musings
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US and our empty gestures — The Won Percent
This blog post is so powerful, and speaks so deeply into my heart, and is just so much where I am right now that I wanted to reblog it here. Many, many thanks to the blog The Won Percent for this dive into the human soul. Take the time to go visit the original post. https://youtube.com/watch?v=yTbOhsvA4WE%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26fs%3D1%26autohide%3D2%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent “We’re Americans” Hands Across America fell far short of its $50 million goal.Somehow, singing, “Divided we fall, United we stand, Hands across America,” didn’t put an end to our homeless epidemic. Go figure. Did they end hunger in America? Of course not. But did they call attention to the problem, and get some volunteers…
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Lenten Lament 4 #Lent2019
A reminder that toxicity and destruction are directed against many of the beloved. A reminder that we all must continue in the pursuit of justice and peace. via Lenten Lament 4 #Lent2019
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Hope
“Hope always breaks my heart. And yet hope always restores my soul.” One of the difficulties of any endeavor is that there is just no guarantee of success. A journey is not like a recipe, where, if you put in the right ingredients at the right time, mix it in the right way, and bake it for the right amount of time, you’ll get, barring any spectacular issues, the thing that you expected. A cake recipe makes a cake, a pie recipe makes a pie, a cashew chicken recipe makes a decent plate of food for a dinner, a dinner that I’m eating right now. The journey, tho? No guarantees…
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Guest link – #SeminaryWhileBlack
This is a link to a blog I follow—The Won Percent—and I want to note, upfront, that I am not promoting the hashtag #SeminaryWhileBlack. That would be presumptuous of me, not to mention appropriative. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the post, especially as I read accounts from students at seminaries who discover that their texts are usually from the same source—European men. It’s critical that we have a broader view of theology than just what was created in cold North climes. There is a tremendous need for something more that what’s been traditionally offered. And the quote from Carter Woodson, from the 1920s, is just killer: In schools of theology Negroes…
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I’m Just Here to Dance
I had an interesting question the other day: are Christians good? The subject came up because there is a defense offered by some Christians (and some people outside the faith, I imagine) that we Christians are “good” by dint of the Savior redeeming us from sin. We are given a new, God-inspired and -directed nature. Our sins and our past are washed way into the sea of forgiveness. We have God’s very Spirit in us to remind us and prompt us and even empower us. We can move through love into the Kingdom… All the theology comes to mind, and I could write like this for a long time without…
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Trying Every Doorknob
What do I do about the things that I see that I think aren’t right? What do I do about the situations where injustice occurs, where oppression is maintained, where there is no room for the human and the person and the needs to be understood, much less addressed? So much is a giant system that is rolling on unchecked, and all I have are these small tools and weak commitments that are easily broken by adamant obstacles...
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It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way
You know, as we get older our sleep cycles shift. Used to be that I could sleep straight through, night after night, for six hours. In bed by 11pm, up at 5am, without an alarm clock. Fairly predictable. Things have changed—without my desire!—so that my sleeping patterns are irregular. I am desperate to get to bed before 9pm, I sleep until 1 am, and then I’m wide awake until 5am, where I sleep another hour then I’m up for the day. I don’t spend my time in bed tossing and turning. That does no good. I’m up. I’m thinking. I’m woke. I read, and sometimes I write. But recently I…
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Waking Up White, Introduction
Debby Irving mentions her childhood in a privileged New England family. An interesting article was posted Thursday by the New Bedford Historical Society, about Black Native American whaling captains. Notice the reference to Moby Dick. Interesting, nearly 1600 whaling trips originated at Martha’s Vineyard from 1715 to 1928. A Black Native American friend of ours descends from the Algonquin who met the pilgrims at Plymouth in 1620. He married a white friend of ours of Danish heritage. He also has Navajo heritage. Both have been Baha’is for almost 50 years. https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2018/08/16/whaling-captains-diversity-flourished
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Ruminations on Acts 4–Do Before You Speak
I don’t often write up my thoughts as I read the Christian scriptures. Though I’m a white Evangelical of long practice, I’ve found recently that listening is far more important than speaking. Today, however, was interesting, as I got a chance to tune in to one of my favorite long-distance churches and pastors, Pastor Andre Mitchell of Deliverance Temple, in Muncie, Indiana, and was able to listen to much of his preaching just before my own church services. There was a powerful synchronicity in the two experiences—Pastor Mitchell spoke on a theme of “Stand Your Ground,” and in my own church we had a lectio divina on Acts 4. Now…
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Welcome to Braggsville–A Review
We saw “Welcome to Braggsville” at the Seattle Center, performed by the Book-It Repertory Theater, based on the novel by T. Geronimo Johnson. First off, let me say that the cast was stellar, and the leads were absolutely fantastic. They were in their roles in a way that led me to believe they weren’t acting; only the transformation over time during the show and conversations afterwards helped me see just how incredibly talented these men and women are. The four leads in particular were astonishingly fine. (Personal note: I know one of them, and while he was able to portray his character well, he was not “being himself.” He was…
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Should We Provoke White Supremacists?
Recently I responded (several times!) to comments about the fine, fine speech given by Mayor Landrieu of New Orleans at the removal of four monuments/statues which had been raised originally to support and defend the white supremacists’ governance of the South, first in the American Civil War and then in the overthrow and coup 10 or so years later in the city of New Orleans. Several people replied to my comments, attempting to shift the argument to other details—tariffs, states’ rights, Southern hospitality, Northern sins, and so on. One reply went longer than the rest, and I responded to it detail by detail, as best I could. I think there…
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Intersectionality: Your First Steps to Understanding
“Intersectionality” is a long word, and looks complex, and perhaps annoys people. “Don’t make it hard for me to live,” is how it comes out when they ask for explanations. “Make it consumable to me, and not threatening, and make sure I stay in the center.” Well, here is an explanation that is as simple as I can make it. “Intersectionality” is this: the rights of women to live as equals to men is like the rights of black Americans and brown Americans and Native Americans and Asian Americans to live as equals to whites, is like the rights of gay Americans to live as equals to straight Americans, is…
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Naked, Partisan Politics: A Primer
I wrote this as a quick response to several white men criticizing the 2017 Women’s March on Washington who were arguing that the party of the left (the Democrats) should more fully embrace the plight of the “blue collar worker” & abandon the idea of intersectionality and allyship with people of color, women, the disabled, those in the LGBTQIA spectrum, and others historically marginalized by white American culture. This is not a perfect essay, but I wanted to highlight some things. I don’t think these men were honest; I think they were attempting to split progressives and moderate Democrats. So my response isn’t so much to attempt to convince them,…
- Celebrate Recovery, challenges, education, faith, family, justice, Life Recovery Skills, musings, racism, writing
The Non-Whiteness of Jesus
I got to thinking the other day about how we see Jesus and Jesus’ teachings expressed in the lives of his followers. And I began thinking about how hard it is to reconcile our Christian behavior with our Christ. Traditionally, orthodox Christianity means a religion centered around the Christ of the New Testament, where what Jesus said and taught and did forms the central, defining properties of the religion. Christ did not hate the Jews or want them eliminated or gassed. Christ did not hate black Africans. In fact, some of the first disciples were black Africans. (You can look this one up. You’ll be astonished at what you were…
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“Moonlight”– the Rough Draft
When I watch a movie or attend a play or listen to music or read a book, I am usually present as the observer who analyzes my experience, always starting from “me” to say to myself “The author/creator is saying this and I either agree or disagree.” I remove myself one step from being in the moment. Sometimes, when I am experiencing a very good presentation I find myself “in the moment,” where I lose the sense of time and even self-awareness. “Moonlight,” the movie directed by Barry Jenkins, and written by Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney, is neither of those. It is not a presentation where I was…
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On Empathy
Some helpful techniques and guidance about how to listen when people tell you something about themselves. It’s called empathy: When someone speaks of their experience, pain, or situation, empathy is to listen, and then to walk or sit with them. Often when people tell you of a painful event they aren’t asking for your own experience. They’re saying they feel safe with you and are implying that they really need you to listen and even maybe help them process. Be careful sharing your “me too!” stories at that moment. It might be because your memories are triggered, but sometimes that response tells them “Time for my own story.” It’s not…
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Being John Lewis. And Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell. And Even Myself.
Today, August 19, 2016, I had the great pleasure and extreme privilege to meet the honorable Congressional Representative John Lewis, his digital director Andrew Aydin, and illustrator Nate Powell when they came to Seattle as part of their book release tour for “March Book 3.” Representative Lewis and Mr. Aydin collaborated on the story and Mr. Powell prepared the illustrations for this comic series that explains and expands on the Civil Rights movement of the 60s which Rep. Lewis participated in, sometimes in highly visible ways, and sometimes just in his calm, rigorous determination to do the right thing. Rep. Lewis has lived a long life of dedication to his…
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The American Church and American Racism: A Safe Place to Talk
Stay tuned for our open community discussion about race in America, specifically on the American church and how we have responded and what we can do to change our responses. This 13-week class will start on Wednesday nights in September, 2016 at the Snoqualmie Valley Alliance Church campus, and will run about 60-90 minutes each week. The format is open discussion led by a facilitator with guests as appropriate, and will use as its textbook “The Trouble I’ve Seen” by Dr. Drew G. I. Hart. The book will be available for purchase at the campus bookstore, or it can be ordered/purchased from Amazon.com (hardback, paperback, or Kindle versions): Kindle version Hardback version…
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Are White People Still Racist?
Recently an apparently sincere white guy in the PNW made the statement along the lines of “white people aren’t that racist anymore,” and used as an example how we in the PNW are much nicer to “those people.” I’ve changed his name to “Sam” in my response here because I don’t think his post in a private group is something to bring public, but I will bring my response out in the open. Sam, I’m afraid my eyeballs have rolled so far back up my head I had to walk six miles just to go get them. “Racism” is not something bad people do, Sam. Racism is not white people…
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To Be Enough: Rest and Restoration
As allies of our brothers and sisters, we might not always be on the front lines. It is not a struggle where we as allies should be at the front and in charge. It is a struggle where we amplify and encourage and validate, where we listen and where we stand alongside. It is not the main struggle–we are the supply wagons and support staff and the community of brothers and sisters. We can do what we can, without taking charge. It is not about us, but the work does require us to be about the work. And we must not go farther than we can go. We must take…
- challenges, essays, faith, history, justice, Life Recovery Skills, musings, questions, racism, writing
A Jury of One’s Peers
You may (or may have not) seen video circulating recently showing the last moments of black American men shot by American cops. Some of my friends think we should see them. Some of my friends think we should not. I respect them all so much, and those who are against seeing them have my full support, as those who encourage us to show these deaths. Rather than come down one way another, here’s what I think, if my opinion is worth anything at all: I think we need to do what we think we need to do. I won’t demand people watch the videos (and I don’t share them, myself,…
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Memorial Day 2016
Memorial Day is the official start of summer. Typically there’s a family and friends get-together, a barbecue, a game on the TV, and adult beverages. We have this freedom to celebrate this way because of the sacrifice of soldiers to the vision that is America. And so we do honor the fallen with our gratefulness Our memorial is our memories. This isn’t to scold us for not doing more, although, yes, it would be great if we honored the living veterans with decent health care, housing, educational opportunities, and even employment. Decent men and women gave up their freedom and risked their lives to serve our country. It’s up to…
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The Christian Response to Public Restroom Access
In his blog post on April 27, 2016 (https://theboeskool.com/2016/04/27/boycotting-target-is-about-the-least-christian-thing-you-could-do/), Mr. Boeskool makes the case that boycotting Target over its public restroom use is a foolish irrelevancy and harmful to very real people. (And, as an aside, this is not a new policy for Target. It is simply their existing policy which has existed for a while.) You can go read the article. It’s long and painful, but it’s educational. And of course, it has received some pushback, especially from people who are concerned that allowing trans people to live in America unmolested is the Worst Thing Ever. One, in particular, posted an opposing view, which I’ll quote in full here…
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A Setback and a Resurrection
I am celebrating Easter today, which is a reminder to Christians that death is not the final answer. We celebrate Easter because Jesus, having died, was resurrected and will die no more; those who believe in him also will one day be resurrected. It is God’s way of saying our pilot episode will be picked up for broadcast and renewal. We have this hope in us, this idea of Easter, that we will not only die when we are dead, but that something will live on, whether it is the things we have constructed, or the people we have helped to grow and change in life. And I’m reminded that…
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Forgiveness—What Is Possible? What Is Demanded?
I heard a story on NPR the other day. Seems that in Maryland there’s a push to review the sentences of those who were convicted of murder in the last 40 years based upon the Unger decision. Several people who were affected by these murders—being the family and friends and co-workers—were asked for their thoughts. Did they forgive these people? One lady—and I am not picking on her—said essentially that she forgave the man who killed her family member some 40 years ago, but she could not forget and that, as a murderer, she thought he deserved to stay in jail—that his release, even though mandated by mistakes in prosecution,…
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He Was Twelve
When I was twelve I discovered in an old box of books a novel by Booth Tarkington. “Penrod” was the story (or rather, a collection of stories) about Penrod Schofield, an eleven-going-on-twelve-year-old boy in the Midwest. Indiana, I think. I was twelve, Penrod was twelve; we were both noted for getting into trouble which, at the time, seemed perfectly reasonable. Dressing up in the janitor’s clothes for a Christmas play? Making a concoction of various household discarded foods and giving it to a neighbor boy who accepts abuse as the price of friendship? Eating far too many things at the fair & as a result having a ginormous stomach-ache? Penrod’s…
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Between the World and Me: a Review
Between the World and Me Ta-Nehisi Coates 163 pages Spiegel & Grau, July 14, 2015 So this is a beautiful, phenomenal, hard-to-read, engrossing, painful, tender, honest, raw, careful book. It is a letter penned to the author’s son about what life is for Americans, when said Americans are Americans-on-probation, Americans who are not really Americans, Americans who are provisionally American because they are not white Americans. It bookends the death of Prince Jones, the author’s friend, killed by cops and serving as a symbol of all that is hoped for in black Americans and all that can be brought to nothing by the actions of the state which can act…
