The doctrine of the fall of humanity is easy to verify — all we have to do is pay attention to the news. Injustice is easy to spot, both blatantly and subtly, in institutions such as the Church, government, corporations, families, and my own field, Christian  higher education. 

We have all watched as pastors, athletes, and artists use their reputations to advance an important cause. How thankful we are that Bono uses his global popularity to give voice to the suffering of HIV/AIDS victims.

We can follow these examples of radical acts of loving by making small choices each day: recognizing someone else’s pain before yelling at them for being too needy; giving someone the benefit of the doubt before jumping to conclusions; forgiving someone who has disappointed us.

“We’re in good company then,” replied Peter Furler, founder and lead singer of internationally-renowned Christian recording artists “newsboys,” after I explained what we do at Christians for Biblical Equality. “Yes, I like that.”

We have left Urbana changed by the enthusiasm for ministry of the many young people we encountered, the dedication of the mission “lifers” we met, and a renewed conviction that the mission of CBE is essential to the life of the Body of Christ in a needy world.

Many attendees at the Side by Side Symposium in Bangalore, India had the opportunity to meet with local Christian ministry leaders. This is one of their stories. 

The resilience of children is truly amazing. This strength in spite of suffering was again demonstrated to me in a workshop at the Side by Side symposium in Bangalore, India. The story of the struggles of Devadasi children unfolded in a drama entitled “Seeds of Hope.” 

Helping people find their own voices and use them is more valuable than being a spokesperson for them. Advocacy is more about being faithful to God’s call to love our neighbors than it is about fame. 

As a Christian who believes strongly in equality between women and men, I had often spoken up about gender issues with family and friends, in Sunday School classes, and among colleagues. However, when I was invited to teach a Gender Studies course at the Baptist university where I am a faculty member, I found this to be the most intense…

My personal journey has led me to be more vocal about getting women involved in ministry and about encouraging women to take leadership. I try to teach in both formal and informal arenas as the opportunities present themselves.