Since the day we first enter the world, we face the realities of imperfection. We know that we will struggle to do well, to live in a way that best reflects Christ and that brings joy to the people we are on the journey with. But sometimes, somewhere along the way, things start to change. The arguments about the color of the sanctuary carpet move from fun and exciting, to painful and dull. The music we have always found as... Read more
How difficult it is to become the loving, compassionate, fearless beings we were created to be. How difficult it is to stand before Her warmth and comforting energy, when we have learned, all our lives, to fear the knowledge of just how little we are. When we start talking about becoming something new, when we start talking about acting or loving or being or creating in a new way, we are really talking about enacting an almost impossible fearlessness. We are talking about finding a way to unlearn all we have come to understand about how important and valuable and lasting each of us really is. Read more
I am listening to Hillsong’s Oceans. It’s a beautiful song. I am sure some of you have just barfed a little in your mouth, because I triggered the abuse or hurt suffered at the hands of some charismatic or evangelical group. But for me, the song resonates in my soul. We can learn a lot from Evangelicals if we are willing to do so. Like praying. I know, I know- Maybe You hate all that stuff. Maybe we are... Read more
We at Transform are working on defending net neutrality because we really see it as an important civil rights issue. Can you please take a couple minutes to read the script below into your web cam? This would be a great thing to blog about this month as well. Congress votes on this issue on the 26th. Recording the video is easy: Click here to record directly to YouTube: http://faithfulinternet.org/create-a-video-testimonial/#main You will need to log in to your YourTube/Gmail account.... Read more
Žižek, “See you in hell or in communism!” According to Carl Gustav Jung, hell represents, among every culture, the disturbing aspect of the collective unconscious. Imagine if there was a place where all the evil people would go to get what they deserved? Imagine this place was filled with pain, torture, hatred and all the things these evil people stood for and... Read more
Hello, friends. I’m going to level with you: My thesis is due in less than a month and I am nowhere near done. As I tried to come up with something of substance to write about this month, I found myself completely at a loss. After several failed attempts at something more easily identifiable as an actual blog post, I’ve decided that, this week, story counts as a post, and so I’ve written the following snippet of fiction. Bonus, this also fulfills... Read more
I was listening the other day to someone talk vehemently about religious people who hold strong views with which he disagrees. This man was energized, describing those others in unequivocal terms. He was emphatic in making his points about how wrong those others are, using labels to describe them. In his passion, he had objectified the others. In the same meeting, a woman lamented the many years of struggle with folks at her congregation who had held the parish hostage... Read more
One of my favorite things to do when I’m housesitting for someone happens on the first morning as I’m stumbling through their utterly unfamiliar home. No, I don’t rifle through their drawers, but after I’ve figured out how the heck their coffee maker works, I start my search. The search for a coffee mug. Now I know where to find a coffee mug, of course. They are usually in a glass-front cabinet or display case of some kind, prominently featured... Read more
An ordinary Tuesday that began and ended in tears. But what happened in between is where the magic happens. It’s 6:30 a.m. Making breakfasts and packing lunches for the teens. Telling myself to bring joy & gratitude to the activity– totally faking it. Before I descend the basement steps for my daily meditation, I take a peek at the twitter feed and read “90 year old sisters still making each other laugh”. The thing about awareness-raising is... Read more
Earlier this week, students from the Muslim Students Association, the Black Student Movement, Radical Asians, The Real Silent Sam Coalition, and other student groups from the University of North Carolina gathered in protest outside of Saunders Hall as part of an ongoing dialogue to change this building’s name. Saunders Hall is the home of the Religion and Geography departments at UNC. The building honors William L. Saunders (1835-1891), a UNC graduate, university trustee, former Confederate Army Colonel, and — chief... Read more
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