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We need you to notice
After a violent summer, Baton Rouge has literally been inundated; the Rev. Nathan Ryan pleads for our attention to his part of the country.
We need you to notice because we aren’t flooded by our waters. We are flooded by waters our country put in the rivers. And normally it’s OK, because we down here can handle all of the water that pours our way. Hell, we’ve built a world thriving on America’s adversity. But right now it’s too much. We need a break.
All I'm asking is that you notice. (Facebook, August 15)
In a follow-up post, Ryan writes, “If you want to see God, come to Louisiana.”
When I talk to people, I don't see despair. I see love and a desire to help. There is a palpable energy and a desire to make things better. If you are looking for hope in all of this, or looking for god, or trying to find some faith, don't look at the tragedy. Look at the response. (Facebook, August 17)
The Rev. Dr. Victoria Weinstein is glad that another of her Baton Rouge colleagues has made time to get a haircut.
When the waters are rising and you’re going to be back and forth with the spiritual and organizational lifeboat for days and weeks, you have to remember to do the things that make you feel human and together and capable. Getting a haircut is one of those things.
So is sleeping, eating, and laughing.
Praying for Baton Rouge and hope to hear from those of you who are ministering in the area. (Beauty Tips for Ministers, August 16)
It’s not just Freddie Gray
Doug Muder provides background for understanding the new Justice Department report about policing in Baltimore.
Put a statistics focus together with zero tolerance, and police start to have a predator/prey relationship with the community: When a policeman drives through a poor neighborhood, he isn’t looking for a way to help, he’s looking for someone he can turn into a statistic that will look good on his record. Arrest someone for loitering or jaywalking or driving with a broken taillight, and you’re having a productive day. If the stop turns into more than that, so much the better. Stop a fight before it starts, and you have nothing to show for your effort; arrest somebody for assault, and you’re doing your job. (The Daily Sift, August 15)
Kim Hampton invites her readers to join her in studying books related to race and its intersections with theology, sociology, and history. (East of Midnight, August 15)
Loving every atom
The Rev. Amy Shaw has never seen a burning bush, but she believes in prayer.
I believe in the awesome, world changing, sometimes earth shattering power of falling to my knees and sharing my joy and my pain with the God of my heart. I believe in the utter sweetness of humbly coming to something greater than I could imagine, knowing that no matter what I have done, I am still loved and welcome there. (Chalice Fire, August 14)
Kari Kopnick finds a way to love someone she finds unloveable—Donald Trump.
But wait. Do I really believe that every person has worth? Do I? Who am *I**? What is my bottom line.
OK, OK, OK. Wait. I think, maybe, I can. I can love the atoms in that person's body. The atoms that were created when stars exploded. I can love the hydrogen and the carbon. I can love those basic little parts that are just exactly like the atoms in my body; in the bodies of my beloveds.
That, I can love. (Chalice Spark, August 12)
And more
The Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern explains menstruation to her daughter, in a way that could be an animated film.
We’re animals, right? And one of the things animals are geared to do is . . . make more animals.Cats: Let’s make more cats! Jellyfish: Let’s make more jellyfish! [Producer’s note: Can’t you envision the animation here? Very Finding Nemo, right?] Humans: Let’s make more humans! So when it’s mature enough, your body says, “Okay, time to make some more humans! Uterine lining . . . ready to go! Whoa, no baby this month? Okay, out it goes. We’ll do it again next month. It’s next month now, still no baby? Okay, bye bye lining!” You’re right, it’s completely crazy. There really ought to be an on/off switch. I’ve been doing this for 35 years and I only wanted one baby in all that time! And you’re it–no more babies–and it’s still happening! Yeesh! (Mookie’s Mama, August 18)
Theresa Ines Soto responds to questions about whether “Answering the Call of Love” is more inclusive of people with disabilities than “Standing on the Side of Love.”
It's not just for people with disabilities that we stop being ableist; it's for everyone with a body. It's to allow the beautiful humanity of our differences to shine through. (Can you curl your tongue? Are your earlobes attached?) It is good to be human. It is good to have a body. I am grateful for my body and yours. I am grateful for the way Answering the Call of Love respects our differences without judgment. (Facebook, August 14)