Dr. Barbara Ransby is a historian, writer, and longtime political activist. She is a Professor of History; Gender and Women's Studies; and African American Studies and Director of Social Justice Initiative at the University of Illinois in Chicago. In her newest book, Making All Black Lives Matter: Reimagining Freedom in the 21st Century, she examines the BLM movement, discussing its roots and motivations, its politics and its future as part of what she calls a new Black Freedom movement.

So, this past Sunday we heard Luke’s version of a scripture that’s often called the Beatitudes (a lengthier version is in Matthew; if you like comparative bible study, check out the beginning of Matthew chapter 5 and stack it up next to Luke’s version). Here in this passage, Jesus gives a series of counterintuitive, paradoxical statements...

This last Sunday we heard about the prophet Isaiah’s life-changing encounter with God. Here’s the scoop: Isaiah had a vision of Israel’s God, enthroned in the Holy of Holies in the Jerusalem Temple. This radical experience causes Isaiah to immediately cry out, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I have unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. And my eyes have seen YHWH the Almighty” (Isa. 6:5). I imagine that moment must have been terrifying. To come into direct contact with the Holy God and consequently have your self-perception and the perception of your world so drastically altered... Probably not so fun.