Previous
Next

SETTING THE INNER COMPASS – November 2021

This column is inspired by the new poetry anthology edited by James Crews, How to Love the World (Storey Publishing). The title echoes a line from one of my favorite poems, Mary Oliver’s poem "Spring", “There is only one question; how to love this world.” When I needed to create a business card after retiring from being Immanuel’s pastor, I chose that quote for the back of the card. I

More

5 Ways to Celebrate Veterans Day

No matter your views of militarism or war, the reality is…we must listen and care for those who have sacrificed so much. Veterans are more likely to suffer from physical, mental, and spiritual problems. They are more likely to experience economic and financial burdens leaving many of them homeless or verging on poverty. Here are just 5 ways to celebrate the brave people who served in our military forces:

More

  • Witness and Recovery on Long Island: An Interview with Mike Smith

    24 mins read

    Chris:We were asked by the General Assembly of the church to look at the Doctrine of Discovery to understand its implications historically and the contemporary damage that it continues to do. I don’t think there is any more historic perspective among the Native American Presbyterians than yours and that of

    More

  • Syria: The Burden of Memory

    22 mins read

    Does the name Mohammed Mossadegh ring a bell for you? For your congregation?  It did not for the New York Times when it published the article “The Tension between America and Iran, Explained”.  A major boulevard in Tehran is named for this historical figure of the 20th century, but in

    More

  • The Trilemma of Settler Colonialism

    18 mins read

    The words “settlers” and “territories” harken back to the earliest stories that came from the Europeans who sailed to the “New World.” They have complicated histories which go back to our nation’s original sins of slavery and the genocide of indigenous peoples. But Americans don’t have a monopoly on these

    More

  • Part 1: Integration of Native Voices in Education- An Interview with Elona Street- Stewart

    25 mins read

    Lee:                                                      Elona, please introduce yourself to the Unbound audience and tell us a little bit about the work you are doing. Elona:                                                   Well, my name is Elona Street-Stewart. Delaware Nanticoke is my tribe, and I am the Synod Executive of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies here

    More

  • Part 1: Environmental Justice and Native Peoples – A Conversation with Doreen Simmonds

    14 mins read

    Lee:                                                       Doreen please introduce yourself and tell us about yourself and what kind of work you’re doing, just so we can get to know you a little bit. Doreen:                                                 Uvafa Nutaaq, Utqiabvigmiu. Aapaga Samuel Simmonds, aakaga Martha Afupqana Simmonds, suli Hester Tugli Simmonds. Translation: My name is Nutaaq,

    More

  • Reverberations of Conquest

    12 mins read

    Scrawled on a page of my Choctaw Hymn book is the Choctaw version of Matthew 7:7, “Hvsh asilhhakma, hvch ima he; hvsh hoyokmvt, hvsh ahayucha he; hvsh soko hakma, hvchin tiwa he oke.” Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will

    More

Abolition and the Cross: Reimagining Society and Salvation through Restorative Justice

I was recently at a book club facilitated by Abolition Apostles, a Christian abolitionist ministry, where we discussed the book The Fall of the Prison: Biblical Perspectives on Prison Abolition by Lee Griffon. Micah Herskind, a Public Policy Associate at the Southern Center for Human Rights and a Christian abolitionist, led that day’s session and said something that has stayed with me since. He was speaking about retributive justice and its connection to the Christian faith and said, “Do we believe in prisons because we believe in Hell or do we believe in Hell because we believe in prisons.”

More

Hallowed but not Sacred: An Epiphany of Capitol Violation

Moderate and progressive Christians have always found it hard to take Donald Trump seriously as a false messiah, much less an actual one. In the name of Trump, some 1000 or so extremists invaded and occupied the Senate and House chambers for several hours on January 6, prompting many Republicans and Democrats to refer to those sites as “sacred” spaces that had been desecrated by force and vandalism. For some, democracy may itself be sacred, by which they mean of highest value. The ritual of publicly counting the electoral votes from the states was thus a sworn duty that was interrupted. Such public ceremonies are

More