Thursday, October 2, 2025

SojoMail - South African Christians know how to fight for democracy

In this week’s SojoMail: how South Africa’s past can help guide America’s future; unpacking worship at Charlie Kirk’s memorial; and an inside look at Gaza from a Palestinian journalist.

We Aren’t the First Christians To Face a Kairos Moment

Adam Russell Taylor writes that 40 years ago, South African Christians showed us how to resist repressive regimes and twisted theologies:

I first learned about the theological concept of kairos while studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa in 1996. South African faith leaders taught me that, as compared to chronos, or time as we know it and traditionally experience it, kairos moments are precipitated by times in which our current reality becomes so pernicious and fraudulent that God can create a moment of opportunity for propitious action and transformation.

As I think about the alarming things we’ve seen in the U.S. this year, I’m increasingly sensing that we are in the midst of a kairos moment. Further signs came to a head this past week with the horror of five mass shootings in one weekend, a costly government shutdown, and an alarming and bizarre summoning of 800 generals and admirals to the White House in which President Donald Trump pledged to dangerously misuse the military to come after the “enemy from within.”

We are not the first nation or the first Christians to face a kairos moment. In July 1985, South Africa was in an even deeper crisis. Though the two nations and the struggles we face are not identical, I see echoes of South Africa as the MAGA movement and Trump administration stoke fears around crime, immigration, and public safety as a pretense.

Read the full article

Forum for Theological Exploration Slot 1

Our Latest Stories

Woe to Politicians Who Call Nonviolence Violent (by Mitchell Atencio)

Telling soldiers to lay down their guns and calling for nonviolent protests are not “inciting violence,” regardless what authoritarians may claim.

At Charlie Kirk’s Memorial, Worship Took a Backseat to Trump (by Darren Saint-Ulysse)

There may have been hope in Jesus at the memorial that day. But it had to wait until President Trump received the glory that he felt he was due.

Looking at Life Through the Eyes of Gaza (by Josiah R. Daniels)

Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad talks about her life in Gaza after the events of October 7, what we don’t see on TV, and solidarity with Palestinians.

From the Magazine: Want To Understand RFK Jr.? Consider The Three Stooges (by Ed Spivey Jr.)

The good news, our humor columnist writes, is that we should start laughing any minute now.

Advertisements

Mayflower Chronicles: The Tale of TWO Cultures

Accurate history matters. Reconsider Thanksgiving through the real people, real events, and realistic conversations among desperate Separatists and suspicious Indigenous people watching them explore Turtle Island in 1620. Typical teachings about the ‘first’ Thanksgiving skip over the most important result of the encounters that changed a continent.

Join Us for Rooted to Rise: An Evening Retreat & Celebration

Experience a taste of nature-attuned mindful practice, dinner, drinks, and joyful community at Rooted to Rise—marking 10 years of The Center for Spirituality in Nature. All are welcome on Thursday, Nov. 13, 6-9 pm at the Friends Meeting House of Washington, D.C. Tickets are limited!

Asian American Christian Collaborative (AACC) Conference 2025

In a world that often isolates, God calls us into community. That’s why we’re gathering at the AACC Conference — to unite Asian American Christians to grow in faith, reconnect with identity, and lead with greater purpose! Join us October 27-29, 2025 in D.C. for a powerful three day experience.

Donate