The liberation of letting go of my self-image. Choosing to engage in the effort to dismantle racism promises to bring … More
Category: faith
#WakingUpWhite Chapter 31: Courageous Conversations
Learning to listen and speak across differences Before I start into this chapter, I wanted to update this series on … More
Sliding Away from Relevancy
If you haven’t been tracking the news, there’s been a dust-up in the American Evangelical world. An influential publishing outfit … More
What Is the Home That Shuts Its Doors to You?
ETA: I misnamed Ms. Ally Henny in this article & have corrected it. My apologies for misnaming her. I follow … More
When You Fall
I write and edit for a living, and I write for fun. I have a few novels in progress, with … More
Of Course I’m Racist
I don’t think I’ve ever been called a racist—not because I’m not, but because the people in my life are … More
#WakingUpWhite Chapter 30: Feelings and the Culture of Niceness
It’s been a while since my last post (7/29/19!). I’ve been busy over the summer, far busier than I expected. … More
A Non-Traditional Blessing
Text composed by Sister Ruth Fox, OSB, from the Sacred Heart Monastery in Richardton, North Dakota, in 1985.
#WakingUpWhite Chapter 29: Intent and Impact
The process of “waking up white” isn’t just to be aware of whiteness. It is to wake up, and then to leave it. To go to something that’s better and more life-affirming and full of health. And to not even be sure where the destination is, but with the calm assurance that it’s out there.
Moral Switzerlands
This is a prescient verse from 3000 years or so ago: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve … More
The Voices Are Coming from Inside the House
Before this day in 1957, Hazel Massery (white) had never met Elizabeth Eckford (Black). After this day, they did not … More
#WakingUpWhite Chapter 28: I Am the Elephant
This chapter explores the meaning behind not only identifying as white (which is simple enough when we check off the … More
Juneteenth, Reparations, and What Do I Do About It?
Today is June 19th, a day when we remember that our American experiment with freedom included over 200 years of … More
#WakingUpWhite Chapter 27: Living into Expectations
This was a fascinating chapter for me, in that I hadn’t really dived into this before: what is it that … More
#WakingUpWhite Chapter 25: Belonging
This chapter is about the tendency of white folks to feel like they belong everywhere. Ms. Irving focuses on the school environment, because she was a volunteer or participant at so many levels, including being on committees to help bring about and embrace “diversity.”
News and Updates
So here’s what’s going down… Some of you might know that I’ve been thinking about and writing about issues of … More
There Are No Racists
I’m involved in a group that’s digging into American white racism, and I gotta say, there are times when I … More
#WakingUpWhite Chapter 17: My Good People
“How it was possible that I was both a ‘good person’ and utterly clueless.” It’s possible because being “good” does … More
#WakingUpWhite Chapter 16: Logos and Stereotypes
“The monumental cognitive task of processing the millions of pieces of information that flood us daily requires that we sort … More
A Reminder: Welcome to Our Muslim Neighbors
Note: I first wrote this when I was asked to give the community welcome to the Muslim community in our … More
Enough
If you don’t know by know I’m a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, then I’ve done a damned poor … More
#WakingUpWhite Chapter 15: The Whole Story
“One of the most powerful tools of racism is stories.” More broadly, all history is stories, sometimes told in a … More
#Waking Up White Chapter 13: Invisibility
“We were pushed hard to be cognizant of what we did and did not notice. And most importantly, why?” This … More
Hope
“Hope always breaks my heart. And yet hope always restores my soul.” One of the difficulties of any endeavor is … More
Lenten Lamentations
I don’t usually participate in Lent, the season marking the weeks before Jesus’ last days. It’s kinda “churchy” and I … More
Getting From A to B
It was a hard day today. I spent much of it reflecting upon the journey and upon my words and … More
Words and Deeds
This is short today, and a freebie: it matters that we use words. It matters that we listen to what … More