The Weight

When we look at the Christian witness in the political spectrum, we find two major extremes: hyper-obsession or complete apathy from an attitude of escapism. In this election year, Christians must question how to engage politics without being consumed by it. Whether we like to admit it or not, the church does not exist outside of the public life, and for the sake of our neighbors most impacted by...

Human experience cannot be captured by headlines and hashtags. To really understand each other, we must open our hearts and ears to experiences outside of our own. Whether it be through spoken word, visual art, or the simplicity of a shared conversation, to honor the image of God is to do the hard work of empathy and listening. To get at the heart of the simple commandments to love God and love ot...

Abortion is a multi-faceted, multi-layered issue that the church often fails to engage with the depth and compassion it requires. Regardless of one’s position on this issue, the stories of those who have struggled with this impossible decision have been discounted in the midst of political fervor. Poverty forces many vulnerable, marginalized women to grapple with the decision to have an abortion,...

Outside of contributions to the church, most Christians do not consider their use of money as an act of faithful service to God. However, as marketing and social media strategies continue to interfere with our financial lives, all of us become more emotionally attached to our investments across the board. In the midst of a global pandemic, individuals and families are experiencing a health crisis,...

Somewhere in the rhythm of spiritual practices and religious traditions, American Christians have lost the sense of beauty, awe, and wonder that permeates through familiar stories of the Bible. Conversely, Western Christian culture sanitizes the reality of darkness throughout the Biblical narrative. Our culture brings more attention to the glory of Easter than the brokenness of Good Friday, and we...

It’s easy to become weary with the weight of the suffering the world is experiencing right now. When we consider the larger scope of social justice, it can be difficult to narrow down our role in God’s work of healing and reconciliation. All of us experience suffering, tension, and insecurity at some level, but as we are filled with God’s immense mercy, goodness and hope can leak out of each of us...

Art encapsulates powerful emotions and draws beauty out of everyday moments. Every portrait an artist paints serves as an opportunity to expand our humanity, allowing us to see the breadth and mystery of other human beings. In the age of social media, we have become devastatingly comfortable ascribing labels to one another and dehumanizing our brothers and sisters in Christ. Art helps us recapture...

When it comes down to it, we all have similar hopes for our future. We want financial security, a good education for our children, a strong career ahead of us, and overall we all want to know that we will be taken care of. When we place too much emphasis on only the issues that matter to us, we lose the sense of empathy and vision for the common good that is vital to our lives as engaged citizens....

As members of the body of Christ, we have a unique calling to live as a transformed community, embraced by the grace and love of God. Members of the early church understood God’s hunger for justice and served with compassion. Centuries later, political allegiances seem to outweigh the unified vision that equips us to live as disciples. As we look back on the foundation of the church, how does hist...

As much as we value agreement and unity, we also heavily value our own opinions. The labels we ascribe to our fellow citizens block us from engaging in invigorous conversations with one another, believing that we cannot find common ground with someone whose views align on different poles than our own. Our shallow definitions of “conservative” and “progressive” keep us from understanding the world...

When it comes to racial reconciliation, the church is quick to educate its congregants about the power of forgiveness. Pastors often jump to the solution without acknowledging the full extent of the problem. What do we do when we’re enraged by the things we’ve seen or experienced? How do we make a conscious, faithful choice to practice Christianity even when it seems harder than we can bear? In hi...

Stories are a way of inviting others in, opening the door to compassion, empathy, and understanding. Stories help us make sense of the world around us, allowing us to process overwhelming emotions. As humans, we are drawn to stories that show characters overcoming obstacles, growing wiser and stronger through the journey.  New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julie Cantrell recognizes t...

Many Christians engage with the topic of body image in a toxic manner. The Church often perpetuates negative, unhealthy ideologies regarding body image, thus failing to honor people of all sizes. How can we better uplift the sacred worth found in each body? Author, seminarian, and podcast host Nicole Morgan has developed a deep understanding of how the Christian Church has wrongfully taught its me...

As much as we try and downplay them, it’s apparent that symbols carry a great weight in our culture. Whether it be a flag, a statue, a logo, or anything else, symbols have the power to rally a people together or tear them apart; a truth known all too well in the state of Mississippi. After years of public outcry, Mississippi recently retired its flag which featured the battle flag of the Confedera...

In just a decade, social media has completely changed what it looks like for local churches to fulfill its mission. Such a revolution in outreach has provided new opportunities for churches to enrich their own church family while also engaging new audiences. However, with opportunity comes some challenges worth considering; primarily the need to prioritize in-person connection and tight knit commu...

Acknowledging failure is not easy to do in any circumstance. This is specifically true when it comes to discussing the Church’s failure to live up to its call from God to do the work of justice. Reckoning with the failure of Christians to make justice efforts more than mere words may be a hard pill to swallow for some, yet it could also be the most faithful next step on the road to change. Are not...

To be “called by God” is something that we often think of as exclusive to those who are called to pastoral ministry. Christianity has plenty of resources and narratives for those who feel called to this realm of work. However, the vast majority of faithful Christians never find themselves in the pulpit, but rather working in jobs that are often relegated as “secular.” Does God not give them a call...

Show Notes: Critiquing popularized Christianity from within the church is not always an easy thing to do, especially when such critique extends to American ideals held near and dear by many Christians. For many pastors, fear of backlash and congregational abandonment can be enough to stifle any attempt to challenge social norms ingrained within Evangelical culture.  Brian Zahnd is no stranger to t...

Show Notes: Conversations about the Bible in modern-day culture tend to dichotomize the Old and New Testaments in a manner that reduces the Old as archaic and obsolete while isolating the New as the bearer of relevance and truth. However, a deeper engagement with the texts of the Old Testament just might surprise readers when they find how relatable these stories of old are to an increasingly wear...

It goes without saying that the social fabric of America is becoming more frayed as the years go on and discourse becomes more vitriolic. With the growth of virtual engagement, specifically through social media, intensifying polarization has led humanity to lose grasp of the civic practice of intentional listening. How can we cultivate a culture where we engage in a manner that promotes mutual und...

Show Notes: Christianity offers a radical redefinition of community that challenges the priorities and sensibilities that we in the church have come to embrace. Christians follow a savior who instructed his followers to relinquish belongings, wealth, and social status in order to follow him. Christians are a part of a universal church that began with a group of believers who shared everything they...

Show Notes: The place of Christianity in the greater culture is constantly changing. With constant changes comes increased challenges for Christians in terms of maintaining integrity in terms of witness and practice. What are the new ways that temptation permeates our daily lives? How do we stand firm in timeless convictions in ever changing times? How do we set our eyes on Jesus Christ despite th...

Show Notes: Two years ago, long before we launched The Weight, Chris and Eddie sat down with Pastor Michael McBride of LIVE FREE, a faith based movement dedicated to stopping gun violence and ending mass incarceration. In addition to this role, Pastor McBride has served on a number of local and national task forces with the White House and Department of Justice regarding gun violence prevention, b...

Perhaps the weightiest topic there is is the one that we all must face: death. Much of our lives can be spent evading this reality until it comes crashing into our lives somehow. What might it look like to adopt a posture towards death that not only makes us more prepared, but helps us live life more abundantly? To engage this question, we welcome Dana Trent!  Dana Trent is a graduate of Duke Divi...

We are living in an unprecedented time. Churches are currently faced with difficult decisions over how and when to reopen their doors. How has COVID affected Christian worship?  In this episode, Chris and Eddie are joined by Adam Hamilton. Hamilton is an author and a Senior Pastor at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. The Resurrection is one of the largest churches...