Instagram Posts from the Week of July 7, 2019

Headlines and History - July 7, 2019

My Instagram post from July 7^th can be read below if you would like to explore the hyperlinks for more information.

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On Sundays, I connect a current event with the past in a "segment" titled Headlines and History.

It is no secret that immigrant children at the southern border of the United States are being traumatically separated from their parents. The conditions at the border patrol facilities are heartbreaking and dehumanizing. A piece written by Jeremy Raff for The Atlantic, "What a Pediatrician Saw Inside a Border Patrol Warehouse," details the findings of a pediatrician who evaluated sick children.

The mistreatment of and hatred toward immigrants didn't come out of nowhere. The crisis we see now has a long history and can be connected to numerous past events and policies. Since becoming a nation, the United States has been rooted in the idea of white supremacy. This inevitably led to contempt toward immigrants who weren't considered "white." To trace the history of anti-immigrant laws and sentiments, a link is below for an article titled "U.S. Immigration Timeline."

World Relief, Preemptive Love, and Together Rising are just a few organizations that have shared ways people can help. 

What other organizations can we donate to and support?

#immigration #bordercrisis #familiesbelongtogether #loveyourneighbor #closethecamps #worldrelief #preemptivelove #togetherrising #historyandheadlines #broadeningthenarrative 




Monday Musings - July 8, 2019

My Instagram post from July 8th is below if you would like to read it.

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Mondays are for musings. In April, I participated in National Poetry Writing Month for the first time. I joined the Fight Evil with Poetry Facebook group and attempted to daily write a poem corresponding to the prompts that were given. I would like to share this work with you all on Mondays.

My process started as a note in my phone. Then, I transferred the poem to my notebook. In response to the first prompt, I wrote a poem titled "The Dream of Male Superiority." Sexism and patriarchy are evil. Full stop. The words here come from deeply wounded places where I have been robbed of dignity for the past three decades. Also, it's a lonely place as a Christian with proximity to people who are conservative and see no problem with patriarchy. To them, this is just "biblical manhood." (And TBH, it wasn't that long ago I felt the same way.) The dismissals, denials, and defensiveness displayed in conversations bring deep despair.

There are minds much more brilliant than mine covering the topic of patriarchy and so many people I want to thank. The most formative work for me has been the Gender Series done by Almost Heretical. Thank you for sharing it with me Danielle.

"So I will dream, I will aspire, I will live to lift women higher." This is how the last stanza begins. The story isn't over, and I am not left without hope. My dignity has been and is being restored, and I hope to be used to do the same for other women (and men, too). We all suffer under patriarchy.

What do you do to express your inner musings creatively?

#nationalpoetrywritingmonth2019 #napowrimo #fightevilwithpoetry #almostheretical #musings #poetry #poetsofinstagram #thepainofpatriarchy #dignityrestored #hope #healing #broadeningthenarrative



Podcast Rec - July 9, 2019

My Instagram post from July 9th can be read below, and the podcast episode I recommend is hyperlinked.

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On Tuesdays, I will post about a podcast episode.

Current Listen- Pass the Mic: When the President Crashes Your Church Service (released June 5, 2019)

"Justice takes sides." -Jemar Tisby

My friend Danielle shared this episode of Pass the Mic with me after it dropped, and I am listening to it today. I am deeply grateful for the prophetic voices of Jemar Tisby and Tyler Burns, the President and Vice President of The Witness. Subscribe to the PTM podcast and support the work of these men.

What is the podcast you recommend the most to people who want to be actively anti-racist? 

#passthemic #antiracism #podcast #podcastrecommendation #justice #propheticvoices #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - July 10, 2019

My Instagram post from July 10th is below with hyperlinks if you would like to explore the information shared.

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On Wednesdays, I will highlight an account I follow.

I mentioned the Equal Justice Initiative last Friday. If you aren't already following this organization, follow @eji_org and support the work being done to challenge the narrative that surrounds the history of the United States regarding racial justice.

Last October, I traveled to Montgomery, AL with a few friends for a sobering trip to The Legacy Museum and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which were created by the Equal Justice Initiative. During our visit, I purchased the reports on segregation and lynching. You can buy these publications and others on the EJI website.

The stories we tell matter. Let us be tellers of the full truth.

#eji #endmassincarceration #endexcessivepunishment #challengeracialinjustice #challengeeconomicinjustice #protectthevulnerable #thelegacymuseum #fromenslavementtomassincarceration #thenationalmemorialforpeaceandjustice #sacredspace #challengethenarrative #tellthetruth #thefulltruth #andnothingbutthetruth #broadeningthenarrative 



Additional Rec - July 11, 2019

My Instagram post from July 11th is below with hyperlinks to explore if you would like to learn more and access the documentary I recommend.

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Thursday will be a day for me to post about something that I have found beneficial on my journey in broadening the narrative.

Yesterday's post was about EJI. Bryan Stevenson is the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, and a documentary titled True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight for Equality has been produced by HBO. This film details the life and career of Bryan Stevenson and the work of EJI. It is available free of charge without a subscription until July 31st. Have your tissues ready. Thank you for sharing this with me Danielle.

Have you watched this documentary? I would love to hear your thoughts. 

#bryanstevenson #eji #documentary  #endmassincarceration #endexcessivepunishment #challengeracialinjustice #challengeeconomicinjustice #protectthevulnerable #challengethenarrative #tellthetruth #thefulltruth #andnothingbutthetruth #broadeningthenarrative 



Book Rec - July 13, 2019

It’s book post day!

Past Read- The Emotionally Healthy Church: A Strategy for Discipleship that Actually Changes Lives by Peter Scazzero

“Despite all the emphasis today on spiritual formation, church leaders rarely address what spiritual maturity looks like as it relates to emotional health. For this reason, our churches are filled with people who remain emotionally unaware and socially immature...The link between emotional health and spiritual maturity is a large, unexplored area of discipleship” (Scazzero, 2010, p. 18).

I have included this book on the Broadening the Narrative account because broadening the narrative requires emotional health, which I have personally neglected, as I think many people do. If we want to heal, we cannot ignore this aspect of our humanity. I gleaned important principles I have been able to put into practice in my life personally and in looking for safe and healthy community. This is a book that I regret not reading sooner.

What are you reading? 

Do you have any book recommendations to address emotional health or a similar topic?

#pastread #theemotionallyhealthychurch #healthycommunity #sevenprinciples #emotionalhealth #bookrecommendation #facethepast #healthefuture #heal #fosterempathy #broadeningthenarrative