Robin DiAngelo Beacon Press, 192 pages When 2020 arrived, no one imagined the year unfolding as it did with a global pandemic and a social uprising demanding racial justice. Robin DiAngelo, a white woman, has been teaching antiracist seminars for over 20 years. She wrote this book two years prior to the murder of George Floyd specifically to help teach white people how to address the dominance of white supremacy. Within a week after the murder, the book was completely sold out from most bookstores — and for good reason. White people generally got the message: It’s way past time to educate themselves about the white supremacy that is inextricably woven into American life. DiAngelo is explicit: “The racial status quo is comfortable for white people, and we will not move forward in race relations if we remain comfortable.” That comfort level may be different now after the social uprising. This means the work is all the more important for white Christians to educate ourselves about … [Read more...]

Ross Gay Algonquin Books, 288 pages Among the words to describe a global pandemic, “delightful” is not one. In fact, it’s quite possibly offensive in light of the toll it has taken on the human community. One by one, each with a name. Yet the gift of Ross Gay is his capacity to speak of delight without ignoring what is not delightful. His previous books of poetry, “Against Which” and “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude,” display the same skill. Gay took it upon himself to write of delight every day for a year. The result is this collection of brief essays finding wonder in an astonishing array of places, including grim neighborhoods and forest understory where the redbud and dogwood blossom and hummingbirds dart. One of the odd things about the COVID-19 pandemic is the juxtaposition with spring beauty. While hearing the grim news of death, the earth was so vibrantly alive. There is a certain discipline required to attend without blinking to death and life, sorrow and wonder. Few … [Read more...]

Rowan Williams Cowley Publications, 244 pages During the surreal time of COVID-19, I’ve turned to this classic collection of sermons by the former Archbishop of Canterbury written when he was pastor in Wales. It’s remarkable how these sermons continue to hold up after more than 20 years. They are rich in theological depth that probes human experience in the light of the gospel. For instance, his sermon “The Dark Night” speaks directly to personal questions about religion and God’s apparent absence. “Christians who claim to find God uniquely and definitively in Jesus are claiming that the roots of their faith are in a massive and total negation of false God-images and religious securities.” These sermons also address concerns of poverty, human sexuality, social justice, spirituality and the purpose of mission. To each of these subjects Rowan Williams brings pastoral insight and challenge. The church that continues post-coronavirus will need to learn from history how the church … [Read more...]