New Hope Blog
Interdependence
Think of the individuals who have shaped your life the most. Who were they? Was it a teacher, a coach, a parent or another family member? Although we speak of self-made individuals, the reality is that all of us have been shaped by our past and present relationships: whether for good, or for evil.
The Beatitudes: Virtues that Lead to Reconciliation
In the Beatitudes, Jesus did not forbid us from protesting injustice. It’s how we make our appeal that matters. We may appeal for justice, but we must also love our oppressor.
The Wicked Tenants
Why did Jesus die? This question is not meant as a theological question. What was the immediate cause of His death? When speaking of an “immediate cause,” we are looking at the final act in a series of provocations. What was Jesus saying or doing that led to his crucifixion?
Jesus and the Gentiles
With the recent spate of racial protests in many cities, and violence in others, some might think these racial issues are fictions conjured up by politicians or the media. The reality is that in-group bias and racial prejudice are pervasive, and as old as humanity.
Hosanna!!
With racial issues dominating our news as of late, I thought this would be a good time to explore what the Bible has to say about the subject. Actually, the Bible has a lot to say about race. Three main theological threads appear interwoven throughout scripture — one of those threads is racial reconciliation.
New Hope teaches children grit at Azalea Park
In the Azalea Park neighborhood of Lafayette, the New Hope Community Development of Acadiana works with children to offer just what its name says – new hope.
Fatherless Elephants
About five years ago, I came across a fascinating 60 Minutes story by Bob Simon that could easily serve as a modern day parable. In South Africa's Pilanesberg Park, an endangered species of white rhinos were thriving until an unknown killer began stalking them....
Our Forgotten Past
There was a person from Lafayette of historic significance who has gone virtually unnoticed: Christiana Gordon Smith. If you were to Google her name, you would find only nine results. Her name is not mentioned in any Civil Rights Museum. Every day, hundreds of...
New Hope News December 2014
With Open Arms December 2014 Volume 4, Issue 6 When we started our program four years ago, most of the 16 children in our program had significant anger...
New Hope News November 2014
The Lost Boys November 2014 Volume 4, Issue 5 In January 2013, one of our new students was a fourth grade boy, T. This little 10 year-old had been hanging...