Written by Sid Jansma, Jr. The number 1 question I’ve been asked since declaring my support for Biden for President is how can I, in good conscience, vote for a pro-choice Democrat? I’ve heard the question in a wide variety of not-always-repeatable forms, all variations on, “How can you vote for a baby-killer?!” or “The Dems are the party of death!” Let me state my positions on pro-life and politics and religion very clearly: I am a lifelong Republican. I... Read more
Guest Post Written By Sid Jansma, Jr. Early on in my oil and gas exploration career, my father and I invested every dime we had and then some into exploratory wells. Oil exploration is neither cheap nor assured so we had to dig deep into our pockets before digging deep into the possibly unyielding ground. We were partnering with Gus, an elderly Swedish immigrant, who had vastly more capital than my father and I combined. In reality, Gus graciously partnered with... Read more
My first look into the eyes of racism was in 1977 when I was a freshman in college. I attended Bob Jones University—an institution I now know was built, both historically and theologically, on a foundation of racism.[1] My student job was an administrative assistant to the university president’s executive assistant. One of my assignments was a memo to the staff asking them to clean up after themselves in the faculty bathroom, because it looked like a bunch of n***s... Read more
It happens from time to time—often unexpectedly. I call it “The Phil Situation.” You’re at a neighborhood Labor Day barbeque, or a company Holiday party, or a family reunion with distant kin from Enid you didn’t know you had—when, all at once, Phil sidles up to you. Phil the Pill from Apartment A12. Phil the accountant from Purchasing. Second Uncle Phil from Enid. Drink in hand, Phil offers a random, unsolicited comment about Antifa anarchists inciting violence in Portland, or... Read more
Racism and its ugly root system of white supremacy is being exposed and called out and named and known in a way that could liberate us all from its evil grip if we embrace this moment and this good news. And it’s such good news. One catalytic moment sparked a fire that has set America ablaze, and the world is catching its flame. A cell phone captured graphic footage of the tragic and brutal murder of George Floyd. That moment... Read more
The day after the weekend of protests in response to the summary and public police execution of George Floyd, a thoughtful, Christian Republican friend wrote on Facebook: Quick question to some of my fellow conservative friends: Have you ever taken the time and read anything on systematic oppression/racism? If not, perhaps take some time in the next couple of days and get familiar with the literature. I’m sure it will create more understanding and more productive conversations. I have long... Read more
With Memorial Day just a few days away, I’ve been reflecting on a conversation I had with a now-deceased parishioner who, along with more than 150,000 other soldiers, had stormed the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. While he lived to tell about it, he often jokingly acknowledged that he might have been killed had it not been for his short stature. “The bullets flew right over my head,” he confessed. “It was the only time in my life... Read more
When I was a little boy, in the early 60s, my father directed The Community School at Lincoln Elementary School in Kalamazoo. Lincoln School was in Kalamazoo’s predominantly black north side, literally just over the tracks from Kalamazoo’s predominantly white south side. My brother and I spent a lot of time at Lincoln school—every weekday in the summer and, during the school year, at least one evening a week and most Saturdays. We played basketball, raced around, took swimming lessons,... Read more
The prophet Isaiah depicts the dreadful and startling condition of humanity in chapter 59, verses nine to sixteen. Although he wrote this over 700 hundred years ago, its an accurate portrayal of our current society. “No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but... Read more
When I shared with friends and colleagues, two years ago, that I would be matriculating to Yale Divinity School, I received mixed reactions, to put it mildly. “What?? Why?! Do you want to be a priest?!” One colleague asked, on four separate occasions, “Wait, are you really religious? It’s religious studies??” It was as though she was testing me to see if I’d give the same answers with a glass of wine in hand as I would under the harsh... Read more
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