News from the Pews

My cousin phoned me out of the blue. I haven’t heard from him for awhile. Usually that is the case. I only hear from him when he is in dire straits and this wasn’t the exception. He asked if he could spend the night at my place before heading off to his moms for awhile. I said yes. I have the room and space.

Kids are amazingly wise about justice issues. They will use their faith, minds, and hearts to make a difference and to share what they know with their peers.

In our conversations about racism, they all have expressed their struggle with the hope that things will get better. It is hard for me to help them along that path. They have already seen so much injustice.

I wrestle with how much to dig and reveal. I also recognize that because of white privilege, I don’t HAVE to share the hard realities of racism with my kids when our friends of color don’t have that option.

It can be hard to know what kids are ready to hear about racism and violence. When? How? How much? These are hard conversations, but necessary ones to build a society where everyone is truly safe and respected. For the next four days, Do Justice will be interviewing a different parent each day about the way that they have spoken about Charleston and similar racial issues with their children. 

Today we're hearing from Anissa Eddie, mother of two young sons in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

We are blessed to live in a country that is seeking to know the truth, to heal from our brokenness, and to reconcile with each other and with God for our sins as a nation that have done so much harm to the peoples who first walked this land.

I am not a baseball fan at all. Yet, in the last month, it has been difficult for me to click on any social media or news website and not see references to the Bloomsbury University baseball player who called a young girl a “sl-t”.

"...and the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over [Babylon] for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men." (Revelation 18:11-13, NKJV)

Being involved in social justice work has had a greater impact on my faith than anything else in my life for many years. My faith has become much deeper, more confident, and more focused. And I think I’ve learned (rather, I’m still learning) a few important things. 

The wedding industry terrifies me. As someone who claims to value intentionality, stewardship, and inclusivity, I kind of hoped I would never have to deal with the wedding industry.