Some years ago, I met President Obama while he was visiting Seattle. In my mind, I had envisioned the opportunity to share some heartfelt convictions that would dramatically impact President Obama and alter the trajectory of his leadership, presidency, and country. Go big or go home, right? 

Unfortunately, the chance for a long conversation wasn’t to be. If I’d had that opportunity, I was hoping to talk policies, justice, human dignity, womb to tomb, family, marriage, compare pictures of our kids, and challenge him to a one-on-one basketball game.

However, the meeting was a few minutes in a small group. When folks were introduced at this smaller gathering, they all had “important” titles. I was simply introduced as “Eugene Cho,” and I’m certain many were asking, “Who is this and why is he here?” In fact, President Obama himself had a puzzled look as he said, “Hello, Eugene.” So, I introduced myself to him and explained that I was a pastor in Seattle and was also involved with humanitarian work through One Day’s Wages. We chit-chatted briefly about stuff, but there is something I remember specifically, and I doubt I’ll ever forget this portion of our conversation—even and especially if I disagree with him on certain policies.

I shared with President Obama that I occasionally but regularly prayed for him, and he responded, “Thank you, Pastor Eugene. I really appreciate that. Can you also please pray for my wife and children? Pray for their protection.”

His demeanor changed. Perhaps I overanalyzed all the nonverbal cues, but then again, I’m a pastor and after (then) twenty-one years of doing ministry, you develop a “pastoral sense.” I genuinely sensed his gratitude for prayer and his request for prayer for his family.

Even now, I vividly remember that short conversation…

Public discourse today can be toxic, even when Christians are involved. 

If you want to learn how to model Christlike behavior when discussing controversial issues, Eugene Cho’s book, Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk: A Christian’s Guide to Engaging Politics, is a good place to start. 

As a young Christ-follower, he was told that good Christians should vote Republican. Then, as a pastor in progressive Seattle, he heard that if you were a real, justice-minded Christian, you must vote Democratic. 

In truth, Cho writes, Christians should find their identity in the gospel rather than their politics. Political positions are important, but so is how we engage people with different views. 

“We are called to love one another, including those who don’t look like us, feel like us, think like us . . . or vote like us,” Cho writes. 

He sets forth the basic principles of the book in ten chapters with commandment-style titles such as “Thou Shalt Love God and Love People.” 

Collectively, they form a biblical set of principles for honoring God while venturing into our rough-and-tumble public square.

Read “Prayer with the president,” an excerpt from Thou Shalt Not Be a Jerk.

Ahmaud Arbery would have turned twenty-six last Friday. People across the US commemorated his life by running 2.23 miles, referencing the day he died.

A former high school football star, he was jogging near his home on the outskirts of Brunswick, Georgia, on Sunday, February 23. According to authorities, he was shot and killed after being pursued by two white men with guns. 

The men were charged last Thursday with murder and aggravated assault, two days after a shocking video of the shooting of Mr. Arbery became public. This tragedy is raising once again the specter of racism in our culture. 

Coronavirus as a metaphor for racism 

Administration officials announced Saturday that three members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, would self-quarantine after contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19. Let’s take a moment to consider the pervasiveness of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as a metaphor for racism. 

Both are unseen in a person’s life until they become symptomatic. Both can infect people who do not recognize symptoms of the disease in their lives and thus think they are free of infection. Both often produce symptoms that worsen over time. And both can infect people who become carriers who infect others. 

A year ago, I wrote a white paper that examines the issue of racism in depth. I reported that slavery began in the New World in 1619 when the first group of African slaves arrived at Jamestown, Virginia. Many Europeans argued that Africans were inferior and declared that they were better off enslaved by whites…