njnapier

What is “White Privilege?”

There is a video going viral of a 14 year old boy making an apology tour for “white privilege.” The video shows a young middle school aged kid reciting a poem at school in which he derides white privilege (thus bringing attention to it) while also refusing to abscond his privilege. Yes it’s a problem,Continue reading “What is “White Privilege?””

Have You Ever Woke Up White?

Have you ever work up and realized you’re white? I don’t mean have you gotten out of bed in the morning, brushed your teeth and stared at your Caucasian skin, noting blemishes, razor nicks or an unsightly new hair. I mean, have you ever woken up and REALIZED YOU ARE WHITE? Well. I haven’t either…untilContinue reading “Have You Ever Woke Up White?”

Hillary Clinton, Prophet of the Anthropocene

Today, as I listened to Hillary Clinton on the radio, I heard something profoundly more troubling than rote populist verbiage or party line politics. I heard her tout this statistic, and I paraphrase, “Our Economy is a 70% consumer economy; therefore, the more expendable income everyone has the better the economy can be for everyone.”Continue reading “Hillary Clinton, Prophet of the Anthropocene”

Jokers to the Left of Me, Clowns to the Right: Bernie and Business Rhetoric

There is one thing in particular that concerns me about the Bern Revolution: the carelessness of thought exhibited by many of its followers. More exactly, the disregard for understanding the many facets of business that are currently being demonized, particularly with the rhetoric used by Bernie’s campaign. All of a sudden, folks that have claimedContinue reading “Jokers to the Left of Me, Clowns to the Right: Bernie and Business Rhetoric”

Value Voting is Nonsense

Recently, the Atlantic published a column describing the transition of part of the American voting segment from value voters to voters of nostalgia. Christians who used to vote based on a candidates position on abortion, gay rights, euthanasia, pro-family, etc., have forgotten those values and are now voting for their identity as Americans. We haveContinue reading “Value Voting is Nonsense”

Death on Ash Wednesday: In Memoriam

James Napier was a man of stark truth. A man of black and white. His affability was matched by his billowing voice, a voice that was as inviting as it was stern and filled with rigid conviction. “When this old body takes its last breath…I’ll be at the right hand of the father…” He diedContinue reading “Death on Ash Wednesday: In Memoriam”

I Don’t Believe in Jesus

This is the newest rage…and by people far less intelligent than Magellan. (FTR, I support Magellan, Galileo and Copernicus) Just go onto any social media outlet and you’ll find people clanging the cymbals of disbelief. And not just disbelief in general (for which there may be justifiable cause) but disbelief in Jesus, his actual historicalContinue reading “I Don’t Believe in Jesus”

The Beauty of Love: Learning from Thomas Jay Oord

As the events at Northwest Nazarene University continue to unravel in the coming weeks, I wanted to offer some positive words about my good friend Tom Oord, and perhaps introduce him to those who know the man of the books, but could also benefit from knowing the man behind them. It was the year 2003Continue reading “The Beauty of Love: Learning from Thomas Jay Oord”

In Memoriam: Posthumous Lessons from my Boston Terrier, Jax

My little boy kept going over to the blind, opening it, and peering outside, to see if it had really happened. His mother would come behind him and close the blind again, trying to put a salve on the curious wound that had now been opened. He would not be deterred. Again and again, thisContinue reading “In Memoriam: Posthumous Lessons from my Boston Terrier, Jax”

It’s What YOU See

Have you ever ran across one of those quotes, or sayings, that no matter how hard you rack your brain the simplicity of the statement gets lost on you? Usually, I get lost when reading Hegel, Whitehead, or some other abstractly concrete thinker begging me to silence all the glowing screens and focus on theContinue reading “It’s What YOU See”