Recently I had a hysterectomy. In this season of recovery, when meals were brought to me in bed, and my kids were watched by friends, I’ve been reminded me of an advocacy term we occasionally hear thrown around–mutual aid. When I first looked up the definition of mutual aid many years back, I began to laugh. It’s not that mutual aid is silly, but it felt like it was naming something as if it is a phenomenon when it was... Read more
Although I’m still in the middle of raising my own kids, I’m slowly learning what it means to care for aging parents. On a recent visit, my brother pulled me aside to point out, “Elisa… their toilets really need help.” And he wasn’t wrong. And that’s how I found myself on my knees in my parents’ bathroom. It wasn’t glamorous or something anyone would want to see on my Instagram feed. But I knew this was part of my best... Read more
What I Could Still Do With Kids Even When Letting Go Control After five years of homeschooling, I watched my kids walk through the school gate, tears welling in my eyes. I masked the bittersweet moment with smiles, warm hugs, and enthusiastic waves. We had reached a point where school was the right choice for our family, but letting go of those cherished homeschooling years was hard. I had especially loved teaching social studies through hands-on experiences—immersive field trips, exploring... Read more
I saw the invitation to join the “No Kings” protest this Saturday and immediately felt tied up in knots. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go. Yet I missed the last protest like it, and I did want to attend that one–there are more than a few specific justice issues I want to take a stand on. But the one before that I didn’t want to go. At that time, protesting felt more like I would be throwing a tantrum–how... Read more
Trauma isn’t just something that happens to us directly; secondary trauma can also come from the heartache we carry for others. Understanding our trauma responses as we seek justice is essential as Christians. Meeting Jesus As We See Injustice Since putting together the Five Phases of Rising Up Guide I’ve paid a lot of attention to the way people respond to social issues and why. I’ve definitely noticed how trauma frameworks and personality contributes to the way we respond to... Read more
Once I found myself in a conversation with a friend about whether environmental justice was an extra-Biblical addition to Christianity. My friend made a good point–can’t things like recycling or advocating for environmentally friendly laws take our attention away from knowing God and making him known? Doesn’t it make us feel needless guilt when the earth will be destroyed and God will make a new one anyway? In some ways, I got her argument. But ultimately I didn’t agree. I... Read more
The first time someone told me they believed slavery was a Biblical precedent I was just beginning a career in the anti-trafficking movement, and we were watching the film Amazing Grace, which tells the story of William Wilberforce and the historical abolitionist movement. I was appalled—and immediately went into fight mode. Yet as this individual pointed out that slavery was even in the New Testament, referring to the Roman household codes, I began questioning myself. What if I was wrong?... Read more
A friend of mine, a federal employee, recently shared about how the government rollback of DEI policies in her team was going. The responses in the comments section were all over the place, representing how the Church is divided over this. Over the past few months we’ve been left hanging questioning how Christians should respond to DEI initiatives. Different Views on Diversity Equity, and Inclusion Policies (DEI) Politically conservative groups and many Republican evangelicals view Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies... Read more
I often get hung up on the phrase in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…” Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate it, but I also know now that when the founding fathers wrote it, they didn’t exactly mean all of humankind. This equality was reserved for white, male, adult property owners. It is no wonder we approach the... Read more
StuckBeing a light in the world is a never-ending job. Mundane moments, hard times, overwhelming responsibility, the pressure of vocation, and trauma we encounter in life can easily push service-oriented Christians to burnout. Is there a way Christians living on mission can protect against burnout? Hello, Burnout For much of my life, I knew exactly what I wanted to do–I wanted to change the world! I ended up going into ministry and international missions. Later I studied social issues and... Read more
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