But not in the way the televangelist suggested.
Perhaps Harry Reid's words were a bit outdated, but he told the truth. Unfortunately, it's virtually impossible to speak honestly about race in America today without offending some, or giving others ammunition to take you down.
According to early reports from the International Red Cross, up to 3 million people may have been affected by Tuesday's catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, and tens of thousands are feared dead.
Unchecked power, money, and fame can inspire bad behaviors and turn an honest person into a liar and a hypocrite. But the rich and famous aren't the only ones vulnerable to temptation.
The Tiger Woods scandal is just one more example of how the media use irrelevant gossip and slanted opinion to distract us from what really matters.
Derrion Albert did not die because of a lack of jobs or social programs. He died because we expect more righteousness and leadership from our government and civil institutions than we do from each other.
I can't read the guy's mind, of course, but after the initial, natural response of "Yeah, I got it goin' on," I'm thinking this is what President Obama must've really been thinking upon hearing that he'd won the Nobel Peace Prize:
One might find it strange that a guy who spends his time writing and speaking about reconciliation is sticking his neck out on the volatile issue of health-care reform. The attitude of a reconciler, a peacemaker, would seem to be at odds with that of someone who is outspoken about political issues. But the more I understand reconciliation, especially the biblical principles behind the idea, the more I find myself unable to keep my opinions to myself.
In the end, I am not as concerned about whether health-care reform passes or fails as I am with how people who represent Christ to the world are thinking through and communicating what they believe.
