For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
Romans 1:16
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.and yet look at the world around us and what people who call themselves Christians are saying and doing...
(Matthew 5:43 - 48, NIV)
"In this provocative book, theologian and blogger Drew G. I. Hart places police brutality, mass incarceration, antiblack stereotypes, poverty, and everyday acts of racism within the larger framework of white supremacy. Leading readers toward Jesus, Hart offers concrete practices for churches that seek solidarity with the oppressed and are committed to racial justice.
What if all Christians listened to the stories of those on the racialized margins? How might the church be changed by the trouble they've seen?"
(source: herald press)
I suggest directly and indirectly throughout this book that our very intuitions cannot be shaped in hierarchy and dominance, as were the postures of Caesar, Herod, and Pilate. Instead, we must come alongside the crucified of the world in solidarity, as Jesus himself did, so that we can have our minds renewed. Dominant cultural intuitions run contrary to Christ's way of knowing. The one taking on the form of Christ in the world does not take for granted the popular or dominant view of things. Rather, the person committed to Jesus follows him to the margins and cracks of society, entering into what I call "counterintuitive solidarity" with the oppressed.Read more about this book, including praise, a sample chapter, and a free study guide at the publisher's webpage.
(pages 28-29)
"We All Believe in You is a rapidly growing movement developed to de-stigmatize and de-mistify mental illness. WABIY serves to put a face to a typically faceless struggle as many live in the shame and anonymity of their disease. It is the goal of WABIY to use art, honesty, education, and community to abolish pre-existing ideas and beliefs about mental illness. And above all, for those that are struggling with mental illness to know that they are not alone and We All Believe in You."Featured on:
(from the WABIY website)
Our school is an inclusive community where the fundamental dignity and rights of the person are honored and where those who identify as sexual and gender minorities are welcomed and supported as children of God.
I just want to say
On Holy Thursday
I washed your feet
Muslim Hindu Christian
men and women
on Holy Thursday
I kissed your feet
strangers in this land
children of the same god
Forgive me
for living the truth
that so many of God's people
deny
poem by rob g
This is a false apology poem
in the style of William Carlos Williams.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
John 12:4-6 NIV
Excerpt of illustration by Brian Liu |
We take materials that have been discarded and rebuild them into unique, one of a kind lamps. The process of crafting each lamp is a metaphor for how love can take something broken and make it beautiful. Each lamp is hand crafted by individuals living out stories of Hope, Strength, Resilience and Courage. Whether someone is transitioning back into society after years of incarceration, recovering from addiction, or getting back on their feet after a season of homelessness, This Little Light provides the opportunity for people to discover their second chance.
Hi Rob:
I have so many thoughts upon hearing this that it is hard to respond. My foremost thought (about your video) is that I loved to hear your voice. It is so you. I guess that is what I want to feed-back to you.
If we really love people then all those things about them that might cause us "concern" are not so important. It is just a joy to hear their voice and to be in their presence.
So when can you and I get together to talk? D.
we just want to say
Suicidal
from being trans
or having aspergers
but illegal in either case
we two kings responded with guns
and (reportedly) stun guns
at least one of us trained
in mental health crisis intervention
Forgive us
for killing you
we were called in to uphold the law against suicide
but really we just wanted to go on admin leave
poem by rob g
You can get a cup of coffee with your friends anywhere, but church is the only place you can get ashes smudged on your forehead as a reminder of your mortality. You can be dazzled by a light show at a concert on any given weekend, but church is the only place that fills a sanctuary with candlelight and hymns on Christmas Eve. You can snag all sorts of free swag for brand loyalty online, but church is the only place where you are named a beloved child of God with a cold plunge into the water. You can share food with the hungry at any homeless shelter, but only the church teaches that a shared meal brings us into the very presence of God.