We are really hoping the weather would warm up. Can you tell? Last weekend the girls' soccer games were played in 2 inches of snow. I wish I had a picture of that, but I forgot the camera.
I want to start by saying that we all need to be supporting our local food shelves. Now to the post... I’ve had a series of videos popping up on my social media feeds by a content creator named Nikalie who is doing so-called ‘social experiments’. She pretends to be a mom needing formula with a recording of a baby in the background. Here are two examples of many. Watch before you read on. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMsrQGtb/ and https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMsrvBgb/ You will notice that in the comments, people are outraged. I’m irritated too, but for different reasons. If Nikalie runs across this post, I hope she calls my church because I want to explain that, without knowing it, she is doing more harm than good. I truly think she has good intentions, but she is lacking some context. The most common thing you will hear in these videos is that the churches refer the Nikalie to a food shelf or other organization that is set up to meet ...
I used to get eggs from a friend who had free range chickens in her yard. The chickens wandered around everyday eating ticks and whatever else they found. These chickens' eggs were so good—hard shells, dark yoke, and yummy. I’ve never tasted a store-bought egg, even those marked “free range,” like the eggs from these truly free chickens. The United Methodist Church is a mess. I don’t need to go into the details. Most of you know what’s happened. And if you don’t, a quick google search will fill you in quick. Like most United Methodists in the US, I’m sad, especially for the pastors who identify as LGBTQI+ and pastors who are leading divided congregations. Grief. Frustration. Vulnerability. It's all part of this. I must be honest with myself too. I’m in a safe church, which is mostly of one mind. As a cis-gender, heterosexual woman I have a ton of privilege in how I frame the debacle of the last few week...
My daughter, a first-time voter, said to me, “Mom, it feels really important to me that Kamala Harris wins the election.” I replied, “I feel the same way.” Plenty of pundits and talking heads are outlining why: the policies on her website, women’s rights, empowerment of the middle class, her message about lifting people up. But I want to talk about a different reason. As I Christian pastor, I’m concerned about the future of Christianity in the US due to the uprising of Christian nationalism since Trumpism took root. It’s no surprise that as a pastor, I believe that faith really matters. I can cite scientific research about the healing power of spirituality, point you to stories of individual transformation, and highlight the positive impact of religion on society. Heck, I've devoted my life to sharing this good news. But I am also astutely aware of the damage that faithful people can do: oppression, manipulation, coercio...
Comments
Post a Comment