Conversations
from the
Middle of the Room
Open Conversations about Race and the Church
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Eddy Paul Thomas
- Jan 2
- 7 min
A Brief Look Back at 2020, Race, and the Church
2020 was the year that…well…hmmm. Let me start over. 2020 was a year of levels. Discovery, panic, prayer, trust, devastation…even hope. Because there were so many levels I could easily litter this article with biblical passages as we go, but I will instead encourage you to do the work of looking them up after reading. In some ways you could say that the great experiment called the United States was placed under a global microscope from both a secular and spiritual perspective
Eddy Paul Thomas
- Mar 26, 2020
- 3 min
Unshakable Faith, Unbreakable Spirit
It doesn’t take much to find sources of frustration or discouragement these days. Growing up as a kid in the ‘70s and ’80s, we had four main channels on the television for entertainment. It was a major breakthrough in 1986 when the Fox channel became a new source of entertainment with shows like The Simpsons and In Living Color. Today, we have thousands of channels to choose from…literally. Each with a little something for every interest on the planet. However, if you haven’t
Eddy Paul Thomas
- Feb 15, 2020
- 4 min
Two Olive Branches
I had a great conversation with a brother in Christ, named Mark, a year ago who genuinely wanted to know why racism is still such a big deal to minorities. His thought was that it was nearing 2020 and racism was not like it was in the '50s and '60s. In effect, he equated racism that minorities experience today to the acts of namecalling or picking on them according to their race. Mark was a fairly young man and I could understand how not taking the time to research our countr
Eddy Paul Thomas
- Jan 6, 2019
- 4 min
Hope Floats
Several years ago, I made the decision to leave the comfort of my home and travel to Louisville, Kentucky. At the time I was looking at different opportunities to coach college basketball, when suddenly, one of the largest hurricanes in US history made landfall. It was Hurricane Katrina and its trail of destruction and devastation had caught the attention of everyone in this country. More than 15 million people were affected by this brutal storm that left nearly 80% of New Or
Eddy Paul Thomas
- Aug 13, 2018
- 2 min
Would We Be Able to Recognize Our Savior?
Recently I was very fortunate to have a long discussion with a brother in Christ, while in Mexico. He asked me an interesting question. He said, "with more than 70% of the citizens of the US practicing Christianity, why is it so hard for people to get along up there?" Our discussion lasted late into the night and continued the following morning. It brought me back to a recurring question that rolls around in my mind from time to time. I often wonder if we, as people of faith
Eddy Paul Thomas
- May 15, 2018
- 4 min
Have We Become Too Comfortable?
Sometimes in life, it is very clear that certain events or people have been placed in our path for a specific reason. Often times those people or events happen to appear in our lives at a crossroads or in pivotal moments that help to refine our character. In those times, I am often challenged in my thinking and can often be presented with an opportunity to see things from a completely different perspective. It happened in my early years when I was fresh out of college and wor
Eddy Paul Thomas
- Jan 29, 2018
- 3 min
Looking Back Before I Step Forward
As I sat down in a local coffee shop and enjoyed the quite…a quiet that would soon be upended by the scraping of ice, the loading of furniture, and the negotiation between freezing weather and thick winter gloves…I happened to look down at my calendar and notice something odd. Between all of the Christmas celebrations, visits with family, and prepping for the big move to a new city, it had never hit me until that very moment that it was no longer 2017. There was so much packe
Eddy Paul Thomas
- Sep 28, 2017
- 9 min
Faith and Common Ground
Active listening is a communication technique often used by counselors, trainers, and/or specialists in conflict resolution. It is a practice that requires the listener to fully concentrate, understand, repeat back what was heard, and then remember what is being said. It’s a skill that we all possess and can be utilized in any number of situations to bring down the temperature in a heated room. It is a skill that I have mastered in writing up responses to emails or texts, but
Eddy Paul Thomas
- Aug 20, 2017
- 3 min
Look a Little Closer. What Do You See?
After witnessing the explosive events of Charlottesville, VA I just wanted to share a thought with those of you who care to read it all the way through. I can remember the intensity with which so many displayed intolerance towards Muslims last fall and even the beginning of this year because they could all be "terrorists." Supporting bans against those who might do the citizens of this great country harm. Supporting a wall to keep all the "rapists and drug dealers" out becaus
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