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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…
- Celebrate Recovery, education, essays, faith, family, history, justice, Life Recovery Skills, racism, writing
So, This Is How It Happened
In which I relate the many interlocking steps leading to my aligning myself with all I once thought was opposed to God, flag, and country. In the past eight years I have made many changes, from the friends I hang around with, the method of church participation I act in, and the attention I pay to the issues and people around me. My behavior and words have puzzled some people, and angered others. And, to be frank, most people have largely shrugged their shoulders and said “eh,” which is an entirely natural action by most people when they see someone behaving oddly. But if you are interested in how I…
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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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Am I Racist?
This is a hard question for white people to answer because it is painful to consider. Short answer: Yes. You are racist. More acceptable answer (to help with the feelings): Mostly likely yes. Here’s why: It’s hard to hear that we white people (and our own selves) are racist, because we want to be on the side of the angels (of justice and reconciliation, etc.). But the true fact is that staying silent isn’t rejection. It’s accommodation and acceptance. And please understand that because “racism” is seen as bad, no one who thinks of themselves as “good” wants to be called “racist.” But racism is not what bad people do.…
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A Review of David Lamb’s Novel “On Top of the World”
My rating: 5 of 5 stars (for creativity and fun) First of all, let me say this: On Top of the World, by David Lamb, is a romp. It is as much a jaundiced view of American pop culture and its worship of bling and blitz and blather as it is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the eternally fascinating dance between a man and a woman who both seek to unite but events and people get in the way. Plus, it includes Tiny Tim, and not that guy with the annoying falsetto. Yes, this is most assuredly a take-off of Dicken’s work “A Christmas Carol,” and so there are some wonderfully…
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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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For Brian Crooks and His Supporters
I posted this on Facebook in Brian Crooks’s feed but I wanted to bring it forward. It is for Brian, of course, but it is for his many white supporters who hear what he says and ask “how can I help?” Dear FB Friend Brian, I can’t claim I ‘know’ other than as a FB friend, but can I presume to speak? First, to say this: you do not owe anyone a single moment more of your time, your energy, your passion, your emotions, your concern, your interest, or yourself. You have done enough–more than enough–in your attempt to explain to deaf people and dead hearts that you indeed are…
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Choosing Among Kaepernick, Sherman, Wilson, Newton, Marshall, and Others
Recently Colin Kaepernick has made a visible attempt to express his own evaluation of his person and his place in American society. Colin Kaepernick is black, and as a black American he is choosing to remain quietly seated or down on one knee when the national flag is displayed at the beginning of football games. This has engendered much discussion and much reaction, ranging from applause to opposition to outright hatred that “he is not respecting the flag and our nation’s military.” Some of his football peers have chimed in, some to say that such protest is not needed. Some have not commented. Some have supported him in words, and…
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Respect–Given and Earned, Not Demanded and Taken
To say to a bank “I expect you to keep my money safe and not just throw it willy-nilly into the street” isn’t disrespect. It’s respecting the word of the bank and demanding it holds true to that promise it makes to you, to keep your money safe. To say to a restaurant “I expect you to serve me food that’s well-prepared and safe to eat, and not just shove crap from a garbage can onto a plate and drop it in front of me” isn’t disrespect. It’s respecting the word of the restaurant and demanding it holds true to its promise it makes to you, to serve you well-prepared,…
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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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Muhammad Ali 1942-2016
Ali was incomprehensible to me at the time. I was alive and aware when he changed his name and religion, and when he spoke against the United States’ foreign policy and wars. It was incomprehensible to me that any American would do anything but support the United States as-is, especially to the point where any alleged mistakes are not talked about in polite company. It was incomprehensible to me that anyone would change their religion from Christianity to Islam, and be so confident and positive about it. It was incomprehensible to me that he was so universally admired, respected, beloved by so many people when he was so adamantly anti-American.…
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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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A Review of "Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism"
So this book is several things. One, it is a book of theology of the kingdom of the Messiah. Dr. Hart lays out the plans of God through Jesus Christ in instituting his kingdom, which is topsy-turvy: it is not power-based, it is not authority-based, it is not self-based. It is, instead, based upon love and community, honesty and commitment, risk and sacrifice and the great great reward of connection with Jesus. For that alone, you should read this book. It is also a book about America, plainly stated, as it was, and is, and perhaps may not always be. It is a book about how we Christians have acquired…
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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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Structural Racism—It Doesn’t Exist
One of the things about American culture and society is our racism. It’s not the only thing, or the most important thing (well, maybe). We have a past that is entwined with racism, and there are still problems today with racism. I won’t go into all the details about racism and what it is in every dimension, because there isn’t the time in this post, nor do I want to completely define everything. I’ll be teaching a class about this in the fall of this year, so if you want a better run-down, sign up. But I did want to talk about one aspect of racism, and that is “structural…
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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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Remarks to the Muslim Association of Snoqualmie Ridge
Back in November of 2015, Washington State Representative Jay Rodne (R-05) made some inflammatory remarks about Muslims and Sharia law, leading to many ugly statements from others in the community expressing their own ignorance and hatred. In response, the Muslims in our community of Snoqualmie and North Bend came together in a community open house on Saturday, January 30th, and invited me, along with the mayor of North Bend and others, to speak to them and our wider community as part of their outreach program. Here are my remarks prepared for that meeting. Good morning. I extend my thanks to Mujeeb Mohammed, President of the Muslim Association of Snoqualmie Ridge,…
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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…
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We Americans and Our Violence
Someone posted recently that “we Americans” demanded that Muslims in America speak out against violence because “we Americans” were terrified of them here in America. My response: Speaking as a Christ-follower, I see “my people” hiding in plain sight and attacking Americans and American soil. I see Dylann Roof and Robert Dear, both people in the Christian religion, killing people. I think it’s outrageous and I think they’re monsters, and I speak out as loudly as I can about these white men who tie Christianity to terror and murder. It’s completely nonsensical and paranoid to say that because *some* people who are loosely tied to a religious belief are doing…
