I Repent
I’m a racist. I talk of community and connection to the whole of humanity while simply only engaging those who look, talk, and think like me. My life does not reflect the diversity I say a desire to...
View ArticleStay Woke This Advent
We must not turn up the holiday music so loud that it drowns out the cries of the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed. Like the disciples in the garden, we have no words to explain or justify our...
View ArticleSorrowful Advent
My church often observes Advent as a penitential season: a time of sorrow, remembering that the holy child was born into a world in which he would die violently. This season, I remember those who have...
View ArticleWake Up!
For #StayWokeAdvent we hear from Bo Sanders, who gives us three ways to observe it: If the slumber results from alienation, disillusionment and resignation then the beginning of waking up is three-fold...
View ArticleWe Are The Ones
For Stay Woke Advent, we read a quote from Alice Walker: Some of us are not content to have a gap in opportunity and income that drives a wedge between rich and poor, causing the rich to become ever...
View ArticleFlinging Hope In The Night
For #StayWokeAdvent we hear from Aaron Smith: Into the darkness we hope, lighting our candle against the night. It is important that we keep our vigils of hope, that we stay awake and not succumb to...
View ArticleLonging And Anticipating
Tonight I proclaim to you that God did tear open the heavens and come down, and is now forever bound to the physical created universe. The systems of the world were shaken to their knees, and then went...
View ArticleAll Of Humanity
These things link all of humanity: hunger, thirst, pain. Where any of these are experienced more acutely in someone’s life – this is injustice. We do not live only to ourselves. To our groups. To our...
View ArticleBad Math
Four black girls in Birmingham, Alabama. Six Sikhs in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Nine black Christians in Charleston, South Carolina. That’s bad math. That’s fear that murders. That’s racism that kills....
View Article#BlackLivesMatter
Black lives matter. I know that offends some. All lives matter. All lives are sacred. It’s true. But there are no Chinese churches being burned. There are no black folks walking into white folks Bible...
View ArticleAmerica’s Original Sin
A few weeks ago a young man drunk on the wine of confederate supremacy and high on the ideological opium of radicalized thinking attempted to start a race war. This young man, who was not alone but was...
View ArticleAwesome & Wonderful
“Awesomely and wonderfully made in the image of God.” That’s what the Hebrew scriptures say about us. Each human being a representation of the divine spark. Beautiful, strong, awesome, gifted, able to...
View ArticleEmbrace Compassion
Does anybody doubt that the greatest enemy of humanity is inhumanity? Racism is a form of inhumanity. The opposite of inhumanity is compassion. Compassion means that all lives matter, that every “us”...
View ArticleWe Have Done It To The Christ
“If you’ve done it to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you’ve done it unto me.” This from Jesus, the Christ. So, if we’ve shot them dead and left them laying in the street for four and a...
View ArticleWe Have Met Dylann Roof Before
Many have tried to define this moment as an anomaly. But terror and terrorism come in many forms; we have met Dylann Roof before. Our Native American brothers and sisters met his ancient mentors on the...
View ArticleEric Garner’s Black Life Matters
July 17, 2014, Eric Garner, confronted by police, put in a choke hold by Officer Pantaleo, pulled down to the ground, his face slammed into the concrete. “I can’t breathe,” he says eleven times. And...
View ArticleMore Good to Speak Of
My husband and I talk about racial injustice every single day. Our daughter is getting older and I know we talk in front of her more than we should but in our house, as a black couple, we had to have...
View ArticleI’m Dreaming Of A World
I’m dreaming of a world where we are dismantling systemic racism one prejudice at a time. Where all police protect and serve. Where mental health care is available. I’m dreaming of a world where...
View ArticleAll Of Creation
June Jordan said, “We’re the ones we’ve been waiting for.” Tituss Burgess put it to music. Paul said, “All of creation is waiting like a woman in childbirth for the revealing of the children of God.”...
View ArticleA Loss For Words
I am often at a loss for words as a black queer man when I witness brutal extra-judicial police killings perpetuated against black and brown people, people that look like me. It too often feels as...
View ArticleWhat Does It Mean?
Based on true events Every person knows the story No different than the rest It’s scary out there What do I tell my six year old? Where is God in all this? What does it mean to raise a black kid now?...
View ArticleNow More Than Ever
As a Japanese American I am the descendant of a people who crossed oceans as exploited plantation laborers, only to be abused and lynched by white peers, only to be subject to mass incarceration during...
View ArticleReconciliation
Even through tears I know white privilege still blinds me from seeing the furthest depths of this problem. But I am listening. We can all rally behind the call that Black Lives Matter. For it is not a...
View ArticleBlack
Black is beautiful. Black bodies are gorgeous. Black Lives Matter. Black love is critical. Black intelligence is life changing. Black passion moves the world. Black theology teaches black love. Black...
View ArticleThe Conversation Going Forward
Black Lives Matter. End of sentence. Declarative. Absolute truth. Yes. And if you look at the shootings in Dallas and the interactions of police and the protesters beforehand, there was camaraderie,...
View ArticleThe Word Became Flesh
We must proclaim Black Lives Matter because it’s a biblical thing to say. Throughout our sacred narrative God consistently stands on the side of the oppressed. White Christians specifically must say...
View ArticleWe Can Do This
Black Lives Matter. And every single life is precious. The spilling of blood must be replaced by radically loving activism for justice. Let’s not get into either/or thinking; we can be complex in our...
View ArticleA First Step Toward Healing
America is exceptional in its racism. People of color know this all too well, but too many white people like me still don’t get it. Our whole way of life has been framed by white privilege and white...
View ArticleAs Long As It Takes
Two years ago I was on vacation when I heard the news about the murder of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Since then my head continues to spin, my feet continue to march, and my voice continues to...
View ArticleShepherd of Ferguson
Shepherd of Ferguson, listen to us. Leader of us, hear our weeping. You led our forefathers in their struggles, now lead us. You have angels at your command. Show up here! Join our leaders. Stand up....
View Article
