Barnabas File

     I believe in the sun, even when it isn’t shining,        I believe in love, even when I feel it not,       I believe in God, even when He is silent.                 --writing on the wall in a Nazi concentration camp My recent visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington coincided with my devotional readings on the scars of Christ that cited quotations related to the Holocaust (such as the one above).  If you have been there, you know that it is a deeply moving experience, a witness to the growing persecution, ongoing enslavement, and ultimate execution of Jews and others--including Roma (Gypsies), homosexuals, and people who were less than “perfect.” The museum is not only a testimony to history but a warning of what happens when we marginalize and depersonalize any human being.  We would like to think that we know be...

With 22 films over an eleven-year period, the Marvel Cinematic Universe closes out this chapter with Avengers:   Endgame , an exciting and emotional epic.   If you have not seen the film, no spoilers here! All good stories involve conflict, and there is plenty of that in the Marvel films, but the ultimate conflict is between two of the key superheroes--Iron Man (Tony Stark) played by Robert Downey, Jr., and Captain America (Steve Rogers) played by Chris Evans. Together, they embody the dichotomy that is America (and perhaps western civilization). Tony is an unrepentant capitalist--brash, rude, results-oriented, and short-tempered--but with an evolving social conscience.  Steve is a patriot in the best sense of the word--courteous, humble, committed, and brave--but a man out of his own time.  Steve represents the morality and values that we want to be known for as a people.  Tony represents the drive, vitality, and innovation that has d...

I recently posted an article related to a resolution opposing social justice that a messenger planned to present at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention.     I was surprised at the responses.     One person said that when he thought of social justice, “Communism” or “socialism” came to mind.     Another considered social justice a modern construct that had nothing to do with the Bible.     Someone else said, “Social justice is just about civil rights.” The church of the 2lst century is challenged to reclaim the term and make it part of its DNA. In fact, I believe that if the church fails to deal with social justice concerns such as sexuality, economic deprivation, care for the infirm, hospitality for the stranger, and creation care, it is not pursuing the mission of God. A quick search of the word “justice” on Bible Gateway identifies 130 citations including both the teachings of Old Testament prophets and those of Je...

Dr. John Perkins and the author There are some battles that must be fought continuously.   We often succumb to the idea that once certain victories are won, an issue is settled.   More than once, I have heard people say, “We have dealt with the idea of women being pastors; let’s move on.”   This is far from true as churches that seek to exercise their autonomy, deciding that the best qualified person to be their pastor is a woman, are disfellowshipped from the larger community of faith. This is true of racism as well.  We have come a long way to be sure.  The sports heroes of one of my grandsons are African Americans like Odell Beckham, Jr., of the New York Giants; Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors; and Olympian Jesse Owens. My children and grandchildren don’t see race as a barrier, but racism is embedded in our society.  White supremacy is resurgent, white privilege is an uncomfortable fact, and institutional racism is a...

Thurgood Marshall was a civil rights icon.  As founder of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, he argued 32 cases before the U. S. Supreme Court and won all but three. The most notable may have been Brown v. Board of Education which threw out the “separate but equal” approach to public education. In 1967, President Lyndon Johnson appointed him as the first African American to sit on the Supreme Court. Rather than attempt to tell Marshall’s life story, the film Marshall selects one case in which he was involved In 1941 when he was hopping across the country by train to defend African-Americans.  In this case he works with local attorney Sam Friedman to defend a man accused of raping his employer’s wife. Although this is in some ways a standard court room drama, the film summarizes the challenge of finding justice for African Americans as well as the prejudice against Jews while America was fighting the Nazis and Jews in Europe were being sent to death camps. ...

The Dark Knight Rises , the final installment in this incarnation of The Batman franchise, will be forever linked to the murders of innocents by a lone gunman in Aurora, Colorado.   This is sad but also ironic because the film is the story of how a vigilant is redeemed through community. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has always been an obsessed and troubled person, but at the beginning of the film we see him hurt, withdrawn, and disillusioned. The millionaire has rejected his role as The Batman and become a recluse on his estate.  He is not only detached from people but he is in the process of alienating his servant Albert Pennyworth (Michael Caine), the only person who seems to care about him.  He begins to break out of his self-imposed exile when his safe is robbed by Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway).  Wayne quickly finds himself and his empire at the center of a plot to destroy his beloved Gotham City. Wayne/The Batman’s ultimate redemption comes when he begi...