This message from Michael Curry, the current Presiding Bishop and Primate of the The Episcopal Church, feels like an important one to attend to at this time in America. Exactly a week ago today the Capitol Building was under a
Maya Angelou is a wise and beautiful woman. Today I needed to hear her voice. Google led me to this video. I don’t know much about this clip… is she just talking, being interviewed, reading some of her prose ,
Here is the City of Bellevue’s recently approved (December 14th, 2020) plan for learning to live in relationship with creation. I wish it had a more clearly linked connection to the UN’s 17’s “Sustainable Development Goals” especially given the relative
The New Urban Agenda Illustrated handbook (at the bottom of this post) serves as the base for the New Urban Agenda online crash course. This course is offered through the United Nations Habitat. The self-paced course in two parts is available
Abecedarian Requiring Further Examination of Anglikan Seraphym Subjugation of a Wild Indian Rezervation by Natalie Diaz Angels don’t come to the reservation. Bats, maybe, or owls, boxy mottled things. Coyotes, too. They all mean the same thing— death. And death
I was in a Wabash funded Zoom meeting last week facilitated by Dr. Shelly Rambo of Boston University and Dr. Trace Haythorn from the ACPE and they ended our meeting with “The Keep Going Song” by the Bengsons. I hadn’t
Sunday we light the third candle of Advent… its the pink or rose colored Gaudete candle; from the Latin word meaning, “rejoice.” Advent is a season of anticipation. Anticipation can be imagined as the necessary, if not complex blending of
This 10 minute video put together by the Thriving Communities Group is a beautiful introduction to our vital need for a renewed Shalomic imagination for faithful presence within the ecosystem of relations that sustain life. The video is really good!
“For unless love becomes tenderness—the connective tissue of love—it never becomes transformational. The tender doesn’t happen tomorrow . . . only now.” Gregory Boyle The Tacoma Catholic Worker newsletter which graced my mailbox yesterday referred back to some of the
Unlike Canada’s Thanksgiving practice, which is more of a harvest celebration, the American observation is couched in a subjugating narrative. Wisdom is invited of you as you navigate this holiday. The particularity of your bodied, cultured, and located self will
Today is the annual International Transgender Day of Remembrance. Its the day set apart to remember those people who have been murdered simply because they have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from the sex that they were assigned at birth. All violence
UN-Habitat released its World Cities Report 2020 at the end of October. These reports inform the vital work of the Urban Shalom Society in our ecumenical and multi-faith collaboration toward activating our cities to plan for a more sustainable future
Last week The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology hosted the 8th annual Stanley Grenz Lecture series. The lecture was scheduled for November 2, 2020 . . . yes, that’s right! On the eve of 2020 Presidential election. Dr. Brian
Well, as we all know today is the US presidential election. Everyone in this nation and many around the world are watching with bated breath to see what will happen in this country both today and in the days to
What can we learn from 2020, so that we can be more ready for 2021? Will 2021 be any different than this year? If so how? Maybe more importantly, why? What are you and your neighbors doing now to shape
I participated in my first Micah Global in the Fall of 2018. Practitioners and thought leaders from all over the world with strong emphasis on majority world leaders gathered in the Philippines. Micah Global describes itself as a global Christian
Pope Francis released his sixth his encyclical letter today after visiting the Umbrian town of Assisi. In fact, he officially signed the letter at the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi after celebrating Mass at the tomb of the poverello
Back in February of 2020, just before COVID-19 re-ordered life as we’ve known it, myself and a crew of international, multi-faith urban thinkers and place practitioners gathered in Abu Dhabi to participate the United Nations, Habitat’s tenth convening of the
The ongoing collaboration between the Parliament of World Religions together with the UN-Environment Programme, has set forth a “Faith for Earth: A Call for Action.” This beautifully compiled document describes the essential, unshakeable reverence that all religions have for creation
Today my school posted a short blog post I wrote as part of a summer long conversation amongst our core faculty regarding race, systemic and personal black-body racism, and white privilege. The post can be found Here. I titled the
Totally loved this conversation between two wise Christian thinkers. Together, they explore the contours of “the prophetic” in times like these. While this conversation was recorded prior to the murder of George Floyd it – in my opinion – stands
Vale University philosopher and theologian, Dr. Nicholas Wolterstorff in conversation at Biola’s Center for Christian Thought offers a very helpful critique a shallow evangelical interpretation of the Gospel as only “getting to heaven,” and discusses the implications of the Gospel
Happy Juneteenth! The 2020 observation of Juneteenth may well be the most significant since 1865. From the abundance of media coverage this year more white Americans (myself included) are learning that Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the US.
Tomorrow will be my first time intentionally observing Juneteenth. So I am writing this post as a part of my own ongoing education and discovery. I’m still learning. Juneteenth is a grassroots, national celebration of the ending of legally sanctioned
My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies, by Resmaa Menakem Menaken encourages us to “stop trying to address white supremacy through dialog. Don’t expect to change the world by teaching tolerance. Forget about
I recently reread Willie James Jennings‘ essay, “Can ‘White’ People Be Saved?” (highly recommended), after defining ‘whiteness’ and walking through the tragic history of the collusion the Christian faith with white supremacy Dr. Jennings writes: “As I close – I
The Reverend Al Sharpton delivered a powerful message of change the funeral for George Floyd today. “It’s time for us to stand up in George’s name and say, ‘Get your knee off our necks.’” “The reason we could never be
Really helpful article by Joe Cartright who runs the think tank and blog City Observatory. Cartright’s article is posted on Strong Towns, its called: What COVID-19 Teaches Us About How to Fix Highways, by Joe Cartright The Small Towns‘ podcast
I find the metaphor of a gardener to be a fertile one in helping me feel and think my way into my work as a formational educator. Rather than tending to fruits, vegetables, and flowers, I picture my formational role
