Last December, I finally took the time to listen to the audiobook for R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface. By that time, enough reviews had been written to learn that most opinions about the book were similar to her past work including The Poppy Wars and Babel. However, when I completed my first listen, I agreed with some of the more negative reviews: hastily ended chapters, foreboding that never gets addressed, and weak metaphors.  Given that The Poppy Wars and Babel are its predecessors, it makes sense that a satirical novel criticizing cultural appropriation in the publishing industry followed sui ..read more

In this three-part series, Pastor Elizabeth Pule delves into a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of community life: the inclusion of individuals and families affected by autism within the church. This first article explores the Pule’s personal journey with autism and challenges the reader to reconsider perspectives on inclusion with the church community. “Oh God, please let this be a peaceful session,” was my regular prayer before our son’s weekly speech therapy appointment.   Before Samuel was even diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, he was enrolled in a “quick start” program ..read more

On January 16, 2024, Dave Ferguson met with Geoff Patterson, senior pastor of the Boulder Seventh-day Adventist Church in Colorado, and Mark Johnson, its board chair. Ferguson and his husband, Peter, had been part of the congregation for almost a year, and he felt it was appropriate to request to transfer his membership there. “Is this going to be a problem?” Ferguson (pictured) recalled asking the two church leaders.   They didn’t think so. “We have probably been more welcoming than most Adventist churches,” Johnson said of the church’s acceptance of LGBTQ people.  Less than a ..read more

For the 2023-2024 school year, Southern Adventist University added a new section to the undergraduate student handbook addressing off-campus behaviors including dancing. On page five, under the heading, “Do the Standards Apply Off Campus?”, the handbook added the following: “Off-campus behaviors such as imbibing in alcoholic beverages, using drugs, selling or manufacturing illicit substances, dancing, or fighting (in organized sporting events or otherwise) may result in sanctions for the involved students.” Students reacted with concern, frustration, and dismissal. I spoke with junior public r ..read more

Have you ever tried to hold water in your hands? There is a balance to maximizing the amount you hold. Obviously you have to support it by cupping your hands together and creating a stable place for the water to rest. However, if you make a fist and squeeze tightly, the liquid will run through your fingers. You’ll wind up with a wet hand, but very little water to show for your effort. We learn this lesson as young children. Not everything can be gripped tightly if you want to keep it. This is especially true when talking about relationships with other people. Whether it’s a romantic relationsh ..read more

The Word of God has the ability to transform not only our personal lives but our world as well. This week’s Adult Bible Study Guide dives into that idea. I was raised in a home that taught the Bible. Memorizing scripture and developing a devotional life was instilled within us at an early age. But the Bible truly came alive for me during my teen years in youth group. We had started a Bible study group called “spiritual disciplines.” We would open up a Bible story, read it verse by verse asking questions along the way. This study became part of our prep for a mission trip to Guatemala, and if w ..read more

Spectrum announces a special series in June led by staff correspondent Kevin McCarty who has completed an MA in Indigenous & Inter-Religious Studies at Vancouver School of Theology.  It will feature a special partnership with Neibow Wabusk (Campbell Page), DMin, RP, CSCP, of the Moose Cree and Red River Métis Nations, the Indigenous Relations Director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada.  During the month of June, which is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, we plan to theme each week’s content along the teachings of the medicine wheel. With the Creator at the ..read more

From April 21-23, 2024, the North American Division Youth and Young Adult committee, composed of members and invitees from the congregation, conference, union, and division levels, gathered to define trajectory, develop methods of engagement, and vote on policies for all youth and young adult ministries in the division. I joined the gathering as an invitee and had the privilege of being in “the room where it happens.” This year’s meeting took place at Glacier View Ranch in Colorado—in the same room, it turned out, where in 1980, Desmond Ford was dismissed from Adventist leadership for his chal ..read more

Dear Representative Raskin, Senator Cardin, and Senator Van Hollen, We are student leaders and faculty directors at the Center for Law and Public Policy at Washington Adventist University, supporting the University on public issues. Along with many people from around the world, we unequivocally condemn the violent and brutal acts of violence and slaughter perpetrated on October 7 by Hamas terrorists against civilian targets in Israel. We believe that through this violent attack, and other acts of terrorism which underscores its commitment to the extermination of the state of Israel, Hamas has ..read more

Many Adventists are interested in truth and have long advocated for “present truth” in their teachings. Jan Long, a recent director of Institutional Research at La Sierra University, wrote a book explaining that an unexamined faith is not worth holding, helping readers develop a process for assessing sacred narratives and discovering truth. Though the book is written by an Adventist, it is not only for Adventist readers.  Long argues that truth is a process rather than a destination. And that process is more important than simple belief. He begins with this assumption: whatever it is we b ..read more