The expression “right to life” in abortion discussions is very potent. Although popularized by Pope Pius XII in 1951, the phrase currently brings to mind the modern ultra-sound image of the unborn. Pro-Life advocates would view the premature removal of … Continue reading →
Continue reading →From age 14-21 Larry worked at his uncle’s grocery store which served Charlotte’s first housing project.
Larry’s experiences there allowed him to transcend the segregation of the city, and step into a culture not his own.
To this day, these memories are fond and impactful.
Continue reading →As a young minister in the 1970’s, Larry became a witness to fake news gone viral, twenty years before the modern internet.
In their desire to defend religious freedom of speech, many preachers and pastors were “rushing to print” with false claims which continue until the present.
The original article was clearly bogus, unattributed, and embarrassing. This should have served as an instructive moment for the evangelical community. Apparently, it did not.
Continue reading →As Deacon of Multicultural Ministry in a well-established Charlotte church, I take my mission very seriously. Yet as a Christian traumatized by the overt racism in my land, I often don’t know where to begin. One year ago I could … Continue reading →
Continue reading →When President Donald Trump chose Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA to deliver a graduation speech, the school’s leaders were elated.
According to University President Jerry Falwell, Jr., President Trump is a “dream president” for evangelicals.
Not all of the 65,000 “distance learners” would agree, including Ivan Herrán, a church deacon and facilitator for incoming community college students. Ivan has not found the Trumpian message or agenda particularly helpful to the Hispanic community.
In addition to working full-time, Ivan has earned a Biblical studies and counseling degree from Liberty, and will attend the 2017 graduation. The irony of having President Trump as his graduation speaker has not gone unnoticed.
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Larry is committed to the “Greater We”, embracing and celebrating our nation’s diverse backgrounds and cultural histories.
However, raised during the 50’s and 60’s, strict racial segregation was a way of life in the South.
As Black History Month ends, Larry recalls a time of “we-they thinking” in this honest, confessional reflection of his formative years, believing that there is much to be learned from the past, as long as we are not willing to repeat it.
Continue reading →Larry was once taught that the institutional church and the kingdom of God were the same. Experience, however, has taught him differently. Larry grew up during racial segregation. Being a church leader involved in Hispanic outreach has resurfaced old questions about social responsibility.
Continue reading →Larry opens his heart on behalf of the status of immigrant families now victimized by an environment of fear and hate.
Continue reading →Illegitimate means “not authorized by the law; not in accordance with accepted standards or rules. Example: “an illegitimate exercise of power.”
Legality and Legitimacy are not always the same thing, Larry explains in this analysis of the Trump campaign and of the first four full days of the Trump presidency.
Continue reading →A lifetime student of the life of Jesus, Larry believes that Jesus’ interaction with a Samaritan woman and her community is the purest example of evangelism — sharing the good news message of love and hope across cultural boundaries. However, Jesus probably would not call himself an Evangelical. Larry explains why in this reflection on two Samaritan villages.
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