Luke 2, at its core, is a narrative about God’s breaking into the human story, prioritizing the least, last, and most marginalized, and revealing God's self to be on the side of the oppressed and in opposition to the sin of systems that elevate some and diminish others. As we queer this pericope, we experience the birth of Jesus, who was born and laid in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inn. How often do our queer siblings feel that there is no room for them in the spaces that they should expect to inhabit?
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"Testify to Love" was released in 1997 by the contemporary Christian group, Avalon. It has been re-released by former Avalon members Michael Passons and Melissa Greene, and Ty Herdon, country music artist. The song was re-released and reframed to speak to love, affirmation and inclusion especially for our LGBTQIA+ siblings. Unbound sat down with the artists to discuss this monumental moment.
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Many years ago, as a wide-eyed and open-hearted student, I spent a year in France. In that long-ago era of cheap Eurail passes and Europe on $10 a Day! guidebooks, I traversed the continent, absorbing the history and culture, the art and architecture, the scenic beauty – all wildly new and wonderful to this naïve middle-class Midwest kid. As is true of most American visitors to Europe, I was especially awe-struck by the great gothic cathedrals. I could hardly fathom both the scale and intricacy of design, the interplay of genius, craft, and vision that give birth to these stunning expressions of faith.
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The decades of occupation of Palestinian land by the Israeli government and the current genocide of Palestinians is something no one can ignore, especially people of faith. Our faith moves us to call out the injustices of our world, the killing of thousands of people, and governments that take advantage
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In June, we moved to San Diego, and I stepped away from being a pastor. I’ve still built connections with clergy, and a recent meeting with one pastor stuck out. We talked about following up, and he said, “Reach back out in January.” It was December 1. Caught off guard
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For 31 consecutive weeks, Israelis have taken to the streets, mostly in Tel Aviv, to protest the decision by the current right-wing government of Israel to initiate an overhaul of its judicial system. Israel’s “Unreasonableness Law” is a measure that removes the courts’ power to overturn decisions made by Israel’s
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