Faust is a German cautionary tale of one who makes a deal with the devil to get unattainable knowledge and temporary powers. It teaches the folly of trading something of supreme moral importance for power, riches or satisfaction. In America, … Continue reading At These Crossroads
The language of Christian Nationalism is the language of conquest. America is Israel, the analogy goes; the Promised Land is the North American continent. Just as ancient Israel was given a divine mandate to conquer the land of Canaan, so … Continue reading After the Exile
Back when I was in elementary school in the early 60’s, we started the day with pledging allegiance to the American flag, that is, except for a Muslim kid whose family were members of the Nation of Islam. Although I … Continue reading One Nation, Under God?
We have a record in the past of building out a nation with the presumed intention of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Or so we were told in our civics classes in our schools, classes that were designed … Continue reading A More Perfect Union
This past month has been a roller coaster of exhaustion and anger for many reasons, but there are a few identity pieces that collided this month in such a way that I am still metaphorically brushing off the rubble they … Continue reading Who Is Protected In A Dark Room?
“Building the Bridge Together” was the aspirational mantra for Accord1, i.e., accord1.wordpress.com, my initial foray into the online communication world. At its inception in 2011, I was trusting in existing systems, highlighting “The Church” to be the mechanism to accomplish this … Continue reading Building Bridges not Walls
We perpetuate racial abuse we when allow racial segregation to shape-shift without consequence. Continue reading Segregation Through Vocabulary Lynching
The U.S. Census tracks racial housing segregation with the “index of dissimilarity.” The index tracks segregation between two groups by viewing their distribution across neighborhoods in the same city. [1] Race, although a social construct, has major implications for life … Continue reading Racial Segregation—the Bridge to Nowhere
The only African-American member of our small church died this year. My entire family grieves his loss. When I told my ten-year-old son that Loy had passed away, my son cried out with a pang of sorrow, “But he was … Continue reading The Only Black Person in the Sanctuary
Three-Fifths 