Jonathan Merritt - On Faith and Culture
Culture

The Gay, Conservative Christian Who Might Be Trump’s NATO Ambassador

“I am writing to tell you that I am gay and I am a Christian.”

That was the opening line of the letter Richard Grenell, a former United Nations official, sent his evangelical parents when he decided to come out in 1999. He had kept his sexual orientation a secret from them for years, but after he fell in love with his now-longtime partner, he knew it was time to get his personal life in order.

President Trump reportedly plans to nominate Grenell to be his ambassador to NATO, a position that would make Grenell the highest-ranking gay man in the new administration, and arguably the most visible gay Christian in America. Yet his appointment could potentially influence more than the country’s ties to the military alliance—by pushing conservative Christians to reconsider their approach to LGBT rights and equality.

CONTINUE READING. . . 

April 27, 2017by Jonathan
FacebookTwitterPinterestGoogle +Stumbleupon
Culture, Media

Watch This Stunning Illustration Of Religious Peacemaking From Tribeca Film Festival

A Hasidic Jewish man approaches a Muslim man on the streets of New York City. It sounds like the opening line to an inappropriate joke, but it’s actually a scene in a campaign put out by Tribeca Film Festival called “See Yourself in Others.” The stunning one-minute short film, which is posted below, features a diverse group of people walking around Manhattan wearing mirrored boxes on their heads to make the point that peacemaking begins when we learn to empathize with “the other.”

I was so impressed by this provocative short that I tracked down the director, Jared Knecht. Still in his twenties, he has already compiled an impressive resume with clients ranging from Redbull to Victoria’s Secret, and Compassion International to Crossway. Knecht’s short film “Skumaskot,” shot on location in Iceland, was a selection at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. (It’s stunning, and you should watch it too.)

Here we discuss the imagery featured in this campaign and why he believes society is failing to foster empathy.

CONTINUE READING. . .

April 27, 2017by Jonathan
FacebookTwitterPinterestGoogle +Stumbleupon

Learning to Speak God From Scratch

Coming August 2018. Pre-order today.
Subscribe to hear from me each week on the top 5 religion stories.
Jonathan Merritt

Trending Posts

On Instagram

  • “When people stop ‘speaking God’ because they don’t like what these words have come to mean and the way they’ve been used, those who are causing the problem get to hog the microphone.” . Check out my newest column on “Christianity’s quiet crisis” in today’s @nytimes. I show that spiritual conversations have been in decline for decades and argue why that’s a problem—especially now, in Trump’s America. . You can read it now at the LINK IN BIO or pick up an old school paper version and read it with a cup of joe in your Mickey Mouse mug like @roxyleestone.
  • The Merritt boys are representing in Death Valley today. #GoDawgs *Editor’s note: A previous version of this article made false statements predicting a win for the bulldogs. The post has been changed to reflect the actual outcome. We regret the error.*
  • Some days are not smile days. They are stone-faced days. They are scowl days. They are grit-your-teeth-until-you-can-turn-the-corner-and-bawl days. And, for the love of God, we need to get on Instagram and talk as much about the latter kind of days as we do the former. . I’m weary of scrolling through everyone’s beautifully-curated perfection—even though I know deep down that it’s probably a facade—and feeling guilty for my chaotic existence. And I’m even more tired of posting my own smile-day photos on crappy days like today just because I want all of you to like me. Or worst, because I want to like myself. . Today was not a smile day for me. No, it was a day on which the dark clouds of depression blotted out the sunshine and the jarring vibrations of anxiety kept knocking me off my high-horse. . Today was also #WorldMentalHealthDay, and ironically, the day when I met with my counselor—a sassy Jewish octogenarian who keeps telling me that I need to feel my feelings when all I want to do is run from them and get on social media and lie about how I really feel. . But today—per my counselor’s request—I’m going to give it a rest. I’m going to post an unfiltered picture that wasn’t taken by a photographer in which my precious hair is cropped out and my repeatedly bleached teeth aren’t showing and my crow’s feet haven’t been photoshopped and my untrimmed gray beard hair is screaming that I’m every bit of 36. . And I’m doing this because I know you need it as much as I do. Countless people out there haven’t had a smile day since God knows when. You’re standing in a dark room feeling like you’re the only person alive and convinced that no one sees you. But I see you. Because I’m standing in that dark room right beside you and I’ve been there long enough that my eye’s have adjusted. So on this day—whatever kind of day it’s been for you—squint to see me in the darkness and let it remind you that you’re not alone.
  • “Mister Rogers was right. There is no person in this world like you. And you have been created and called to love your ‘neighbor’, whether they are nestled in a house across the street or languishing in a refugee camp a million miles away. . “Some in our culture believe we become stronger by being more inward-focused. That building walls and closing borders is better than the biblical mandate to invite all to the table. . But when it comes to neighborliness, we are connected by need, not nearness. We are bound to each other by humanity, not just proximity. If we began to understand ‘neighbor’ in this way, it would be a beautiful day in our global neighborhood.” - #speakgodbook . See LINK IN BIO for the full episode on what Americans think “neighbor” mean in my YouTube short series.
  • I am a sexual abuse survivor, so the last couple of weeks were a little triggering for me. Hearing victims recount their trauma has a way of forcing me to relive mine. . The temptation is for me to look away, to shrink back, to put my fingers in my ears and hum a tune until it’s all over. But I’ve decided instead to turn all my angst outward, to funnel my energy into stirring up courage and passion in the hearts of other God-speakers. . Linguist Claude Hagèège once told The New York Times that the future of any language “depends on the will of their speakers to maintain their use.” the language of faith is fading in America at a moment when we desperately need it. . We need people who are willing to use courageous moral language. We need people who are willing to publicly articulate an ethical vision for a more just and compassionate future. . I’ve been encouraged as I’ve traveled the country and have met many who refuse to stop “speaking God.” These God-speakers include teenagers, college students, young professionals, parents, and grandparents who know we must commit to stay engaged and not just enraged. They give me hope that our country can one day recover from this present darkness. . Wherever you are and whatever you’re feeling, hear me: keep standing, keep speaking, keep loving, keep praying, keep moving your mouth despite the desire to run like the wind. The future depends on you. . LINK IN BIO to #speakgodbook
  • Two of the strongest and most frequent themes in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament are goodness and remembrance. . The Israelites were constantly told to remember the goodness of the Lord their God. And the disciples of Jesus were given a meal to remember the paradoxically good gift of the cross. . This week, the world was gifted two fantastic books on these topics. @anniefdowns has written #RememberGod, which is a personal and powerful piece of literature that should not be missed. @lukenors has written #godovergood, which helps us understand goodness and it’s rightful place in our lives. . DO NOT miss these titles, which are available wherever fine books are sold.

Follow Jonathan

TAGS

Art Bible books Christian Christianity christians church Controversy Culture Death Donald Trump ethics Evangelical evangelicalism Evangelicals family Film gay marriage Gender gospel History Homosexuality Jesus Jesus Christ Jonathan Merritt justice LGBT Love Marriage Merritt Ministry Music politics Race Racism religion Russell Moore Scandal Scripture Sex Sexuality Southern Baptist Convention theology trends War