Bonus Post: Justice for Rodney Reed

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

Tina Strawn shared the image I reposted on IG of Rodney Reed.

Rodney Reed. Rodney is an innocent black man on death row. His execution, his death, is scheduled for Nov. 20th. I visited the Innocence Project website to read more about Rodney’s case in the article “10 Facts You Need to Know About Rodney Reed, Who is Scheduled for Execution on November 20.”

The following 10 facts are explained:

- The murder weapon has never been tested for DNA evidence.

- The state’s three forensic experts have admitted on the record to errors in their testimony, which led to Reed’s conviction and death sentence.

- Renown forensic pathologists including Michael Baden, M.D., Werner Spitz, M.D., LeRoy Riddick, M.D., and Cyril Wecht, M.D. have all concluded that Reed’s guilt is medically and scientifically impossible.

- Rodney Reed and Stacey Stites were having a consensual sexual relationship.

- For months after the murder, Jimmy Fennell was the prime suspect in the case.

- Fennell’s best friend at the time of the crime, Bastrop Sheriff’s Officer Curtis Davis, has now revealed that Fennell gave an inconsistent account of where he was on the night of the murder.

- Two witnesses have come forward in recent weeks and submitted signed affidavits that add to the mounting evidence against Jimmy Fennell.

- Fennell later served a 10-year prison term for a sex crime and kidnapping. Law enforcement records also document a pattern of violence against women perpetrated by Fennell.

- This case was racially charged: Reed, a black man, was found guilty of murdering Stites, a white woman by an all-white jury.

- A confession by Jimmy Fennell has come to light.

The overrepresentation of black men on death row is unjust. Further, why are we as a nation, full of people who claim to be pro-life, still administering the death penalty? How are we not moved to action to end this vile practice of executing image bearers? I’ve heard numerous people say that the system isn’t broken because it is functioning just as it was designed to do, an insatiable beast that devours the marginalized, depriving them of justice, while the privileged live comfortable lives, unaffected by the rampant systemic injustice. Woe to those of us who are at ease and who feel secure but do not grieve over the ruin around us (Amos 6). We have more than enough resources to transform the current system to follow a restorative justice model, but that’s another post for another day.

A message for Gov. Abbott (@govabbott): I urge you, in light of the evidence, to grant clemency to Rodney Reed. Rodney Reed is an innocent man.

#rodneyreed #justiceforrodneyreed #freerodneyreed #rodneyreedisinnocent #testthedna #prolife #endthedeathpenalty #endmassincarceration #justice #restorativejustice #transformativejustice #reflection #action #empathy #equality #lament #repent #repair #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #broadeningthenarrative

Instagram Posts from the Week of Oct. 13, 2019

Podcast Rec. - Oct. 15, 2019

Past Listen - HER with Amena Brown: Episode 9: Body Language featuring Kathy Khang (Released July 11, 2018)

“There were those moments growing up where I did speak up, and it was a matter of survival, it was just because I had to.” - Kathy Khang

“Sometimes when we think about how we can use our voices to fight against injustice and things like this, I think that can, for some people, play into this American hero narrative. ‘I was the one who lifted my voice to speak for the people,’ you know, all of that ‘voice for the voiceless’ stuff that makes me mad because I’m like, ‘You know everybody’s got a voice. Every single person. Everybody in the world has a voice.’” - Amena Brown

“You cannot wait to build a platform to speak up.” - Kathy Khang

In this episode of Her with Amena Brown, Amena Brown spoke with Kathy Khang about using our voices, body language, and her book Raise Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent and How to Speak Up. This podcast episode was my “introduction” to Kathy Khang, and I was both encouraged and challenged by her wisdom and insights.

#amenabrown #kathykhang #herwithamenabrown #podcast #wocpodcast #podcastrecommendation #podcastrec #raiseyourvoice #bodylanguage #useyourvoice #everybodyhasavoice #speakup #silenceisnotspiritual #lament #repent #repair #empathy #equality #listening #learning #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - Oct. 16, 2019

“Inspiring individual action + personal accountability with self-guided educational resources for becoming antiracist.” You can read these words in the profile on the Where Change Started IG.

I heard about Where Change Started when I watched a video by L. Glenise Pike that was shared on IG. The video is titled “The Importance of Normalizing Conversations About Race + White Supremacy,” and it was the additional recommendation I posted about on October 3rd. In a short time following the Where Change Started IG, I have been better equipped in my journey toward becoming antiracist in my inner thoughts and outer actions. I highly recommend purchasing the Becoming Antiracist journal by L. Glenise Pike.

Follow @wherechangestarted if you aren’t already and support the work of L. Glenise Pike and Where Change Started.

#wherechangestarted #accounttofollow #becomingantiracist #antiracism #antiracist #lglenisepike #normalizingconversationsaboutrace #empathy #equality #reflection #action #loveyourneighbor #checkbiases #checkassumptions #humanity #learning #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #repent #repair #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Additional Rec. - Oct. 17, 2019

Additional Rec. - “The Biblical Confusion between the Words ‘Justice’ and ‘Righteousness’” by Daniel Hill

Unlocking the truth about the translation of the words "justice" and "righteousness" in what is known as the Bible was significant for me in my journey broadening the narrative for several reasons. I will quote a few excerpts below to highlight what impacted me.

"When I looked up the word translated to justice, I came to discover that the original Greek word used by Paul here was dikaiosynē. For me, this was quite a surprise. I don’t always recognize Greek words at first glance, but this was an easy one. It’s an important Biblical word, and it is consistently used to describe both the identity of Jesus and the mission of what he came to do. It’s repeated over 300 times in the New Testament, yet I don’t recall ever seeing it translated as justice. In every instance I can remember it is translated as righteousness. It’s hard to dispute the assertion that when put next to each other in English, justice and righteousness elicit very different meanings...I am embarrassed to admit that I had no idea how much of a history this word has. It’s actually been quite controversial for centuries, particularly in its translation into English."

"The etymology of each of these has very different roots. Our English word righteousness, according to Wolterstorff, has German origins. It has connotations of being morally up-right, and focuses more on private, individual behavior...Our English word justice, on the other hand, has Latin origins. Unlike righteousness, which is focused more on individual behavior, justice is focused on communal behavior…and even structures."

"He acknowledges that there are times where it might make sense to use the word righteousness. But there are other times where only justice makes sense. One of the clearest of these, according to him, is the use of dikaiosune by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. When talking through the Beatitudes, Jesus says: 'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for [dikaiosune], for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of [dikaiosune], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' (Matthew 5.6-10) In almost every single English translation, dikaiosune is translated as righteous. But does that make much sense? Wolterstorff asks, 'How many people do you know that have been persecuted for morally upright living? I’ve never seen that. The people who are persecuted are the ones that seek justice.' So while context matters, Wolterstorff can’t help but speculate whether there is a 'spiritualized' bias of the translation of the word dikaiosune. Is it possible that somewhere along the way righteousness was seen as a more valuable spiritual attribute than justice? It would certainly seem so."

For decades, I confess I prioritized personal piety over seeking communal justice, and I was able to do this because I am privileged to not be directly affected by certain systems of injustice, particularly racism. My enlightenment on this issue is not enough, though, as reflection must lead to action under the leadership of black, Indigenous, and people of color who have been speaking out about this.



#additionalrecommendation #recommendation #danielhill #biblicalconfusionbetweenjusticeandrighteousness #justice #righteousness #translation #empathy #equality #reflection #action #loveyourneighbor #checkbiases #checkassumptions #humanity #learning #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #repent #repair #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Book Rec. - Oct. 19, 2019

Current Read - Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation by Latasha Morrison

“The longer I worked in the church, the more I came to see that it wasn’t a credible witness for racial reconciliation. This wasn’t true of only that local congregation either. As I spoke with my Black friends across the country, I came to understand just how divided the non-White culture and majority-culture churches are” (Morrison, 2019, p.5).

“If we come together in the posture of humility, we can start to bridge the racial divide” (Morrison, 2019, p.8).

“God is inviting all of us to be active participants in racial reconciliation, to show the world that racial unity is possible through Christ” (Morrison, 2019, p.9).

“If they judged me more assimilated, more controlled by the majority-culture narrative, I was more accepted. But if I pushed back with my own cultural stories, with more factual recitations of the truth, and if I wore my hair natural or enunciated words a certain way, I’d be judged according to their racial bias and prejudice. The more I embraced my ethnic identity, the greater the chance I’d be rejected by those White parents - seen as unsafe, angry, and likely to make trouble” (Morrison, 2019, p.17).

“Historical truths play an important role in our understanding of how we arrived in our current racial tension. Without looking back, without understanding the truth of our history, it’s difficult to move forward in healthy ways. And even though it might be painful to recount our history as a country, denying it leads us nowhere. Truth is the foundation of awareness, and awareness is the first step in the process of reconciliation. Jesus said as much: ‘You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free’” (Morrison, 2019, p.32).

“Ninety-two-point-five percent of churches in the United States are racially segregated. Still, there hasn’t been a major movement to desegregate church” (Morrison, 2019, p.77).

“Reconciliation requires truth telling and empathy and tears. It requires changed perspectives and changing directions (also known as repentance). But ultimately, that change of direction requires righting the wrongs perpetrated” (Morrison, 2019, p.153).

“The aim of reconciliation...is the restoration of relationship. And I don’t just mean individual relationships; I also mean healing of communal relationships and societal connections fractured by government abuses, systems of oppression, and systems of structural privilege” (Morrison, 2019, p.177).

“If this book serves to highlight just one truth, I hope it’s that real beauty can come from the ashes of our country’s history with racism. So we continue to spread the message” (Morrison, 2019, p.202).

With powerful personal narrative, historical accounts meet present realities as Latasha Morrison lays a foundation of humility before taking readers on a journey through the work of racial reconciliation. Awareness, acknowledgement, lament, shame, guilt, confession, forgiveness, repentance, reparations, reconciliation, restoration, and reproduction of bridge builders are all graciously and extensively explicated. Latasha Morrison keeps the vision of God at the forefront as she invites all people into the work of pursuing God’s heart for racial reconciliation. Be the Bridge was just released October 15th, and I highly recommend this essential book. Thank you, Latasha Morrison, for communicating truth in love. The Body of Christ is blessed by you.

#currentread #bethebridge #bookrecommendation #bookrec #latashamorrison #reading #learning #racialhealing #equality #reconciliation #socialjustice #lament #repent #repair #iamabridgebuilder #partner #bethebridgebook #beabridgebuilder #wocauthors #pocauthors #supportblackauthors #supportblackwomen #conversationsaboutrace #book #newbook #launchteam #booklaunch #broadeningthenarrative 

Bonus Post about Beth Moore

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

I have been debating all week whether or not to post my thoughts about John MacArthur’s “go home” statement about Beth Moore. But here I am deciding to weigh in through social media. I want to start by saying that I am tired. I'm tired of fighting to belong. I'm tired of fighting to be seen as fully human. And if I'm tired after such a short time, I can't imagine how tiring it is to fight multiple attacks on God-given dominion and dignity through sexism + racism, homophobia, classism, nationalism, ageism, ableism, religious bigotry, or any other combinations or forms of discrimination.

It is sad to hear how Beth Moore was degraded by John MacArthur and others, but it is not surprising. I was accused of trying to pigeon hole a spiritual leader by putting him in a box and labeling him a sexist as I offered my insights, gifts, time, and ideas to try to better help men and women partner together. Instead of a partnership, I was silenced when I tried to call this person to repentance for his harmful words. The gaslighting I experienced was completely unexpected, and I knew that this person intended for me to not bring this up again as he insisted he did not sin against me. I was powerless against his accusations that multiplied, and trust was broken as this person who held power over me escaped accountability. So when Beth Moore is disrespected, it's hard not to feel it personally because this really is about more than just Beth Moore.

I know that for people who side with John MacArthur the task of showing that he was in the wrong is probably an impossible feat as women who speak up are written off as "crazy feminists." Call me crazy, but I will attempt to respond to this latest display of misogyny in evangelicalism anyway.

First, the question I keep asking is, "Why was the name 'Beth Moore' used during a panel for this word association 'game'?" What were they hoping for John MacArthur and others to say? It would be one thing if the responses were in the vein of "beloved sister," but it's hard to believe that the "go home" wasn't expected. It was certainly a well received response. Let's begin with reframing the situation, as this may be the only way to help some people see the humanity of women, the image of God we bear, the dominion we are called to exercise. What if it was reversed? What if Beth Moore was on a similar panel and presented with "John MacArthur" and was instructed to speak the words that come to her mind when she hears his name. If she said, "Go home" and launched into a 10 minute tirade against John MacArthur, we would clearly have a problem with the lack of love, grace, and kindness. It would be apparent that this was harmful, intended to tear down rather than encourage and build up. The same is true when applied to John MacArthur's words aimed at Beth Moore.

I will be honest and say I once desired returning evil for evil in these situations, giving the oppressor or offender a dose of his own medicine through name calling, insulting his intelligence, etc. But Beth Moore shows us a better way, a Jesus way, and she's not the only woman of valor who has consistently chosen love over hate when mocked and ridiculed. Here is what Beth Moore tweeted Monday: "I did not surrender to a calling of man when I was 18 years old. I surrendered to a calling of God. It never occurs to me for a second to not fulfill it. I will follow Jesus - and Jesus alone - all the way home. And  I will see His beautiful face and proclaim, Worthy is the Lamb! Here’s the beautiful thing about it & I mean this with absolute respect. You don’t have to let me serve you. That gets to be your choice. Whether or not I serve Jesus is not up to you. Whether I serve you certainly is. One way or the other, I esteem you as my sibling in Christ."

I also read "Nope, Not Going Home" by Sarah Bessey Monday, and the part that got me was, "You know who never told women to go home? JESUS."

Jesus speaks a better word over women, always. Thank you for this reminder, Stephen. Jesus restores robbed dignity, always. Jesus equips the daughters of God for the work of ministry, always. The ten episode Gender Series done by Almost Heretical was immensely beneficial for me, and I cannot recommend it enough.

In closing, I want to reiterate that this is about more than one woman, and it's about more than white women, so the next time that a prominent evangelical leader, or an evangelical leader you personally know, disparages another image bearer, stand with those impacted. As Kathy Khang tweeted, "Dear white Christian women angry over #GoHome I’ll be watching to see if you stand with #WOC & name, work against #racism & #whitesupremacy in your families, neighborhoods, churches." We are all in this together, and we all suffer when we don't humble ourselves to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

#bethmoore #sarahbessey #kathykhang #empowerwomen #dismantlepatriarchy #endpatriarchy #endmisogyny #endmisogynoir #enddiscrimination #feminism #feminist #antisexist #antisexism #inallitsforms #whitefeminismisnotfeminism #dignity #love #lovegod #loveneighbor #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #almostheretical #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative

Instagram Posts from the Week of Oct. 6, 2019

Bonus Post - October 7, 2019 - Sincerely, Lettie Podcast Links

Y'all, @sincerely.lettie released a bonus podcast episode today, so I am doing a bonus post. I wanted to share the Sincerely, Lettie episode from today. It is titled  "Bonus Episode: One of My Rants." Four different platforms you can access to listen are linked below.

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Google Podcasts

Anchor

If you want to talk about the truth Lettie speaks in this episode, feel free to send me a DM or we can meet up if I know you IRL.

Thank you, Lettie, for speaking up and speaking out about injustice and providing action steps your listeners and followers can take. I appreciate you and your voice.

#sincerelylettie #sincerelylettiepodcast #podcast #justice #injustice #bothamjean #amberguyger #racist #racism #racialreconciliation #domore #showup #showupagainstracism #antiracism #antiracist #becomingantiracist #seekjustice #socialjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Podcast Rec. - Oct. 8, 2019

Current Listen - Sincerely, Lettie: Episode 9: White Fragility...and You (Released Sept. 11, 2019)

“White progressives can be the most challenging because they tend to be so certain that they’re not the problem.”-Lettie Shumate

“Racism is a system that is infused across all institutions, politics, practices, traditions.”-Lettie Shumate

“There’s this other component that comes with this where white people want black people to reassure them, tell them that they’re not bad people, tell them ‘Oh but I still love you,’ and basically take our feelings and put them to the side and make them feel comfortable. No, no, that’s gonna have to stop because that is where the problem continues to lie because then we’re still not allowing white people, or showing white people, that their emotional stamina needs to basically level up. Because then essentially what happens is that the burden is placed on us.”-Lettie Shumate

“We’re not focusing on the negative. You see it as negative because you’re a white person. Just because we say something that you don’t like or that makes you uncomfortable doesn’t mean that it’s negative. It’s truthful. It’s fact. Look, facts are not the best. Truth hurts.”-Lettie Shumate

In this episode of Sincerely, Lettie, Lettie explains what white fragility is and addresses the issues associated with “centering white feelings in conversations about racism and injustice.” She shares personal experiences with being on the receiving end of white fragility and graciously offers questions white people can ask themselves. I was reminded of the call as a Christian to count others more significant (Phil.2:3) and to give greater honor to those that are not honored (1 Cor. 12:24). I am grateful for Lettie’s voice and for this podcast episode that is beneficial for me in checking my white fragility. Thank you, Lettie.

Subscribe to the Sincerely, Lettie podcast, write a review, and follow @sincerely.lettie.

#lettieshumate #sincerelylettie #podcast #historypodcast #podcastrecommendation #podcastrec #podcastepisode #whitefragility #decenterwhiteness #antiracism #antiracist #racism #systemicracism #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endwhitesupremacy #endhate #enddiscrimination #socialjustice #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #loveyourneighbor #repent #repair #empathy #equality #history #truthhurts #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - Oct. 9, 2019

As you can see on the Almost Heretical IG, Nate Hanson and Tim Ritter host a podcast by the same name. They are former pastors “rethinking American evangelical theology” and “trying to make Christianity possible again.”

The first episode I heard featured Lisa Sharon Harper and was called “Good New & Bad News.” I was devastated after Brett Kavanaugh was appointed to the Supreme Court, and the good news Lisa Sharon Harper shared was a balm for my wounded soul. A couple of weeks later, a friend texted a link for the Gender Series to me. As I listened to the series, I cried because of the beauty of what they taught, threw my phone because of the anger I felt never hearing a sermon that incorporated this theology that actively values women, was full of an indescribable level of joy as I felt God restoring my dignity, and immediately texted the link to some friends. They’ve spoken with other guests such as Mako Nagasawa about Penal Substitutionary Atonement, Rachel Held Evans on using and abusing the Bible, Brian Zahnd about making Christianity possible again, Mark Charles on the truth of our history in the United States, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove about slaveholder religion, Science Mike about anger and hope, Tim Mackie on the Bible, Brandi Miller about pursuing racial justice within evangelicalism in the episode “Farewell White Theology,” Wade Mullen on church abuse and cover-up, Rob Bell in the episode “Outside the Camp,” and Chistena Cleveland on getting free from toxic Christianity. In addition, they have done several series which have addressed power, atonement, how the Bible works, hell and heaven, and LGBTQ and the Bible. Nate and Tim made Christianity possible again for me personally, so I wanted to highlight their work today.

Follow @almostheretical if you aren’t already and support the work they are doing if this interests you.

#almostheretical #accounttofollow #makingchristianitypossibleagain #spiritualmisfit #deconstruction #reconstruction #exvangelical #faithtransition #evolvingfaith #race #gender #theology #atonement #thebible #power #hellandheaven #lgbtqandthebible #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #lovegod #loveneighbor #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Additional Rec. - Oct. 10, 2019

Additional Rec. - “Are We Saved or Traumatized by American Christianity” by Kaitlin Curtice

The question addressed in this article by Kaitlin Curtice is one I have been asking with slight variations recently as I am trying to untangle what it means to follow Christ from some of the damaging ideology I was taught. I deeply appreciated her insights and selected a few paragraphs to share.    

“When I was seven years old, I prayed the ‘sinner’s prayer,’ asking Jesus to ‘come into my heart’ to save me from sin and death...From that point on, my spiritual life was shaped by this duality: saved or not saved, bound for heaven or bound for hell. It affected every relationship I had, because it affected me at the core of who I am.”

“It is enduringly hard work, but if we are to dismantle some of the dangers associated with the colonizing evangelical Christianity we’ve inherited, we’ve got to look our trauma in the eye and hold the institutions accountable that caused that trauma.”

“If anything, the church has lost its ability to find its place in the midst of sacred creation. The church has been power hungry for too long, and has forgotten its need to stay humble and gentle, to learn from the world and the creatures in it, and to learn from the least of these when it has lost its way. We lost our way when prayer became a weapon that we wielded toward others we thought needed saving.”

“Do we need to be saved from anything? Probably. We see the way that systems of hate and white supremacy have permeated the earth and destroyed people. We’ve seen how dangerous the ideas of in vs out, black vs white, us vs them can be. Maybe we need to save ourselves and each other from that wreckage. But we have to ask ourselves better questions and hold space for better answers.”

I posted about Kaitlin Curtice on Sept. 25th. If you don’t follow her on social media, please do. If you don’t yet support her work, please do. I cannot stress enough how grateful I am for the prophetic voice of Kaitlin Curtice.

#additionalrecommendation #recommendation #kaitlincurtice #savedortraumatizedbyamericanchristianity #supportindigenouswomen #decolonize #decolonization #deconstruction #reconstruction #evolvingfaith #faithtransition #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #loveyourneighbor #creationcare #learning #repent #repair #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Book Rec. - Oct. 12, 2019

Past Read: The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood by Ta-Nehisi Coates

“I do not remember the color of the envelope or the length of the letter. But I remember jumping up and down and hugging my mother. I remember her smiling at me in actual pride, and this was new. She was often proud of me and demonstrated as much, but it was over potential and possibility, something I had said which made her expect that at some unknowable future date, I would amount to something more than what I seemed to be. Now she smiled at the tangible, at the real, not at what I dreamed I’d be but at that moment what I was” (Coates, 2008, p.124).

“That year, I tried to turn it around. But everything caught up with me. All my past failures from years before heaped onto my two assaults on teachers, to my fight in the cafeteria, and to my failing of English, and I was banished for good. My parents could not intercede here. My father was sitting in the living room on our gray sectional couch, and this is how I knew it was over. He wasn’t even angry. He just sat there blank and went into a speech from which I only remember one line - Ta-Nehisi, you are a disgrace to this family’s name. That hurt…No matter what the professional talkers tell you, I never met a black boy who wanted to fail” (Coates, 2008, p.180).

Reading The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood allowed me to learn about the childhood and adolescent life of Ta-Nehisi Coates. I appreciated his perspective and the anecdotes he shared as they gave glimpses into the experiences that shaped him into the man he became. My admiration and respect for Ta-Nehisi only grew as he unflinchingly wrote about the beautiful struggle.

#pastread #thebeautifulstruggle #bookrecommendation #bookrec #tanehisicoates #familyhistory #memoir #narrative #roadtomanhood #manhood #reading #learning #empathy #equality #broadeningthenarrative

Instagram Posts from the Week of Sept. 29, 2019

Podcast Rec. - Oct. 1, 2019

Past Listen - Freedom Road Podcast: Episode 1: #MeToo #ChurchToo #SilenceIsNotSpiritual (Released Feb. 2, 2018)

“Every single generation of my family, every generation that we can go back to, back to slavery, literally back to my third great-grandmother, Leah Ballard, every single one has been violated, abused, raped, or molested, either by a family member or somebody else.”-Lisa Sharon Harper

“1 in 5, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a faith based campus or not, 1 in 5 women experience sexual harassment or sexual assault on college campus...My body was telling me something happened.”-Belinda Bauman

“I was just struck by, across all these different streams, the story after story that was coming in and just sort of echoing what it is that we saw played out in the media with Harvey Weinstein and all these other celebrities coming out with their stories.”-Nikki Toyama-Szeto

“I thought, ‘What is it about this culture that we cannot talk about sexual violence?’”-LaShawn Warren

In this initial episode of the Freedom Road Podcast, Lisa Sharon Harper spoke about #metoo and gender-based abuse and violence with LaShawn Warren, Belinda Bauman, and Nikki Toyama-Szeto. I cried listening to this the first time. I experienced anger, shame, and relief as I relived my own #metoo stories while holding space for others who are suffering. This episode reminded me that I am not alone in my pain or in my healing.

#lisasharonharper #lashawnwarren #belindabauman #nikkitoyamaszeto #freedomroadpodcast #podcast #podcastrecommendation #podcastrec #metoo #churchtoo #silenceisnotspiritual #endgenderbasedabuse #endgenderbasedviolence #endviolence #endsexism #endpatriarchy #dismantlepatriarchy #loveyourneighbor  #feminism #feminist #jesusfeminist #lament #repent #repair #empathy #equality #listening #learning #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - Oct. 2, 2019

As you can see on the From Privilege to Progress IG, Michelle Saahene and Melissa DePino, the two women behind this account, released a video that took place at Starbucks. The video went viral, leading to them starting the #ShowUp Against Racism movement.

Their story is detailed on the From Privilege to Progress website under the “About Us” tab: “Michelle Saahene and Melissa DePino met at Starbucks in Philadelphia on April 12, 2018. They connected after witnessing two innocent black men being arrested for not buying a coffee. Michelle was the first person to speak up, and Melissa tweeted the video, which went viral with over 13 million views. It took their cohesive effort -- a black woman and a white woman standing up to racism -- to set off an international story that sparked the dialogue on what racism looks like today. Together they started From Privilege to Progress (P2P), a national movement to desegregate the public conversation about racism. P2P calls on all Americans to join on the path to antiracism by learning, speaking up in their everyday lives and amplifying the voices of people of color on social media.”

Follow @privtoprog if you aren’t already, and support the work of Michelle Saahene and Melissa DePino through GoFundMe and/or by filling out a speaking inquiry.

#privtoprog #accounttofollow #showup #showupagainstracism #michellesaahene #melissadepino #fromprivilegetoprogress #p2p #antiracism #antiracist #antiracismwork #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endwhitesupremacy #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #broadeningthenarrative



Additional Rec. - Oct. 3, 2019

Additional Rec. - “The Importance of Normalizing Conversations About Race + White Supremacy” I L. Glenise Pike

This video resulted in a major shift for me, specifically regarding repentance for what L. Glenise Pike called “stolen anger.” I confess that in my journey of broadening the narrative regarding race, I have stolen anger from black, Indigenous, and people of color. I apologize to those whose anger I have stolen. I have been unkind “on behalf of people of color,” but part of becoming an antiracist for me must be normalizing conversations about race and white supremacy and inspiring others to do the same internal work I am striving to do. I also apologize to those who have been on the receiving end of the anger I tried to justify.

L. Glenise Pike explicated three pillars of antiracism work, four stages of antiracism work, and the dangers of not normalizing conversations about race and white supremacy. I was challenged to change and grow as I furiously took notes in order to reflect on the wisdom that poured forth from L. Glenise Pike in order to put it into action in my life.

I highly recommend this video to learn more about becoming antiracist and normalizing conversations about race and white supremacy. You must be a patron to view the video, but I urge you to become a patron to access this video and other content that addresses antiracism.

#additionalrecommendation #recommendation #lglenisepike #normalizingconversationsaboutrace #antiracism #antiracist #becomingantiracist #empathy #equality #reflection #action #loveyourneighbor #checkbiases #checkassumptions #humanity #learning #takenotes #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #repent #repair #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



The Root Articles - Oct. 4, 2019

I am intentionally refraining from inserting my opinions about forgiveness into this post in order to better focus on the voices of others. The Root articles are hyperlinked below.

I’m not sure what to say in light of the news of the 10 year sentence of Amber Guyger in the murder of Botham Jean or the hug Brandt Jean gave to the woman who killed his brother. However, many others have spoken out, and I want to share what they have to say.

In the article “18-Year-Old Brandt Jean’s Hug of Amber Guyger Made Me Sick. But It Ain’t About Me, Though” by Damon Young, Young wrote, “It’s impossible to see that and not also see years of subjugation; of black people expected to forgive the behavior of violent racists; of white apology and performative reconciliation existing in place of sincere reckoning and substantive change; of the minimizing and flattening of black rage; of the pathological passivity some believe is an intentional byproduct of our reliance on and interpretation of Christianity; of the ceaseless benefit of the doubt white people, even white murderers, receive; of how white tears are weaponized to inflict harm; of this sort of forgiveness being considered by unwell-meaning whites (and blacks) to be a benchmark, an evolution, the standard; of a systemic declawing and dehumanization; of us being asked, being expected, and being demanded to possess a superhuman capacity for grace.”

In the article “What Botham Jean's Mother Had to Say About Dallas Police and Her Son's Show of Forgiveness” by Anne Branigin, a quote from Allison Jean, Botham Jean’s mother, was shared. Allison Jean told NBC DFW, “There are many Christians who asked me if I would forgive Amber. I will leave my forgiveness for Amber to myself. God knows my heart...What I want you to do for us, for the family is to support the legacy of Botham. We have created the foundation not to help us, but to help the underprivileged, the underserved, the vulnerable, the voiceless. So I ask you to support the Botham Jean Foundation. I would love to help someone who Botham would have wanted to help.”

In the article “Botham Jean, Amber Guyger and the Delusion of Forgiveness” by Anne Branigin, Branigin wrote, “Video of the embrace immediately caused waves online. Some people, many of them white, valorized it, calling Jean’s act ‘inspirational.’ Some, many of whom were black, were confused or disheartened by it.” 

In addition to these articles, @sincerely.lettie delivered an analysis in her stories, so please follow her for future stories and posts. And @lisasharper has a thread from yesterday that I urge you to read.

#bothamjean #bothamshemjean #sayhisname #justiceforbotham #justiceforbothamjean #blacklivesmatter #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #justice #grief #lament



Book Rec. - Oct. 5, 2019

Current Read: Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Held Evans

“To demand that the Bible meet our demands is to put ourselves and our own interests at the center of the story, which is one of the first traps we must learn to avoid if we are to engage the Bible with integrity or care” (Evans, 2018, p.10).

“If I’ve learned anything from thirty-five years of doubt and belief, it’s that faith is not passive intellectual assent to a set of propositions. It’s a rough-and-tumble, no-holds-barred, all-night-long struggle, and sometimes you have to demand your blessing rather than wait around for it. The same is true for Scripture. With Scripture, we’ve not been invited to an academic fraternity; we’ve been invited to a wrestling match. We’ve been invited to a dynamic, centuries-long conversation with God and God’s people that has been unfolding since creation, one story at a time. If we’re lucky, it will leave us with a limp” (Evans, 2018, p.10).

“For a moment, I felt silly for responding so emotionally to a bunch of old war stories that left the rest of the faithful seemingly unfazed. But this is the deleterious snare of fundamentalism: It claims that the heart is so corrupted by sin, it simply cannot be trusted to sort right from wrong, good from evil, divine from depraved…If the slaughter of Canaanite children elicits only a shrug, then why not the slaughter of Pequots? Of Syrians? Of Jews? If we train ourselves not to ask hard questions about the Bible, and to emotionally distance ourselves from potential conflicts or doubts, then where will we find the courage to challenge interpretations that justify injustice?...'Belief in a cruel god makes a cruel man,’ Thomas Paine said. If the Bible teaches that God is love, and love can look like genocide and violence and rape, then love can look like...anything. It’s as much an invitation to moral relativism as you’ll find anywhere...A lot of people think the hardest part about religious doubt is feeling isolated from God. It’s not. At least in my experience, the hardest part about doubt is feeling isolated from your community” (Evans, 2018, pp.66-68).

“In other words, the prophets are weirdos. More than anyone else in Scripture, they remind us that those odd ducks shouting from the margins of society may see things more clearly than the political and religious leaders with the inside track. We ignore them at our own peril” (Evans, 2018, p.120).

“The miracles of Jesus prefigure a future in which there is no more suffering, no more death, no more stigmatization, no more exclusion, no more chaos. They show us what it looks like for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, and they invite is to buy into that future now, with every act of compassion and inclusion, every step toward healing and reconciliation and love...The apostles remembered what many modern Christians tend to forget-that what makes the gospel offensive isn’t who it keeps out but who it lets in” (Evans, 2018, pp.185-186).

“My experience loving and engaging with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender friends has convinced me that the Bible has been unfairly used against them, often with tragic results” (Evans, 2018, p.205).

“The Christian life isn’t about intellectual assent to a set of propositions, but about following Jesus in the context of actual marriages, actual communities, actual churches, actual political differences, actual budget meetings, actual cultural changes, actual racial tensions, actual theological disagreements. Like it or not, you can’t be a Christian on your own. Following Jesus is a group activity, and from the beginning, it’s been a messy one; it’s been an incarnational one...While the nature of our differences and debates has changed, the apostles’ advice about how to handle those conflicts remains applicable to us all…‘You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it...The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet “I don’t need you!”...If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it’ (1 Corinthians 12:27,21,26)”  (Evans, 2018, pp.206-207).

Inspired is entertaining as the writing of RHE brings the Bible to life in fresh ways. It was also enlightening, providing important cultural information that enriched my understanding of the context in which the ancient writings of Scripture were recorded. And it was encouraging for my weary soul to rest in the hope that permeated throughout this book. Rachel Held Evans was a gift to many who were hurting, and her legacy continues facilitating healing and restoring dignity. 

#currentread #inspired #slayinggiants #walkingonwater #lovingthebibleagain #bookrecommendation #bookrec #rachelheldevans #becauseofrhe #rememberingrhe #eshetchayil #womanofvalor #reading #learning #doubting #loving #growing #love #lovegod #loveneighbor #healing #deconstruction #reconstruction #evolvingfaith #faithtransition #spiritualmisfit #broadeningthenarrative