When I think about how my life and story has changed simply because of the people I’ve encountered and the relationships that have been born from those encounters, I’m astonished...
Advent: Week, 1, Day 5 – Which Jesus? Which me?
Advent: Week, 1, Day 3 – A Hot Mess Gospel
Life is so incredibly messy. For some of us, our daily lives are seemingly marred by sorrow, grief, and pain. And I imagine this was true even for Mary and Joseph as first century, Palestinian Jews...
Say. Her. Name.
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What this Pain Feels Like: Day 94
A two-ton elephant periodically sits on my chest. And with every other breath there is a remnant of heaviness that refuses to not announce itself on every exhale. "I'm here!" it shouts. Tempting me to tears or rage or whatever emotions are sitting right on the surface. Of course the more agitated I become, the …
On Forgiveness…again.
There’s certainly a pattern. Black person dies at the hand of white person. White person may or may not be held accountable. Black person’s family members announce that they have forgiven said white person. The majority of people oooh and ahhh. Tears are shed. Scriptures are quoted. Rinse and repeat. Yes, there’s definitely a pattern of black folks being praised for …
What This Pain Feels Like: Day 87
It’s a vise grip. I try to breathe into it like they taught me but there is no release. In fact, it further denies me any respite by pulling my scalp tight over my eyes and then back again. My ears fill with air. It feels like my eyebrows are furrowed even though I just …
The Thing About Grieving…
The worst part of grieving, maybe even of grief itself, is not necessarily the event that caused the pain. It’s what happens after the funeral, after the diagnosis, after the “I’m so sorrys” and “thoughts and prayers.” It’s months later when active support fades. It’s a year later when a tidal wave of memory and …
