The weather was cold. Winters in Georgia are always a strange kind of cold. The stated temperature never reflects the discomfort most people feel. In 1998, Andrew Brannan murdered Laurens County Deputy Sheriff Kyle Dinkheller during a traffic stop. I was in eighth grade. Most of the people I was around believed the killer should die for the crime. Two years later, the weather was similar in Georgia when a jury found Andrew Brannan guilty of killing Dinkheller and... Read more
The room held little light. Everyone sat in a circle waiting on something to be revealed. There were expectant thoughts buzzing inside the crania of the gathered. Squeaking along in his motorized wheelchair, Rev. Justin Hancock rolled into the center of our circle and commanded our attention. In a room full of people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, Rev. Hancock talked about having cerebral palsy and what it looks like to celebrate the self no matter what.... Read more
In the beginning, God created freedom of speech. If you follow the Genesis account, God placed humans in the Garden of Eden and gave them the right to agree or disagree. One of the primary ways that we express agreement or disagreement is through speech. I believe the most divine thing that we do on any given day is express who we are and what we believe. When societies suppress free speech, we suppress the divine. We take away... Read more
Good evening. I want to introduce you to someone. I brought my son Phillip with me tonight. Phillip is two years old. I want Phillip to grow up and be able to grow up and marry whomever the hell he wants to marry. I want Phillip to grow up and be able to love whoever the hell he wants to love without fear of any legal limitations or repercussions. Most of all though…I brought Phillip here tonight to see... Read more
* Excerpt from a conversation with a small group on my Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Houston Speaking Tour People often begin their arguments for the death penalty with one simple phrase, “That person committed a crime so heinous they deserve to die.” We must begin our reply with one simple question, “Who or what gives you the right to kill?” In order to kill someone, one must other or dehumanize the person to the extent that the... Read more
– Excerpt from address to Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Houston Chapter on Speaking Tour: Christians have blood on their hands. Here in Texas, our historical theology has made a way for the death penalty. We taught over and over that the wrath of God was not to be satisfied without the blood of Jesus. Unfortunately, a theology based on blood teaches humans that blood is required when blood is spilt. Vengeance becomes the basis of faith.... Read more
“time” depression nibbles the dogs ran away i am haunted by the attack blood was all they wanted the problem was it was mine what do you do the only way to be in relationship is to bleed how do you survive how do you know when will things go back up i guess you learn not to die “belief” God is Chaos Endless Incarnations Endless Manifestations God is Not Chaos Ordered Incarnations Ordered Manifestations God is Chaos... Read more
Why did we do all of this celebrating? The spiritual reason is simple. Christmas is a time to celebrate the incarnation of God into the world. Truthfully, I don’t think that most people understand what such a statement means. In our highly religious descriptions of Christmas, we often fail to tell people…Christmas is a time to remember that love was made flesh. The intersection of the divine and the human is always centered on love. The writer of 1... Read more
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a shepherd? Most of the time you are bored out of your mind. I sit there and watch sheep day after day. I never wanted to be a shepherd. I didn’t have a choice. We have always been poor. We don’t know any other way. I followed what generations before me had done. I did what I had to do to support my family. Do you know what it... Read more
If it was not for your willingness to follow God, I doubt I would be writing. I just received my doctorate from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University for a project entitled, “The Epiphany of the Queer: An Exploration in Theology.” For so many years, you have inspired me to keep going. There are many who would say that a man married to a woman should not be doing queer theology. Often, I try to reason with those... Read more
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