Jasmine Holmes and I recorded our conversation on race, religion, and relevance back on March 13, the day when the United States began to shut down due to COVID-19. Nearly two months later, I hate how timely the release of this podcast proved to be with the leaked video and muder charges in the death of Ahmaud Arbery.

Holmes’s new book, Mother to Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope, compiles letters written by Jasmine to her firstborn son, Wynn. She frames the book theologically by the already/not yet: longing for his freedom to grow up like any other boy, but fearing dangers unique to living in the United States with brown skin.

I admire how Holmes seeks in the power of the gospel to transcend our cultural, religious, political, and ethnic tribes, even if it means she’s called everything from a cultural Marxist to an Uncle Tom. Listen in on Gospelbound as we discuss all the easy topics from politics to race to police brutality to abortion and everything else you’re not supposed to bring up in polite company.