I need to confess something that will make me look unwoke. I was a bit spooked when I heard the Minneapolis city council is exploring dismantling their police department. I’m a radical who often shares radical ideas on my blog. Part of why it feels safe to do that is having a sense that nobody will actually take me up on my radical ideas which would suddenly feel half-baked and naive if they turned into actual policy proposals. So I’ve... Read more
Friday night, I was antsy because I hadn’t yet been to a protest of the latest round of white supremacist police brutality so I decided to head down to Jackson Square. I’ve been to quite a few protests in Jackson Square in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the past six years. Usually we fill up the steps in front of the Washington Artillery Park across Decatur Street from Jackson Square itself. This time, the entire square was filled,... Read more
They’re doing what They’re supposed to do; The Bible even says that The role of cops is to Wield the sword with Terror so people live In perpetual fear and In that way there Can be law and order. The rich understand The cops aren’t for Them; they’re nephews Out making all of us Proud on the other Side of town. So when A cop throws a 75 Year old man to the Ground and makes Him bleed from his... Read more
I don’t want you To be canceled; I want you to get it. And nobody gets it Until somebody Gets you first. So I want to sit Until I get you and You know I’ve got you. That doesn’t mean God will stop filling My bowels with fire And commanding me To spit swords that Shatter illusion. But God doesn’t want Any to perish in Despair; he doesn’t Want to banish any To the outer darkness; And I told him... Read more
He understood clearly That all he had to do Was hold the Bible Courageously for all The cameras after The black people had Been removed by Tear gas; and this has Always been the purpose Of the Bible: to be held Courageously so that Moral high ground could Be established whenever Black people protest; It is the duty of a Christian Master to hold his Bible With authority and make It clear whose side he’s On and surely there Were... Read more
I was proud of our former president George W. Bush this week. He said the one thing white men almost never say, “We need to listen.” We don’t like to listen because we already have the answer. I’ve had some intense mystical experiences during this pandemic. I’ve written a lot of poetry and songs I thought I was supposed to share with the world. And I’ve been filled with rage when the world seemed to ignore the brilliance that I... Read more
I wanted to take a few moments to talk about anarchism since Donald Trump has predictably tried to scapegoat anarchists for “riots” and “looting” in an attempt to take back control of the national narrative around white supremacist police brutality in our country. I should first of all concede that no two anarchists are the same. There are anarchists who believe in using physical violence strategically; I don’t. My anarchism is entirely intertwined with my Christian faith. The one basic... Read more
We were trapped in A stable that was Burning and it Seemed like the Entire world had Become an echo Chamber where Breathing was getting Harder each day And everyone was Hyperventilating Trying desperately To prove they’re Getting it and they Were dancing around Saying please see how Hard I’m trying not to Take up too much space; And some were calling Fire down from heaven And others tried to offer A balm from Gilead; And others were watching To... Read more
All poetry is God-breathed And useful for divine teaching Not because the words are Right but because the teacher Is patient and will constantly Nudge and redirect until The pen is finally moving In the right direction. As Paul said to Timothy, This is a process and I Am still working it out; Some of what I say for Corinth is wrong for Philippi Because letters are always Pastorally prescribed for Specific communities. I have so many regrets That keep... Read more
We are living in demonic times. Whatever you believe about Satan, I use the word metaphorically to simply communicate that our real enemy is not “rioting hoodlums” or “authoritarian pigs” but dehumanization itself. We are caught up in what may increasingly become a dangerously escalating reactive cycle of rage. On one level, it’s important to name the white supremacist underpinnings of our society that have put us in this situation; on the other hand, there’s a way in which that... Read more
Mercy Not Sacrifice
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