There is a debate waging as to the future of legalized abortion in the United States of America. As a result of a leaked draft of a working document from the Supreme Court of the United States, people on both sides of this debate that has been ongoing for over a century are anticipating preparing for a decision eminently. For some people of faith, the abortion issue is their line in the sand. For others, it is a debate that will never be settled regardless of the court's opinion. In this...

We conclude our discussion with Dr. Joel Pearsall of NNU as he addresses the challenges of navigating the social, political, and racial issues as they play out on a university campus in the middle of a pandemic. He stresses the importance of listening to each other and being careful of how and when we speak. Dr. Pearsall discusses the challenge of realizing that the campus community was not as inclusive as they had taught and that there were people of color who felt like they were not being...

Dr. Joel Pearsall is the president of Northwest Nazarene University, a Christian, liberal arts university in Nampa, Idaho. As with any educational institution, Dr. Pearsall has to run a university and continue to maintain the highest standards of teaching and learning while at the same time navigating the need to maintain its founding Christian values.  Despite being a community within a community, the university community has not been isolated from the challenges that our world and the...

The concluding segment of my inspiring conversation with Kendrick Glover founder of Glover Empowerment Mentoring (GEM), an organization that focuses on restoring the social and emotional well-being of young people and their families. We discuss the challenges of the American educational system and some needed reforms that will allow children to thrive. We discuss the detrimental impact of the criminal justice system on the lives of young people of color and the school-to-prison pipeline. GEM...

Kendrick Glover is the founder of Glover Empowerment Mentoring (GEM) based in Kent, WA. Kendrick was born in Natchez, Mississippi and after some wandering years moved to Seattle to get away from further trouble. In Seattle, he found his calling to teach young people to find their path to their full potential. At GEM he is doing just that. With strong faith and determination, he and his team are making a big difference in the lives of hundreds of young people of color every year.  This...

This letter to my white friends who are still struggling with calls for racial and social justice and who, at times, feel that they are being called racist simply because they are white.  It has taken me many versions to come to this recording and it is intended to help clarify some of the terminology and challenges that they may be struggling with while encouraging dialogue to try to better understand the historic and institutional foundations behind the movement.  All white people are not...

We are concluding our conversation with Pastor Ev Tustin of Hillside Church in Kent, WA. He speaks of voluntary displacement - making room for a broader diversity of voices, and coming to grips with difficult realizations that challenge one's version of the truth. He continues to point out ways that people of faith can engage the community in productive and mutually beneficial ways because in times of need people of faith need to collaborate to make a difference. All of God's purposes are not...

Can the church truly become a valued community partner providing a place for people to serve and be ready when a crisis arises?  Is it possible to break through tradition and make room for diverse voices to have a place at the table? Pastor Ev Tustin of Hillside Church in Kent, WA is leading his congregation in the transformation of becoming a community partner and an inter-cultural, inter-racial, and inter-generational body that is relevant to, and represents the community where they are...

We conclude our discussion with Jerry Kester, the District Superintendent of the Washington Pacific District of the Church of the Nazarene in Washington State. Jerry discusses the impact of social media on some people of faith, and the challenge of the political entering the ecclesiastical. He discusses why people are not as afraid of change as they are afraid of loss and that fear can cause a myriad of reactions. #jerrykester #faith #race #reconciliation @abovethenoise24 @gmartelly

We all face crises in life and we live in a world that seems to be caught in an epidemic of crises: personal; social; racial; political; COVID. Leaders, whether in faith or business, if they are to be successful, must lead people and organizations through crises with integrity, empathy, and hope. Jerry Kester is the District Superintendent, Washington Pacific District, Church of the Nazarene and he has experienced his share of personal tragedy and leads leaders to navigate their organizations...

Critical Race Theory (CRT) has become a political hot potato in recent years. But what does it mean and what does it actually teach? Many people's only orientation to CRT has been the news media and political pundits determined to scare blocks of supporters to action in relative ignorance. This episode aims to give a brief introduction to the topic and to encourage the listener to take the time to become educated and not to be afraid to become conversant on the topic. Knowledge is the enemy...

My son Ryan and I conclude our stimulating conversation, as he discusses the direct impact of finding out that he and his wife were no longer welcome at her grandfather's home, and the powerful emotions of seeing their story in print in the book, Still Time on Pye Pond, by Danielle Fontaine (episodes 24 and 24). He expresses his hope for reconciliation in the family and that his children may someday get to experience Pye Pond for themselves.  Reconciliation comes not only from hoping for a...

In this episode, my son Ryan joins me to talk about his unique and multicultural life. Growing up as the son of a Barbadian father and Bengali (Bangladeshi) mother, he was surrounded by people from all walks of life, nationalities, ethnicities, and languages and was traveling to other countries at a young age. After meeting and marrying Marie, he was shocked to learn that her grandfather would not meet him because he was black and would also disown Marie, his granddaughter, as you heard from...

Danielle and I complete our conversation on the emotional struggle of the racial divide created in her family when her daughter married our son.  Art can illustrate life and her book, "Still Time on Pye Pond", tells her story in stunning images. Danielle also gives her suggestions for families struggling with similar situations and reminds us that there is still hope for reconciliation if we do not give up.  She and her husband started the Brandon Fellowship for young artists to help you...

In her book, Still Time on Pye Pond, author Danielle Fontaine tells the story of how she has dealt with the racial rift in our family that developed when her daughter married our son. The resulting inter-racial union brought out a demonstration of racism that shocked the entire family. Danielle tells how she found voice in her photographs and encaustic artworks resulting in the book that documents and expresses, in part, her emotions and...

On March 7, 2021, Oprah Winfrey televised an interview with Megan Markle and Prince Harry.  Much of the world was shocked to hear the allegations of racism within the House of Windsor. This episode examines the history of British royalty and the Church of England in empire building, where the Queen is the head of both institutions. You can draw your own conclusions.  We also examine why it is important to separate spiritual faith from celebrity, power, and privilege.

Loving our neighbor as ourselves is probably one of the most difficult tasks in life and yet it is critical to having a kind, peaceful and just world. Who does this task apply to? I believe that it applies to everyone regardless of faith, origin, ethnicity, or peculiarity. Try it out and see what happens in the places where you live, work, and worship.

What if the greatest test of being is a person of faith is how we live out the question "Who is my neighbor?"Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Not just to love our neighbor but to love 'as...

During this unprecedented time in our history, Chitra leads World Relief Seattle through the social, political, and economic challenges to continue to welcome the world to the United States and to find innovative resources to help them navigate their...

Chitra Hanstad is the Executive Director of World Relief  Seattle, however, her journey to this place serves as a timely reminder that our neighborhood is global. From India to the United States, back to India, around the world, and again in the United...

In part 2 of my interview, Dave discusses some of his successes while working across differences and keeping our focus on why we are serving others. Dave discusses successes in protecting youth in police custody, setting up programs to help in early...

This is the second in the series: Are We Not One?  Conversations on faith, race, and reconciliation. The impacts of the coronavirus pandemic helped to expose some of the disparities that people of color and black people still face in this part of the...

Political leadership in today's environment demands more of the culturally intelligent leader than who you know. It requires an everchanging knowledge of your constituents and their needs and values especially when you lead in one of the most diverse...

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Davis he teaches the application of living a life of faith and reconciliation. He addresses both clergy and laity on how we can demonstrate the love we speak about. He gives specific actions to get involved and...

Not many of us get to meet and to be mentored by a true civil rights leader. Rev. Dr. France Davis has lived his life on the front lines of the struggle for racial justice: from growing up in the segregated South of the US to meeting Dr. Martin Luther...