The video is horrific. Madison, Alabama police officer Eric Parker slammed Sureshbhai Patel into the ground hard enough to paralyze him. There was a time when lynchings were carried out by mobs. Now, we have created a much more formal process of carrying out violence against oppressed and marginalized people. Badges and uniforms are handed out so that those we place in authority can intimidate and repress those that we think are less worthy of life. The temptation is... Read more
Did you know who you were? Or was who you were something different than who you are? Did you perform those miracles? Or did those miracles perform you? Did you know how it was going to end? Or did the end choose you? Are you the Messiah or is this the biggest hoax of all time? Or are we a hoax? Am I real? Do I exist? Can I know anything? Thine is the truth, the way and the light…... Read more
The year was 2005. I was a junior at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. The Glomerata or our yearbook had just come out. I remember sitting at my fraternity house and hearing people laugh about a picture in the Glomerata. While I don’t remember the exact name of the organization, the picture was of the LGBT organization on campus. There were three LGBT people who were willing to take a stand at one of the most conservative public universities... Read more
A few days ago, Pope Francis endorsed spanking. Believing that one can spank children and leave them with dignity, Pope Francis even called such a means of punishment, “beautiful.” Unless there are records or evidence of the Pope spanking children that are not his own, I don’t think that the Pope has much direct knowledge with this subject. In an age of serial and often unreported abuse of children in the Christian world, I can think of few more... Read more
I have lived in Texas for about three years now. My wife Emily and I have three children. We have another two on the way. We have a big family. I am always thinking about their future and what it would be like for them to grow up here. When we first moved to Texas, it took me a few days to realize that difference was not welcome in this state. The people of Texas simply cannot handle difference.... Read more
In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Texas has the largest population of Christians of any state in our nation. You would think that the words of Jesus would be something that are lived out here on a daily basis. Today, I am attending two vigils to provide witness to two situations, that contrary to the vision of Jesus, are characterized by misdirection, dishonesty and death. By many accounts, Ty... Read more
Ty Underwood. Most people don’t know her name. Most people don’t know her story. Most people would just prefer not to know and keep going on about their lives. I can’t. Last week, Ty Underwood was brutally murdered somewhere near 24th Street in North Tyler, Texas. In addition to the murder, Ty faced the numerous struggles and oppressions that come with being a transgender woman of color in our society. When I first heard about the case, I immediately believed... Read more
J: Is there room in the Bible for polyamorous relationships? D: I don’t see polyamory spoken of positively at all in scripture. When polyamory is mentioned, it is not approved or valued. J: I think we are going to disagree on this. There are multiple points in the Old Testament were intimate love is shared equally by more than two people. I see love as the thrust of scripture. Throughout the scriptures, love being confined to a... Read more
I am sick. I am not talking about the kind of sick that you are able to get over. My sickness is chronic. Though I take medicine twice daily, I will never be healed. Then again, I don’t know that I want to be. The construction of my mind is terribly important to who I am. Though some people would call my condition Bipolar Disorder, I would call it me. Apart from the intermittent mania and depression, my condition... Read more
*Delivered on January 25, 2015 at the Virginia-Highland Church in Atlanta, Georgia Life is about questions. Sometimes these questions have answers and sometimes they don’t. Who are we? Why are we here? Do we even matter? These are human questions. On this day, I intend to engage these questions from a queer perspective. The Gospel of John in the first chapter says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was... Read more
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