Happy Birthday to one of the most controversial heroes in our nation's history, John Brown — Christian, Calvinist, abolitionist, and in my opinion, the greatest white American man to ever live. Let's talk about him.

🧵THREAD🧵 He reached national prominence as an organizer of militant resistance at Bleeding Kansas. On October 16, 1859, he led a raid on Harpers Ferry to inspire a slave rebellion in the South.

But what deepened my respect and appreciation for John Brown was the "why" drove him.

A few observations for your morning meditation:

1. v. 9-11: The tactic used against Stephen is still common within the religious community today. Stephen’s opponents “secretly instigated men” to slander him by leading with a accusation (“heard him speak blasphemous words...”). Why?

2. v. 12: The passage seems to imply that the effect “stirred up” the leaders and the people. The purpose of slander is cause others to view that person in a negative light.

So before the people had any proof of guilt, they were engineered with slander to hate Stephen.

Welcome to...

10 Tactics Anyone Can Use to Divide and Conquer a People

1. Use leaders and influencers to create a narrative that only involves two extremes

2. Tell everyone that they must pick one of the extreme sides

3. Use fear mongering to get them to pick your side 4. Completely ignore or misrepresent the people or views that don’t fit into either camp

5. Slander opponents or only highlight them at their worse

6. Spotlight (or exaggerate) the virtues of allies but ignore their vices (or disassociate if unable to conceal/ignore)

Remember, Mother’s Day is a commercial, not a Christian, holiday.

It is a time to honor the good mom(s) in your life, but not a time to worship all moms. Broad statements about “celebrating mothers everywhere” ignore a devastating and unnatural reality: All mothers are not good.

In fact, some are abusive, narcissistic, and manipulative. And often this is exasperated by an inability to repent.

Here's to a more charitable approach. Wise words:

Christians who are opposed to critical theory as an ideology should make every effort to understand it. Yelling ‘Marxism’ whenever we hear the word ‘oppression’ or ‘privilege’ is neither irenic nor charitable. Do not shut down conversations on race or gender. Be committed to confronting and uprooting injustice, and show love and compassion to those who experience it. Be willing to listen, willing to learn, and willing to accept correction.

Praying for our Asian neighbors and those in the family of Christ. Similar to the black experience, yours is more complex and multi-layered than any headline or tweet can grasp. So when black and brown bodies aren’t at the center stories of injustice and hatred, I try to ask myself, “What would I want to hear in these moments? What would encourage me? What would give me hope?”

I can’t speak for everyone, but I’m rarely moved by the sincere...

The logic that says, "vote = culpability" is the lie that evangelicals have been telling Black Christians for decades, and last week the chickens came home to roost. Simply voting for Trump doesn't make a Christian anymore culpable for last week's events than voting democrat makes a Christian culpable for abortions in America.

I'm skeptical of any Black leader whose message seems to completely alleviate White people OR Black people of responsibility or self-reflection regarding racism, American history, or human agency. A Black leader who takes pride in being viewed as "exceptional" by White conservatives or pitied as a "helpless victim" by White progressives is the enemy of a truly united America.

We’re not stupid. CRT critics have successfully demonized any and everyone who has anything substantive to say about racism/justice. The only answer they’ll accept is “the Gospel” but can do entire podcasts about supporting political candidates and how to think about abortion. For a CRT critic to say, “We need to talk about racism” but never model how to talk about it biblically is telling. The real goal is to end this conversation using the same tactics used in the 60s. Shame.

I don’t comment a lot about controversial issues on social due to the platforms limitations for productive dialogue. But the response to the *anything but unequivocal celebration to to the Botham’s brother forgiveness* concerns me enough to comment briefly. 1. I was deeply moved by the brother’s act of forgiveness. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve witnessed. I thank God for the work he’s doing in that brother’s life and I pray the Lord uses it to show himself, not only to Amber, but to the millions that witnessed it.

I still love this post. This captures what sets his take apart from other articles:

"...when I look back at my older writings, I see them as contributing more to a particular partisan narrative than to a tough, clear-eyed search for truth."

More of this from Christians, please!

https://twitter.com/phillipmholmes/status/1039994639690936320

1/5 My confession: From 2014-2016, as my thinking was evolving on social justice due to fresh perspectives, I wrongly overreacted to the reality of some drifting left and drifted too far right. Two years ago, I would have signed the Statement on Social Justice.