Beyond
“If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it … Continue reading Beyond
What if the table unites us?
The kingdom of God is a table— a global and eternal potluck, bountiful, pressed down, and overflowing with all the goodness of comfort food from a billion cultures, all prepared with scarred and loving hands. The compelling aroma of home … Continue reading What if the table unites us?
We are Stronger Together
It’s amazing to think that people who are a part of the Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) community would say disparaging comments about others in the same community. Based on leaked recordings, we know that negative comments made by … Continue reading We are Stronger Together
From the Back of the Classroom
I’m writing this from the back of a second-grade classroom, where I was called in as an emergency substitute to be the legally certificated adult in the room while a student teacher oversees the class. I sit here at the … Continue reading From the Back of the Classroom
A Shared Past Should Unify Our Future
As soon as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s tickets opened for sale, we bought them. My children had fallen in love with the mirrors they saw in the characters after the first movie: strong Black men and women of power and … Continue reading A Shared Past Should Unify Our Future
February Theme: Ties That Bind
At the beginning of Black history month’s annual observance to recognize African American contributions to American history, we still remember the hurt from last year’s Los Angeles City Council’s racist recording scandal against Black and indigenous people. This involved three majority Latino City Council members, led by former Council President Nury Martinez. Though the African American, Indigenous, and Hispanic/Latino communities have traveled different pathways, these communities share a parallel quest for equity. We will examine how BIPOC communities differ from one another, and what commonalities they share. Finally, how do we all, including allies and accomplices, come together to thwart … Continue reading February Theme: Ties That Bind
We Are Hope
“Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,I am the dream and the hope of the slave.”-Maya Angelou I am still the hope and the dream of the slave. In naming this, it is equally important to name the role of … Continue reading We Are Hope
Who is in? Who is out?
Jesus directly addressed in/outgroup behavior in Matthew 5: 44,47 he said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. . . .If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Aren’t even tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Don’t even pagans do that?” Continue reading Who is in? Who is out?
White Pastor, Black Theology
“What do you think Jesus looks like?” asked the pastor who was leading the baptismal study. I said something like, “He has long hair and a beard and wears a robe.” The straightness of his hair was more or less … Continue reading White Pastor, Black Theology
Three-Fifths 