Instagram Posts from the Week of Sept. 22, 2019

Headlines and History - Sept. 22, 2019

In the USA Today article “Echoing Trump, Roy Moore Tweets That Rep. Ilhan Omar Should Go Back from ‘Whence She Came,’” Savannah Behrmann wrote on Aug. 28, 2019 about an Alabama GOP endorsed resolution. The purpose of the proposal is the removal of Rep. Ilhan Omar from the House of Representatives. Rep. Ilhan Omar responded by saying, "If you want to clean up politics, maybe don’t nominate an accused child molester as your Senate candidate?" She was referring to Roy Moore, who tweeted the next day his agreement with Donald Trump that Rep. Ilhan Omar should go back to Somalia.

The phrase “go back where you came from” has racist roots. The racist rhetoric and history of this ideology was explained by Michael Harriot for The Root on July 19, 2019 in the article “What They Mean When They Say ‘Send Her Back’.” He delineated a timeline that traced events of people advocating for black people to be “sent back.” 

Telling people they should be sent back or go back to where they came from is dangerous, and it is also racist in its dissemination, as Michael Harriot elucidated. This expression conveys the idea that some people don’t belong in the United States, which has harmful consequences for those who are seen as the “other.” We cannot make excuses for these words, especially not when they are tweeted and maintained by the President of the United States. Together, may we be people who tell the truth, lament, repent, and repair. Our present is intertwined with and informed by our past. We must face the past so we can heal the future.

*Edited to add: On June 17, 2020, I came across The Redemption Project with Van Jones for CNN. I read the words, “Face the past. Heal the future.” I will no longer use this phrase for my Headlines and History posts beginning in June 2020.

#istandwithilhan #ilhanomar #rashidatlaib #ayannapressley #alexandriaocasiocortez #aoc #squad #endracism #endwhitesupremacy #dismantlewhitesupremacy #antiracist #antiracism #endxenophobia #endwhitenationalism #socialjustice #loveyourneighbor #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #lament #repent #repair #facethepast #healthefuture #headlines #history #headlinesandhistory #historyandheadlines #broadeningthenarrative



Podcast Rec. - Sept. 24, 2019

Current Listen - The Bible for Normal People: Episode 95: Cheryl Bridges Johns-The Bible and Women’s Spirituality (Released August 12, 2019)

“I think we’re in another time of backlash where it’s a pretty strong and virulent reaction to women of power, women who have a sense of self-authorization or women with agency. It’s just a difficult time to watch women who are as kind and as good and yet as strong and powerful as Beth Moore be attacked so viciously. We watched Rachel Held Evans become constantly under attack.”-Cheryl Bridges Johns

“I didn’t see this coming. I did not see the kinder, gentler forms of patriarchy...But now you get these kind of ‘the beauty of complementarianism,’ and it’s so covered and cloaked in things that make it sound what it’s not, and you have this new neo-Reformed group. I just didn’t see that coming for some reason.”-Cheryl Bridges Johns

“When things become less and less culturally acceptable rather than taking kind of the substance of it, which is, ‘Maybe we need to divest power and maybe we need to be more equal-minded and egalitarian,’ that seems too difficult, so the easier thing to do is kind of repackage the old substantive thing in a new glossy,fancy packaging, and saying, ‘Well, no, you just have to really love your spouse in better ways.”-Jared Byas

“All this, ‘we’re equal, but we’re still in a big hierarchy,’ that fascinates me.”-Cheryl Bridges Johns

“[The Bible] has that redemptive thrust. It’s moving us to something, there’s something better. I love teasing out in a text, ‘What’s the better?’”-Cheryl Bridges Johns

“I just, sometimes, I go down to the level of just snark, calling out, but realizing that that’s just not going to move anyone very far at least...What transforms us...is the presence of God in a way that takes us outside of ourselves.”-Cheryl Bridges Johns

“We were strongly criticized for feminizing the Church. One good sign that we were of the devil was that we had women leaders.”-Cheryl Bridges Johns

“The worst ecumenist is the person who hates their own people, who so easily throws them under the bus.”-Cheryl Bridges Johns

In this episode of The Bible for Normal People, Dr. Cheryl Bridges Johns, a theologian and professor, spoke about feminism. Her grace and kindness flowed freely, which challenged me where a sharp tongue comes easily and in the areas where I am jaded by evangelicalism. I also think it’s peculiar when, past and present, people are criticized for “feminizing the Church,” when the Church is, in fact, referred to as a Bride. It’s (not so) veiled sexism to use “feminizing” pejoratively. I listened to this episode at the request of a friend. Thank you for asking for my thoughts, Greg, and valuing me as a sister. 

What podcasts have you listened to recently?

#peteenns #jaredbyas #cherylbridgesjohns #thebiblefornormalpeople #podcast #podcastrecommendation #podcastrec #thebible #womensspirituality #loveyourneighbor #endsexism #endpatriarchy #dismantlepatriarchy #feminism #feminist #jesusfeminist #hermeneutics #repent #repair #empathy #equality #listening #learning #evolvingfaith #bethmoore #rachelheldevans #becauseofrhe #rememberingrhe #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Account to Follow - Sept. 25, 2019

As you can see in Kaitlin Curtice’s IG profile, she is a citizen of the Potawatomi Citizen Band Nation. She is also the author of Glory Happening: Finding the Divine in Everyday Places and numerous pieces that can be read on her blog and in other publications. In addition, she is a speaker and is booking events now.

I first heard Kaitlin Curtice on the HER with Amena Brown podcast. She was the guest on Season 1, Episode 11: The Body Native. I was captivated as she spoke about growing up as a Christian and her journey that has led her to where she is today, writing and speaking about the “intersection of Indigenous spirituality, faith in everyday life, and the church,” as stated on her website.

Follow @kaitlincurtice if you aren’t already, and support her work through purchasing her book, booking her to speak, and reading her blog, including her latest post “Are We Saved or Traumatized by American Christianity?”

#kaitlincurtice #accounttofollow #gloryhappening #supportindigenouswomen #antiracism #antiracist #antiracismwork #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endwhitesupremacy #decolonize #decolonization #deconstruction #reconstruction #evolvingfaith #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #broadeningthenarrative

Additional Rec. Sept. 26, 2019

Additional Rec. - “Racialization/Nationalization of the Image” I Soong-Chan Rah

Soong-Chan Rah spoke at Wheaton College, and this video was published on April 13, 2015. He explored the racialization and the nationalization of the image of God, focusing at the beginning on four categories of assumptions made about the superiority of white bodies, language, culture, and theology over and against non-white bodies, language, culture, and theology.

By weaving historical contexts to present realities, Soong-Chan Rah answered questions like, “Whose gaze determines what the cities and suburbs look like, which is the New Jerusalem and which is Babylon?” I also appreciated his explanation of the scrutiny experienced by African American Evangelicals when he said, “The problem, though, is that as these African American Evangelicals began to explore not only the foundation of their Evangelical theology but began to explore a black national identity, an identity outside of white Evangelicalism, they were called into question.” He closed by asking, “Whose gaze will determine the narrative of American Evangelicalism going forward?”

Soong-Chan Rah delivered a lecture that was brimming with information but still accessible, while also embedding humor into a heavy topic. I highly recommend this video to learn more about the racialization and nationalization of the image of God, and have a notebook and pen nearby if you’re a note taker!

#additionalrecommendation #recommendation #soongchanrah #racialization #nationalization #imageofgod #empathy #equality #loveyourneighbor #evangelical #evangelicalism #checkbiases #checkassumptions #humanity #learning #takenotes #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #repent #repair #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative



Book Rec. - Sept. 28, 2019

Current Read - Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church by Rachel Held Evans

“Whether [demons] come from within us or outside us, whether they represent distinct personalities or the sins and systems that compete for our allegiance, demons are as real as the competing identities that seek to possess us. But rather than casting them out of our churches, we tend to invite them in, where they tell us we’ll be children of God when...we beat the addiction. we sign the doctrinal statement. we help with the children’s ministry. we get our act together. we tithe. we play by the rules. we believe without doubt. we are married. we are straight. we are religious. we are good” (Evans, 2015, pp. 19-20).

“Philip got out of God’s way. He remembered that what makes the gospel offensive isn’t who it keeps out, but who it lets in...Because we religious types are really good at building walls and retreating to temples. We’re good at making mountains out of our ideologies, obstructions out of our theologies, and hills out of our screwed-up notions of who’s in and who’s out, who’s worthy and who’s unworthy. We’re good at getting in the way” (Evans, 2015, p.39).

“We could not become like God, so God became like us. God showed us how to heal instead of kill, how to mend instead of destroy, how to love instead of hate, how to live instead of long for more. When we nailed God to a tree, God forgave. And when we buried God in the ground, God got up” (Evans, 2015, pp.45-46).

“It became increasingly clear that my fellow Christians didn’t want to listen to me, or grieve with me,or walk down this frightening road with me. They wanted to fix me...Looking back, I suspect their reactions had less to do with disdain for my doubt and more to do with fear of their own. As my mother tried to tell me a million times, they weren’t rejecting me for being different, they were rejecting me for being familiar, for calling out all those quiet misgivings most Christians keep hidden in the dark corners of their hearts and would rather not name” (Evans, 2015, pp.52-53).

“Imagine if every church became a place where everyone is safe, but no one is comfortable. Imagine if every church became a place where we told one another the truth. We just might create sanctuary” (Evans, 2015, p.73).

“Our reasons for staying, leaving, and returning to church are as complex and layered as we are. They don’t fit in the boxes we check in the surveys or the hurried responses we deliver at dinner parties. How easy it is to offer advice when what is needed is empathy” (Evans, 2015, pp.84-85).

“It seems those most likely to miss God’s work in the world are those most convinced they know exactly what to look for, the ones who expect God to play by the rules. Of particular concern to the religious elite was how Jesus associated with sinners...These were the people who wore their brokenness on the outside, people whose indiscretions were so other, so uncommon, their entire personhood was relegated to the category of sinner. They were the people the religious loved to hate, for they provided a convenient sorting mechanism for externalizing sin as something that exists out there, among other people with other problems making other mistakes. It’s the oldest religious shortcut in the book; the easiest way to make oneself righteous is to make someone else a sinner...We tend to look down our noses at these ancient people with their religious codes regulating everything from the fibers in their clothing to the people they touched. But we have our own religious codes these days. We have our own scapegoats we cast from our communities and surround with Bible-wielding mobs. We have sins we delight in taking seriously, biblical instructions we interpret hyperliterally issues we protect over-vigilantly because it helps with our sorting system. It makes us feel righteous” (Evans, 2015, pp.90-91,94).

“I often wonder if the role of the clergy in this age is not to dispense information or guard the prestige of their authority, but rather to go first, to volunteer the truth about their sins, their dreams, their failures, and their fears in order to free others to do the same. Such an approach may repel the masses looking for easy answers from flawless leaders, but I think it might make more disciples of Jesus, and I think it might make healthier, happier pastors...Church is a moment in time when the kingdom of God draws near, when a meal, a story, a song, an apology, and even a failure is made holy by the presence of Jesus among us and within us” (Evans, 2015, pp.112-113).

“The pagan writer Celsus dismissed Christianity as a silly religion, fit only for the uneducated, slaves, and women...Women, especially widows, found a home and occupation within the church, leading some to criticize it as too ‘effeminized’ (proof that some things never change)” (Evans, 2015, p.126).

“This is what God’s kingdom is like: a bunch of outcasts and oddballs gathered at a table, not because they are rich or worthy or good, but because they are hungry, because they said yes. And there’s always room for more...Sara advocates for what’s called an open table, the practice of inviting all who are physically or spiritually hungry to participate in communion, regardless of religious background or status...I don’t know exactly how Jesus is present in the bread and wine, but I believe Jesus is present, so it seems counterintuitive to tell people they have to wait and meet him someplace else before they meet him at the table. If people are hungry, let them come and eat. If they are thirsty, let them come and drink. It’s not my table anyway. It’s not my denomination’s table or my church’s table. It’s Christ’s table. Christ sends out the invitations, and if he has to run through the streets gathering up the riffraff to fill up his house, then that’s exactly what he’ll do. Who am I to try and block the door?...I’m happy to pass the bread to someone like Sara Miles or the neighbor who mows our lawn when we’re out of town. But Sarah Palin? Glenn Beck?...The table reminds us that, as brothers and sisters, adopted into God’s family and invited to God’s banquet, we’re stuck with each other; we’re family. We might as well make peace. The table teaches us that faith isn’t about being right or good or in agreement. Faith is about feeding and being fed...The church is God saying: ‘I’m throwing a banquet, and all these mismatched, messed-up people are invited. Here, have some wine’” (Evans, 2015, pp.148-149,151-153).

“But there is a difference between curing and healing, and I believe the church is called to the slow and difficult work of healing. We are called to enter into one another’s pain, anoint it as holy, and stick around no matter the outcome” (Evans, 2015, p.208).

“Cynicism is a powerful anesthetic we use to numb ourselves to pain, but which also, by its nature, numbs us to truth and joy. Grief is healthy. Even anger can be healthy. But numbing ourselves with cynicism in an effort to avoid feeling those things is not...Cynicism may help us create simpler storylines with good guys and bad guys, but it doesn’t make us any better at telling the truth, which is that most of us are a frightening mix of good and evil, sinner and saint. The annoying thing about being human is that to be fully engaged with the world, we must be vulnerable. And the annoying thing about being vulnerable is that sometimes it means we get hurt. And when your family includes the universal church, you’re going to get hurt. Probably more than once. This doesn’t mean we stay in unhealthy churches or allow abusive people to continue to abuse. It doesn’t mean we participate in congregations that sap us of our life or make us fight to belong. It just means that if we want to heal from our wounds, including those we receive from the church, we have to kick the cynicism habit first” (Evans, 2015, pp.222-223).

“But lately I’ve been wondering if a little death and resurrection might be just what church needs right now, if maybe all this talk of waning numbers and shrinking influence means our empire-building days are over, and if maybe that’s a good thing. Death is something empires worry about, not something gardeners worry about. It’s certainly not something resurrection people worry about...I don’t know exactly what this new revolution will look like...I hope it looks like altars transforming into tables, gates transforming into open doors, and cure-alls transforming into healing oils. I hope it looks like a kingdom that belongs not to the rich, but to the poor, not to the triumphant but to the meek, not to the culture warriors but to the peacemakers. If Christianity must die, may it die to the old way of dominance and control and be resurrected to the Way of Jesus, the Way of the cross...As the shape of Christianity changes and our churches adapt to a new world, we have a choice: we can drive our hearses around bemoaning every augur of death, or we can trust that the same God who raised Jesus from the dead is busy making something new” (Evans, 2015, pp.225-226,229).

“Jesus didn’t talk much about the church, but he talked a lot about the kingdom...In contrast to every other kingdom that has been and ever will be, this kingdom belongs to the poor, Jesus said, and to the peacemakers, the merciful, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. In this kingdom, the people from the margins and the bottom rungs will be lifted up to places of honor, seated at the best spots at the table...The church is not the same as the kingdom...The purpose of the church, and of the sacraments, is to give the world a glimpse of the kingdom, to point in its direction...We make something sacramental when we make it like the kingdom” (Evans, 2015, pp.252-253,255).

This is the book I needed in my current circumstances. I recently wrote a poem called “I Can’t Call it Quits on the Church,” and I have written about people in church trying to “fix” me while lacking empathy. After experiencing spiritual abuse, being silenced, and having my pain diminished, there have been more times than I can count where I just want to walk away from organized religion altogether. I don’t know what the future holds, but I have more hope because of RHE and Searching for Sunday.

#currentread #searchingforsunday #lovingleavingandfindingthechurch #bookrecommendation #bookrec #rachelheldevans #becauseofrhe #rememberingrhe #eshetchayil #womanofvalor #opentable #reading #learning #doubting #loving #growing #love #lovegod #loveneighbor #healing #broadeningthenarrative

A Bill about Sagging Pants, Admitting Mistakes, Asking for Forgiveness, and Becoming Antiracist

Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes

Last February, news reports in South Carolina contained information about House Bill 4957, which would make fining and forced community service acceptable for men wearing sagging pants in public. I immediately emailed the members of the judiciary committee after learning about the bill. I think of my response often to these men and women as well as toward other people. I know I did not communicate kindly and graciously, but I justified my anger because I thought emanating anger was the appropriate reaction. However, after listening to a video by L. Glenise Pike, titled The Importance of Normalizing Conversations about Race + White Supremacy, I see that I conveyed my message with what she calls “stolen anger.” I was, as L. Glenise Pike explicated, a bully on behalf of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. She called me out on it, said that it wasn’t ok, and explained that conversations about race cannot be normalized when white people come in with stolen anger, especially since Black, Indigenous, and People of Color will be on the receiving end of the backlash that will inevitably follow.

I have included my original email to the members of the judiciary committee below, as embarrassing as it is to read now. In addition, I will append changes I would make now, while requesting accountability because I don’t want to miss the opportunity to mature in conversations about race. I will also ask for forgiveness from those I hurt, though I cannot and do not expect pardon. At the conclusion of this post, I will expound on my commitment to becoming antiracist, not as a one-time pledge but as a lifestyle dedicating to dismantling the idea of white supremacy everywhere I encounter it, beginning with myself.

A Bill about Sagging Pants

February 23, 2018

My name is Nicki Pappas. I am a white female, and I reside in [city redacted]. I became aware of House Bill 4957 Wednesday, and I was compelled to contact the members of the judiciary committee regarding this bill.

I read about how House Bill 4957 was introduced on the 15th of February. This proposed bill would make fining and forced community service acceptable for a man who is seen with his pants sagging in public more than three inches below the crest of his ileum exposing skin or undergarments.

This bill is absurd. I honestly cannot believe that exponential amounts of time have been dedicated toward this bill that is now being considered by the judiciary committee. We have much larger problems in our state than the garments people wear and how they choose to wear them. I would prefer not to see someone else’s undergarments, but I can also choose to look away. You may prefer to not see undergarments, and you can choose to turn your head. It’s amazing how our necks allow for such mobility.

There are several problems I have with this bill. First, the ilium is the broad, upper portion of either hipbone. The ileum spelled with an “e”, as it is written in the bill, is part of the small intestine. How is an officer going to identify where a person’s pants are relative to his ileum? Further, I see no reason for the government, particularly law enforcement wielding weapons, to intervene regarding fashion. Listen to how ridiculous this is. Again, we have much larger problems in our state than style of dress.

Second, communities and people of color will be most affected by this bill if it becomes law. Like it or not, this is a racist policy. I understand that Representative Joseph Jefferson is African American, and he sponsored this bill, but the voice of an African American who agrees with the majority culture should not be elevated to speak for the community as a whole. African Americans are not monolithic. I’m sure that you were probably taught to be color-blind, like I was, so you know that the first image to come to your mind when you hear “sagging pants” shouldn’t be a black male. If you’re honest, though, you will acknowledge that a black man is the person associated with the style of dress being targeted in this bill. Rep. Jefferson commented that the bill is not designed to target minorities and that he has seen men of all races wearing pants that sag. Sure. But, again, if we are honest, we know that black men are more likely to dress in this way; therefore, they will be most affected by this bill if it becomes law. With tension between law enforcement and communities of color already heightened, this bill is simply not good for fostering positive relations. Further, I am worried for the safety of my brothers of color. Men who choose to dress with their pants sagging are unfairly associated with negative labels. Men who work hard, don’t have a criminal record, and who love their families well could still choose to wear their pants in this way and would suffer. Communities, children, and men of color will be targeted, whether you want to admit it or not.  

Speaking with an African American female friend, she worries for the men in her family if this bill becomes law. We have to remember that real people will be affected should this bill become a law. A father, a brother, a nephew, or a son will be unfairly targeted under the law. White people are less likely to feel the weight of this becoming a law because it doesn’t affect our fathers, brothers, nephews, or sons in the same way. My friend and I also fear that the government is extending its influence too far. If this becomes law, what else could pass after this precedent is set? Government overreach is dangerous. I’m sure you don’t want laws passed that would negatively impact you or people who look like you. Further, whether you agree with the assumptions or not, dehumanizing assumptions are connected to men who choose to wear their pants in a sagging way. You don’t want laws passed that devalue humanity. People of color do not want this either.

Now, consider the communities that will be most affected by this bill if it became law. There is a proven wealth disparity between white families and families of color, yet this bill would affect people of color more than white people. This seems like just a way to generate revenue from those who are disadvantaged financially and to force people to labor for free. I read about how the man who wears his pants three inches below the crest of his ileum exposing skin or undergarments in public would be subject to a $25 fine for a first offense, a $50 fine or up to 3 hours of community service or both for a second offense, and a $75 fine or up to 6 hours of community service or both for a third or subsequent offense. What happens when there is not reliable transportation to court? What happens when the fine cannot be paid? I understand that the violation would not be a criminal or delinquent offense, and it would be handled by municipal or magistrate court, but there are many people who simply could not pay even a $25 fine. They need every dollar they have for food and other necessities.

Also, what is the age minimum? What happens when a 16 year old child of color who is skeptical of law enforcement, for good reasons, decides to run away when approached by an officer who thinks the child is 18 and wants to fine the child for wearing his pants in a way that has been deemed by the majority culture as inappropriate? Will this child meet a premature death and suffer the fate of many young black teenagers who have gone before him? This is yet another reason why this type of bill, as it will inevitably target minorities, is a terrible idea.

I would like to address the argument proposed by Rep. Wendell Gilliard regarding gender equality. He stated that the issue is one of equality because a female would be cited for indecent exposure if she wore sagging pants. I’m sorry, but women dress in ways that people don’t prefer all the time and show areas of their bodies that are controversial in some groups, yet women are not fined for immodesty in many cases. I’m certainly not arguing women should be policed for how they choose to dress either. Again, I may prefer for a woman to dress differently, but if I don’t like it, I can turn my head.

You have an obligation to serve and look out for the interests of your constituents. You are commissioned to do what is best for our state. This bill is not in the best interest of our state. Legislation is not a place for preferences. Obviously not every black man dresses this way, but 27.9% of the population in South Carolina is African American, so 27.9% of the population will be adversely affected in some way by this bill if it becomes law. Family members and friends of people of color could easily find themselves being targeted. This bill also sends a message that the people who choose to dress this way are not valuable, should be oppressed if they don’t assimilate, and have nothing to offer. Communities of color as a whole will be negatively affected because of the message sent by this bill.

To close, I would like to argue against respectability politics as this is the issue at play with this bill. Respectability politics refers to efforts of members of marginalized groups to encourage others who are part of their group to adopt the values that have been set by the mainstream culture. Rep. Jefferson stated that it's unbecoming and unprofessional to wear pants that sag. He said that this bill is to warn those who choose to dress in this manner that they should be more responsible. He said that there ought to be a better way. Where did the standard of what is unbecoming, unprofessional, and irresponsible come from regarding how men dress? This is a manmade standard and should not be made law. Rep. Gilliard said that we have to lead by example, making it seem like a man cannot be a good leader if he chooses to wear his pants in a way that the majority culture has deemed inappropriate. And just because there are minority voices that have adopted the majority standard does not mean they speak for all people who are part of minority groups. Expecting people to dress and act as the mainstream has decided is acceptable in order to be treated with dignity, value, and respect is respectability politics. As a follower of Christ, I reject respectability politics. Though I may prefer a different way of dressing and teach my sons to dress differently, I will not support the fining and forced community service of young men who choose to wear their pants in a way that white people have determined is unacceptable. I am white, and I still will fight this bill and defend my brothers of color who will be disproportionately affected by this bill if it becomes law. 

Admitting Mistakes

As I re-read the email, the tone is one of ending a conversation, not initiating a back and forth set of conversations surrounding race and the idea of white supremacy. I also realized that it sounded like the intended recipients were white, which perpetuates the idea of white supremacy, as if those on the judiciary committee were all white. My delivery also lacked love as sarcasm and stolen anger permeated throughout. Instead of coming in hot, there are some things I would change if I could.

With much more tenderness from a much less snarky position, here’s a glimpse of what I would say now:

Knowing that the roles of police are supposed to be fighting crime, serving, and protecting, I still believe passing bills like this would not aid in accomplishing any of these goals. Sagging pants are not a crime and serving and protecting citizens can only be done when viewing them with dignity, not targeting them for their fashion choices. I still think that implementing laws like this hinders healthy interactions between law enforcement and communities of color as more opportunities for negative interactions arise. I still hold to the belief that in a nation that values liberty and justice for all, people in a truly free society should be able to voice opposition to the government and legislators without coming under attack and having their own character attacked and being labeled anti-America. We should be able to respectfully disagree with power being wielded in an unworthy manner without being maligned.

To Christians I know who would say that laws like this are not racist because race is not explicitly stated, I would gently offer that when laws are proposed that we think will mainly affect Christians, even when the term Christian does not appear, many Christians oppose them and call on others to join the opposition. Christians want to be believed when they think they are the intended audience meant to suffer under a law, they cry out against the persecution, and they take action. With bills that have the propensity for racist implementation, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color who will be directly impacted should be trusted when they speak up and take action against such proposed or passed laws.

I also maintain that bills like House Bill 4957 don’t require people in the majority population to confront or dismantle harmful assumptions and beliefs about people in minority populations. In last month’s post, I addressed some of the problems present in the notion that sagging pants make it easier for people to carry illegal weapons and drugs. It is dangerous and dehumanizing to think that all Black men and boys, or Indigenous men and boys, or men and boys of color who sag their pants are “thugs” packing heat. I personally know people with concealed carrying permits who carry a gun on them with pants that aren't sagging. I also attempted to elucidate the pattern of results of stop and frisk and other searches that reveal white people are more likely to have illegal guns and drugs. Searches reveal Black people are more likely to be stopped but less likely to possess illegal weapons or drugs, as you can see in the 2018 Vehicle Stops Executive Summary from Missouri.

Asking Forgiveness

I want to ask for forgiveness from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color for, as L. Glenise Pike said, being a bully on your behalf. Stealing your anger is not acceptable, and I am sorry. I want to do better.

I also want to ask for forgiveness from white people I have been harsh toward. My lashing out, walking away, and grudges don’t inspire anyone to enter or continue conversations about race and the idea of white supremacy. I don’t want to assume the worst of those who disagree with me. I want us to not put words into each other's mouths and really seek to understand various viewpoints, even if there is disagreement. I am sorry. I want to do better.

Becoming Antiracist

I am changing. As Austin Channing Brown said at an event I attended, antiracism work is transformative. You may not recognize me anymore, and I understand if that is unsettling. Becoming antiracist, rather than simply saying that I am not racist, has helped me care about injustice everywhere it is displayed. My heart for seeking justice for all who are marginalized is enhanced as I evolve.

I am only human, so I know I will make mistakes in the future, just as I have in the past. However, my humanity is not an excuse to hide behind to prevent repenting and repairing when I do wrong. I want people to hold me accountable to ensure I am not stealing the anger of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The things I say may still cause discomfort, but I desire to exude kindness and mercy as I speak. Starting and continuing conversations about race and the idea of white supremacy is how I want to live my life.

To my sisters and brothers who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color, I am committed to the work of being antiracist and bringing other white people in to learn from you all and join you all in your fight for equality.

To my sisters and brothers who are white, I am committed to the work of being antiracist and bringing you in to learn from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color so we can join them in their fight for equality.

Grace and peace.

(Resources are linked below.)

Where Change Started

Black Lives Matter

Recommended Reading

Articles

“If You Love Me, Do Your Homework” by Tarmara C. Johnson

“An Antiracist Reading List” by Ibram X. Kendi

Books

Becoming Antiracist: A 52 Week Guided Journal to Overcoming Your Racist Bypassing Behaviors by L. Glenise Pike

How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey by Sarah Shin

The Making of Asian America: A History by Erika Lee

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi

I’m Still Here:Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo

Videos to View

The Next Question Video Web Series (Hosted and produced by Austin Channing Brown, Jenny Booth Potter, and Chi Chi Okwu)

"Why ‘I’m Not Racist’ is Only Half the Story” (Robin DiAngelo)

Podcasts (for your listening pleasure and discomfort)

“Truth’s Table Live at the CRC’s Standing Against Racism Event”

Pass the Mic: "What is Anti-Racism”

Music (that may make you uncomfortable)

"A Time like This" by Micah Bournes

"Too Much" by Micah Bournes

“Ally Anthem” by Micah Bournes

 "All Hands on Deck" by Micah Bournes (feat. Izzi Ray, Jackie Miclau, Liz Vice, & Lucee)

#antiracism #antiracist #becomingantiracist #beingantiracist #treatpeoplewithdignity #loveyourneighbor #seekjustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #lament #repent #repair #facethepast #healthefuture #tellthetruth #equality #blog #blogger #newblogpost #broadeningthenarrative

Instagram Posts from the Week of Sept. 15, 2019

Account to Follow - Sept. 18, 2019

As you can see in Rachel Cargle’s IG profile, she is a public academic, writer, and lecturer. Rachel Cargle boldly and powerfully delivers truth, and she is deeply appreciated by so many people.

The first piece I read by Rachel Cargle was “When Feminism is White Supremacy in Heels,” which I posted about on September 5th. The writing of Rachel Cargle makes me anything but comfortable, and I am grateful.

Follow @rachel.cargle if you aren't already, and support her work as she is “building an intellectual legacy through teaching, storytelling & critical discourse.”

#rachelcargle #accounttofollow #publicacademic #writer #lecturer #supportblackwomen #antiracism #antiracist #antiracismwork #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endwhitesupremacy #endpatriarchy #feminism #womensrights #feminist #womanist #empowerwomen #blackfeminists #dismantletoxicwhitefeminism #startingwithmyself #whitefeminismisnotfeminism #enddiscrimination #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #broadeningthenarrative



Additional Rec. - Sept. 19, 2019

Additional Rec. - “How Christian Rationalism Turned Me Into a Psychopath, or A Biblical Defense of Feelings” by Michael Minkoff, Jr.

On April 7, 2016, Michael Minkoff, Jr. posted an article about his experiences in Protestant Reformed churches that produced Christian rationalism in him while simultaneously diminishing the value of feelings. This had deleterious effects for him and those around him. I have included quotes below from the article.

“See, in Old Testament culture, the seat of the intellect was not the brain/mind. It was the heart (leb: לֵב), the 'inner man.' In fact, it continues to be the case that many Eastern cultures (at least in their language) use the heart as the organ of the intellect.”

“For instance, consider Jeremiah 17:9-10. These verses are central to why many Christians reject emotions as deceptive and untrustworthy: ‘The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds.’ ‘See!’ they say. ‘God says it right there. The heart, the seat of emotions, not the mind mentioned in verse 10 is more deceitful than all else.’ Except the word 'heart' in verse 9 doesn’t actually refer to the seat of your emotions. It refers to the seat of your intellect and will: your inner man.”

“So I take issue with the notion that any one human capacity is not prone to fallibility, as if reason is more to be trusted than emotion. If anything, when properly interpreted, Jeremiah 17:9 indicates that the intellect is the most deceitful capacity of man. In modern terms, it could easily be translated: ‘The mind is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick…’ I would rather translate it here as ‘the inner man,’ but either way, the idea that feelings are less trustworthy or more fallible than reason is not biblical. Both feelings and intellect are important and equally indispensable. Lessening the value of one capacity over another within the church is bound to create dangerous and truth-distorting imbalances.”

“At a young age, I learned to view my emotions as a weakness and a vulnerability. I hardened my heart into a tablet of stone.”

“But right now, the church desperately lacks deeply feeling people with expansive emotional capacities. They are our conscience. They are central to uninhibited worship. They are vital to our empathy for the broken world. It’s time we hold feelings to the same standard we hold the intellect to, and we can do that only when we value feelings as much as we value the intellect. It’s time to topple the idol of Christian rationalism. It’s time we Westerners learn to love God with all of our human faculties.”

Many people probably don’t need a guy named Michael that they don’t know to tell them that it’s ok to feel their feelings. If that’s you, then great! When a friend posted this article last year, though, I appreciated it as it gave language to my experiences. If you’ve read this or if you do read it, comment below because I would love to know what you think.  

#additionalrecommendation #recommendation #michaelminkoffjr #howchristianrationalismturnedmeintoapsychopath #abiblicaldefenseoffeelings #emotionalhealth #emotionallyhealthy #empathy #loveyourneighbor #feelings #valuefeelings #feelyourfeelings #allthefeelings #hermeneutics #checkbiases #checkassumptions #humanity #learning #socialjustice #seekjustice #restorativejustice #lovemercy #walkhumbly #repent #repair #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative




Book Rec. - Sept. 21, 2019

Current Read - A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband "Master" by Rachel Held Evans

“I get the sense that many in the contemporary biblical womanhood movement feel that the tasks associated with homemaking have been so marginalized in our culture that it’s up to them to restore the sacredness of keeping the home. This is a noble goal indeed, and one around which all people of faith can rally. But in our efforts to celebrate and affirm God’s presence in the home, we should be wary of elevating the vocation of homemaking above all others by insinuating that for women, God’s presence is somehow restricted to that sphere. If God is the God of all pots and pans, then He is also the God of all shovels and computers and paints and assembly lines and executive offices and classrooms. Peace and joy belong not to the woman who finds the right vocation, but to the woman who finds God in any vocation, who looks for the divine around every corner” (Evans, 2012, p.30).

“Somewhere between the chicken soup and the butter-bleeding pie, I’d made peace with the God of pots and pans-not because God wanted to meet me in the kitchen, but because He wanted to meet me everywhere, in all things, big or small. Knowing that God both inhabits and transcends our daily vocations, no matter how glorious or mundane, should be enough to unite all women of faith and end that nasty cycle of judgment we get caught in these days” (Evans, 2012, p.43).

“The irony of course, is that while advocates of biblical patriarchy accuse everyone else of biblical selectivity, they themselves do not appear to be stoning adulterers, selling their daughters into slavery, taking multiple wives, or demanding that state laws be adjusted to include death sentence for rape victims...at least not yet. Those who decry the evils of selective literalism tend to be rather clumsy at spotting it in themselves” (Evans, 2012, p.52).

“Old Testament scholar Ellen F. Davis notes that the [Prov. 31]  poem was intended ‘not to honor one particularly praiseworthy woman, but rather to underscore the central significance of women’s skilled work in a household-based economy.’ She concludes that ‘it will not do to make facile comparisons between the biblical figure and the suburban housewife, or alternately between her and the modern career women.’ And yet many Christians interpret this passage prescriptively, as a command to women rather than an ode to women, with the home-based endeavors of the Proverbs 31 woman cast as the ideal lifestyle for all women of faith...No longer presented as a song through which a man offers his wife praise, Proverbs 31 is presented as a task list through which a woman earns it” (Evans, 2012, p.76).

“In Jewish culture it is not the women who memorize Proverbs 31, but the men. Husbands commit each line of the poem to memory, so they can recite it to their wives at the Sabbath meal, usually in a song...We abandoned the meaning of the poem by focusing on the specifics, and it became just another impossible standard by which to measure our failures. We turned an anthem into an assignment, a poem into a job description” (Evans, 2012, pp.88-89).

“At the last Christian women’s conference I attended, several speakers mentioned the importance of keeping a beauty routine so that husbands will not be tempted ‘to look elsewhere.’ The message is as clear as it is ominous: Stay beautiful, or your husband might leave you...and if he does, it’s partially your fault” (Evans, 2012, pp.100-101).

“It seems that most of the Bible’s instructions regarding modesty find their context in warnings about materialism, not sexuality...I’ve heard dozens of sermons about keeping my legs and my cleavage out of sight, but not one about ensuring that my jewelry was not acquired through unjust or exploitive trade practices” (Evans, 2012, p.128).

“Both Jesus and Paul spoke highly of celibacy and singleness, and for centuries the Church honored the contributions of virgins and widows to the extent that their stories occupied the majority of Christian literature...The pendulum would swing back during the Reformation, when, as a reaction to the cloistered life, Luther and the Reformers elevated the virtues of homemaking and domesticity above those of rigid asceticism...Perhaps someday, all women, no matter their marital status or procreative prowess, will be equally honored by the Church...As a Christian, my highest calling is not motherhood; my highest calling is to follow Christ. And following Christ is something a woman can do whether she is married or single, rich or poor, sick or healthy, childless or Michelle Duggar” (Evans, 2012, pp.179-180).

“The breaking in of the new creation after Christ’s resurrection unleashed a cacophony of new prophetic voices, and apparently, prophesying among women was such a common activity in the early church that Paul had to remind women to cover their heads when they did it. While some may try to downplay biblical examples of female disciples, deacons, leaders, and apostles, no one can deny the Bible’s long tradition of prophetic feminine vision. And right now, we need that prophetic vision more than ever. Right now thirty thousand children die every day from preventable disease. Right now a woman dies in childbirth every minute. Right now women ages fifteen to forty-four are more likely to be maimed or to die from male violence than from cancer, malaria, traffic accidents, and war combined...So my advice to women is this: If a man ever tries to use the Bible as a weapon against you to keep you from speaking the truth, just throw on a head covering and tell him you’re prophesying instead. To those who will not accept us as preachers, we will have to become prophets” (Evans, 2012, pp.280-281).

“When we turn the Bible into an adjective and stick it in front of another loaded word (like manhood, womanhood, politics, economics, marriage, and even equality), we tend to ignore or downplay the parts of the Bible that don’t fit our tastes...More often than not, we end up more committed to what we want the Bible to say than what it actually says...The Bible does not present us with a single model for womanhood, and the notion that it contains a sort of one-size-fits-all formula for how to be a woman of faith is a myth. Among the women praised in Scripture are warriors, widows, slaves, sister wives, apostles, teachers, concubines, queens, foreigners, prostitutes, prophets, mothers, and martyrs. What makes these women’s stories leap from the page is not the fact that they all conform to some kind of universal ideal, but that, regardless of the culture or context in which they found themselves, they lived their lives with valor. They lived their lives with faith...there is no one right way to be a woman...not if Deborah, Ruth, Rachel, Tamar, Vashti, Esther, Priscilla, Mary Magdalene, and Tabitha have anything to say about it” (Evans, 2012, pp.294-295).

Y’all, go read, or re-read, this book!

#currentread #ayearofbiblicalwomanhood #bookrecommendation #bookrec #rachelheldevans #becauseofrhe #rememberingrhe #biblicalwomanhood #eshetchayil #womanofvalor #proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #reading #learning #doubting #loving #growing #love #lovegod #loveneighbor #broadeningthenarrative