Just a few months ago, trans woman of color Shade Schuler was murdered in this community. Shade’s body was in a field over in the Medical District so long that it was difficult for the police to identify her when someone cutting grass found her. We forgot about Shade. When I heard about the horror of it all, I didn’t want to forget again. I decided to organize a vigil and communion at the exact spot where Shade was found.... Read more
We gather three months to the day after the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department murdered Joseph Hutcheson. We are not far at all from the spot where Joseph pulled his truck up on the curb in desperate need of help. We can see where Joseph walked up that hill in desperate need of help. We know that on up that hill are the doors to the lobby where Joseph entered in desperate need of help. Instead of help…Joseph was slammed... Read more
Even in a society comfortable with violence, the video stands out. In the midst of a classroom dispute at Spring Valley High School, Richland County Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Fields grabbed the desk of a young female student and slammed her backward to the ground. If that wasn’t brutal enough, the Deputy then drug her multiple feet across the floor before pouncing on top of her. Most in the room sat in stunned silence. In the midst of the chaos,... Read more
For the last few days, I’ve been involved in the gathering of a new progressive evangelical organization called OPEN. Throughout our time together, we’ve been asked by hipster music leaders to stand up and sing with all our might. In song after song, we sing about how awesome, wonderful, majestic, amazing and powerful God is. One of the thoughts I’ve long had hit me again like a ton of bricks. Why does God need us to sing all this shit?... Read more
“Jesus happens in quiet times.” Growing up, I remember a minister consistently using this line to guilt us into regular quiet times. We were told that these daily times of personal prayer and Bible study were what made us Christians. We were not alone. Throughout the Christian faith, there exists this strange idea that quiet times are the base line of Christian practice. This is heresy. When Jesus declared that he would be incarnate in the least of these,... Read more
For years, I’ve heard rumors that the National Association of Evangelicals was planning to change their stance on the death penalty. When I heard that major evangelical figures were lobbying the organization to move to abolition, I grew more and more excited. Yesterday, I saw evangelical writer Jonathan Merritt’s post, “This is HUGE news on #deathpenalty from America’s largest evangelical Christian body.” I knew this was the statement I’d been waiting on. Opening the link, I was thankful until... Read more
I once spent over $14,000 on books in one month. I sold and spent anything I could get my hands on. I would’ve done anything to buy more books. In fourth grade, I was paranoid of tornadoes. Day after day, I fought anyone who attempted to force me outside. I once tried to cut down the largest tree in my backyard by ramming it with my car. For multiple early morning hours, I tried over and over. Multiple people... Read more
*Prayer given on 10/11/15 at a rally to respond to recent beatings and murders in the Dallas Gayborhood. Almighty God…you are known by many names and found by many paths…we thank you for your presence with us tonight. Let us first apologize to you and our neighbors. We repent for all the times that we have sat on our asses and done nothing about the violence that has far too often afflicted our community. We repent for supporting and belonging... Read more
*Closing Prayer at the Walk to Stop Executions at Trinity Episcopal Church in Columbus, Ohio Almighty God…We know you by many names…but today we gather for a primary purpose of abolition…but first we must repent. We repent that we wake up most days and don’t give a shit about the death penalty. We repent that we’ve often mounted little resistance to the machinery of death. We repent that we’ve consistently supplied all the funds necessary…by way of our taxes…to carry... Read more
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