Every day we watch it unfold and seem stunned and surprised by the brazenness, the arrogance, the vanity, the cruelty.

But American evangelicalism’s intoxication with power began long before this. Honestly, I’m more surprised when I see displays of humility.

I’ve been working with these dynamics for more than two decades, mostly among church leaders. For as much progress as I thought we made, I’ve seen a doubling down for the sake of power, persona, platform, patriotism. We’re addicts not yet r…

Every time I feel the pain of a person who has rejected me—in either a subtle or stunning fashion—I name three people who haven’t. I name three people who care consistently. I stretch fingers to my forehead and mark myself with a cross. With body and memory, I recall the vast web of love that surrounds me. Even when some strands seem knotted or lost, the web holds.