Sara Kyoungah White’s meditation on a polluted creek in our November/December issue struck our readers as “mournful” but also “deeply moving” and “hopeful.”
“I live near Plaster Creek and used to ride my bike on the path described by the author until erosion caused it to crumble,” wrote one woman on Instagram. She expressed her gratitude for the work of Calvin University, whose community has helped coordinate cleanup efforts. “They installed our rain garden and so many others in our neighborhood.”
Other readers shared their own creation-care efforts. On his family farm in northern Ohio, Jim, a retired clergyman, is planting trees along the Little Scioto River and removing invasive plants. “I wish I could write like you to tell the story of my land,” he said. “I see it as part of the watershed, and what I do affects everything else.”
The problems of river pollution aren’t unique to the Midwest. “We have many dairies in our larger Columbia Basin that are so rich in manure and are a threat to our water,” wrote Grace from Washington State. “Here in Kennewick, we have the Hanford Nuclear reservation, which is also a big threat. But there are some grassroots things we can do. Just knowing there are many others who care about our water and world being clean and healthy, for us and the wild, is a happy thing. And yes, it matters to God too.”
Kate Lucky, Senior Editor, engagement & culture
Recovery Ministries Try to Help Portland Get Clean
Measure 110, which decriminalized hard drugs, was a disaster and reflected secular society’s refusal to recognize evil. Fortunately, progress was made with the recriminalization of drugs last April. I am thankful for Christian organizations such as Union Gospel Mission, Blanchet House, CityTeam, and Portland Rescue Mission, which provide successful rehabilitation programs.
Charles Felton, Hillsboro, OR
I’m Estranged from My Parents. I Still Love Them.
I wish Carrie McKean well as she pursues recovery from her abusive childhood, yet there are many vulnerable young people and their families (and I know some) who need to be alerted to the dangers of indiscriminate estrangement, distancing, or severing.
Christine A. Jones, Carlsbad, CA
I have been an orphan since I was 11 years old because of the civil war in Liberia. One of the people accused of killing my mother was a close family member that I pursued for 34 years and finally got in contact with last year. It was worth it. Forgiveness was my goal, though reconciliation has proven elusive. A few years ago, I started an organization called WeRECONCILE. Our mission is to help fathers and mothers reconcile with their estranged adult children. We are in the pilot phase of the program with a few families this year, and it’s going well.
Marcus Doe, Tucson, AZ
Very beautiful article. I estranged myself for a time from my father once and, though necessary, it was deeply wrenching. An ongoing grief.
Dianne Tucker (Facebook)
For those of us who survived years of abuse or neglect, causing us to question for some time whether God was real or with us—and those of us who found healthy family and healing in the church and the gospel but still, in the same church, found many people who could not comprehend what we had gone through—this piece toes the lines of our hearts tenderly, and I am glad it was published.
@alexeamcmahan (Instagram)
Never read an article until now that captures so well the complexities of estrangement in a Christian family. Echoes so much of what I’ve wrestled with over the years, being estranged from my parents after trying so many ways to “walk on eggshells,” set boundaries, and otherwise make it work.
@nate-meyers.bsky.social (Bluesky)
What to Salvage from Fundamentalism
I appreciated Reynolds’s tactful and respectful observations about changes in theological viewpoints. I grew up accepting the Scofield dispensational views and am aware that the present generation has largely rejected them. I wonder why. Perhaps Richard Mouw’s book gave reasons, but I have no access to that work and would welcome a simple explanation behind the prevailing view. Is the rejection based upon more conformity to modern society or upon later biblical exegesis? A dispensational view does not automatically result in extreme separatism—or does it?
Wendell Kent, Colorado Springs, CO
Twenty-five years ago, he may have had a point. These days, fundamentalists have just rebranded themselves evangelicals; there is not enough of a distinction.
Lisa Cawyer (Facebook)
Winning the Pro-Life Battles, Losing the Persuasion War
Don’t forget that Brown v. Board of Education was an unpopular Supreme Court ruling when it was handed down.
Martin Backus (Facebook)
Behind the Scenes
Toward the end of the editing process for my essay “I’m Estranged from My Parents. I Still Love Them.”, my paternal grandmother died. As I separated myself from my parents, she was my fiercest defender, despite aching for her son. For years, I’d worried what I would do when she died—attend the funeral and risk a highly charged encounter with my parents or skip it to keep the peace? I thought I’d settled it: I would honor my grandmother without being physically present.
The week of her funeral, I was in an intense round of edits. The timing felt unbearable. My editor kept the process moving by asking gently probing questions that took me deeper into my own emotional journey.
I knew my grandma would want me to tell my story, so I persisted. As I did, I experienced fresh healing. As I recalled fraught relational moments, God’s faithfulness at every turn stood out. He never abandoned me to my grief and loss; why should I expect any less now? Not going to Grandma’s funeral would only indulge my fear and desire for control.
I called my brother, and we bought plane tickets within the hour. The next day, I turned in my final draft. Then we traveled to Washington and spent four restorative days with extended family. My parents didn’t attend the funeral for reasons of their own, which left me sadder than expected. But I did see God’s faithfulness, which I might have missed but for a writing deadline.
Carrie McKean, freelance writer
This article appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of Christianity Today as "Open Dialogue".
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