QAnon and Gullible Christians: The Devil Made Me Do It

August 27, 2020 By Christy Thomas

The “Devil made me do it” becomes the theological basis for conspiracy theories. They are immensely comforting, thus the power of QAnon. I’ve managed to ignore this whole QAnon conspiracy stuff, staying safely cocooned in my protected world of minimal TV news, selected world-class newspaper reading, and a lack of interest in knowing more. But, a Religion News Service article caught my eye–with its suggestion that QAnon theories were making their way into the Evangelical wing of Christianity. Here’s just... Read more

We Are All Going To Die: COVID-19 And The Imprisonment Of The Elderly

August 25, 2020 By Christy Thomas

First, we are all going to die. Second, most of us will not die the way we would like to. Third, by denying touch, we condemn our elderly to the worst of all deaths. We may as well put them behind barbed wire and acknowledge that we have imprisoned them. I’ve read one too many news reports now about the lockdowns of nursing homes, and their insistence that those vulnerable elderly no longer receive visits from family members other than... Read more

Dear COVID Diary: It Has Been 132 Long Days; Fear Hangs In The Air

July 21, 2020 By Christy Thomas

Yes, Dear COVID Diary, it has been 132 long days. And I expect little change for the next 132 days. Fear hangs in the air, occasionally relieved by puffs of hope of effective vaccines on the horizon. And I pray, morning, night, and in-between. I pray my way across the world, across our nation, across my friends and family. I read history and remember that bad things have always been a part of the human condition, and this is just... Read more

Why It Is So Difficult To Dismantle Racism: It’s Built Into Human Nature

June 15, 2020 By Christy Thomas

We have no magic wand that says, “OK, we’re just going to dismantle racism and be done with it.” We need consistent, systemic change that affects both all levels of society and the most profound parts of our souls. Here’s a universal life maxim: the dominants of any society always set the rules. True from the schoolroom to the boardroom, from the church council to the war room, from the prison cell to the palace. The person/group with the most... Read more

Resistance Is Futile: You Will Be Infected; Perhaps We Need Chocolate

May 22, 2020 By Christy Thomas

In other words, with all due respect to the Star Trek enemy collective named The Borg, “Resistance is futile; You will be infected.” Although most will be fine, we are going to lose beloved loved ones, both the elderly and our friends and relatives who are immunocompromised. We are going to see devastation among the lowest economic rungs of our society, and especially among the minority populations. We need a theology to deal with this. Perhaps a piece of chocolate... Read more

Kindness, Claustrophobia, And A Long-Suffering Husband

April 2, 2020 By Christy Thomas

There is one, and only one, vital key to getting through this crisis: always, always work toward kindness in voice, tone, and touch. Such a move will not eliminate the craziness, but kindness is, thank goodness, amazingly contagious, perhaps even more so than the virus that causes COVID-19. I entered the front door after a good walk Saturday afternoon. Suddenly, the walls of our house closed in on me as the ever-beneath-the-surface claustrophobia unsheathed its destructive claws and tore into... Read more

Yes, Church, The Stock Market DOES Matter To Your Survival

April 1, 2020 By Christy Thomas

Remember, Church: the stock market does matter to your survival. Embrace this perilous time as the best of all occasions to practice serious self and institutional reflection, repent from and leave behind encrusted habits and dysfunctional modes of operation, and see this as a different way to celebrate Easter. I’ve seen a lot of dismissive comments about how silly it is to worry about the stock market while the pandemic is raging. Why? It is obviously more important to contain... Read more

Are Older People Useless? Does Dan Patrick Want My Husband To Die?

March 25, 2020 By Christy Thomas

Are older people useless? Well, Dan Patrick thinks so. My husband turned 78 today. Does Lt. Gov. Patrick want him to die? I suggest that killing off the older people, the repository of massive amounts of wisdom and healing energy, may not be the best way to deal with the Covid-19 crisis. My husband is 78 years old today; clearly one of the older people and Dan Patrick wants him to die. Yes, Dan Patrick, the Republican Lt. Gov. of Texas,... Read more

“Leave The Children Out,” The Mediated Reality of Streaming Worship

March 20, 2020 By Christy Thomas

If we are not going to leave the children out in this new world of necessary mediated worship, we must engage in extremely creative, barrier-breaking holy thinking. Remember the novel coronavirus crisis will leave both church and society forever changed. Nothing will ever be the same again. I wrote much of what is below years ago, but never, for some reason, hit the “publish” button. However, in light of what is happening in the US right now, and my real... Read more

The Grocery Store, Coronavirus Diary, March 19 2020

March 19, 2020 By Christy Thomas

Who knew going to the grocery store could be so treacherous? I lay out the game plan on the way home: Take the bags in; careful handwashing. Take the groceries out, toss the bags, repeat the handwashing. But, of course, it dawns on me later that everything we bought still has been touched by at least three people: the person(s) who restocks shelves, the cashier, AND the bagger. What pathogens might linger? Who knew just going to the grocery store... Read more