Browsing Tag

Tony Campolo

Tony Campolo has been a friend for decades. We first met in a brief encounter when he spoke at my college. Our friendship grew through letters — remember those? On several occasions through the years he spoke and advocated for ministries D’Aun and I were involved with.

Last month Tony had a stroke. The word is he is getting better, but this latest episode reminded me how much I appreciate the man. He was a mentor from afar, always full of encouragement, and even when I didn’t agree with him (or found his advice unhelpful) he always modeled love in …

So you think you're a writer?,

Thankful for Book Endorsements

I’m in the midst of collecting endorsements for my book and one word keeps coming to mind.

Thankful.

I’m truly thankful for the people who have taken the time to read the draft, reflect on the content, and write a few words of support. I’m thankful my life is filled with such generous people. People who enrich my life with their ideas, their energy, their love. I am blessed, and I am thankful.

The first official endorsement came from Tony Campolo, who has always been there to support me. Then one from Bob Goff, a friend since elementary school. And …

Random Thoughts, The SOLD Project,

Tony Campolo is in the House

Tony Campolo has been a friend for decades. He’s constantly on the move so we do not connect in person often enough, but I still consider him one of the people who has most influenced my life. He is staying with us a couple of days to help The SOLD Project raise awareness about the prevention of child exploitation.

One of the best things about Tony — other than his deep spirituality, his quick mind, his irreverence blended with respect, and his unbridled energy — is his incredible sense of humor. And some of the funniest lines are about our …

Book Reviews,

Twenty Five Books That Influenced My Life – #21

The first time I heard Tony Campolo preach was in chapel at Westmont College. I fell out of my chair laughing at his irreverence, passion, and incredible sense of humor. That he was preaching a message of justice, love for others, and concern for the poor resonated even more deeply for me.

About a decade later I picked up a copy of The Kingdom of God is a Party and found myself laughing once again. Tony is an incredible storyteller and has a knack for weaving humor into spiritual insights. Like most of Tony’s books, Kingdom is a collection of …

Random Thoughts,

Easter Week

Today is the first day of Easter Week. I know, you think of Easter week as being last week! But last week was Holy Week, this week is Easter Week. Confused? Well, it’s not that big of a deal, so don’t worry about it.

Suffice to say that this is a time of true celebration. Actually, tradition has it that the entire week is just one long day … a time to worship, shout for joy, sing songs of praise, laugh heartily, and focus on the astounding truth of the resurrection. That’s quite a party!

There is no fasting this …

Random Thoughts, Uncategorized,

Political Question

Before I went on my October break, a friend asked me to blog about political activism for followers of Christ. His specific question was:

“Help me figure this out….
1) Jesus strikingly refused to align with any political interest/cause. He changed the world forever.
2) It seems like a given in our faith communities these days that Christians should be political activists, even though our Leader was absolutely a-political.
3) Or, are we, as His followers, to work towards justice, mercy, and truth completely outside the political sphere?
I don’t know how to reconcile all that, and so far, I …