Between Others’ Expectations & Personal Awe: Fatherhood in 2023
When does fatherhood begin? Is it when the baby is born or while it is developing in the womb? It doesn’t matter. What truly matters is being present in the fullest sense of the word. Father’s Day has come and gone. This year, it fell just over a month after my son’s first birthday. So, it’s my second Father’s Day with him in the outside world. There is so much to reflect upon regarding what has transpired so far. But I will limit these reflections to two areas where I’ve encountered challenges. This is fatherhood in 2023. Time for Another One?Before
Haitian Adventism and the Evolving Landscape of Technology, AI, and Virtual Reality
Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent shutdowns of public gathering spaces, the North American Haitian Seventh-day Adventist Church (NAHSDAC; particularly the northeastern segment) had recognized the significance of digital platforms, particularly YouTube, in the evolving landscape of church and technology. However, it was not a focal point of their engagement, serving more as a peripheral nod to emerging trends. While most services were recorded and live-streamed, the majority of congregants still attended in person, with limited attention given to the online presence. Notably, older members of the church, less familiar with digital platforms, may not have been actively
A Fun Review of a Book on 15 New Testament Words
Nijay K. Gupta (PhD, University of Durham) has published his 15 New Testament Words of Life: A New Testament Theology for Real Life. Gupta describes his intentions as not adding to the already large and voluminous body of similarly crafted approaches in works available under the New Testament theology banner, but something different. How different? “This book, 15 New Testament Words of Life, is my attempt to make a case that the New Testament is riveting, divinely inspired collection of writings on love, peace, hope, friendship, generosity, and more” (xv). Riveting? Is Gupta making things up? When was the last time
Haitian Adventism & Christmas
DISCUSSING HAITIAN ADVENTISM AND CHRISTMAS opens up a forum for a wider conversation on how this religious community views and approaches what it typically categorizes as secular festivities of pagan origin. Highlighting Christmas has more to do with the time of these reflections as opposed to the holiday being of some greater degree of secularization than others. I can easily talk about Easter and Thanksgiving but the general ideas shared below would be applicable to all. As I have articulated elsewhere, seeing that I’m of the North American Haitian Seventh-day Adventist church (NAHSDAC) community, my reflections are limited to what is