I know there are some white evangelical pastors who stood up today against systemic racism and who will be, as a result, unemployed by Tuesday. To them I can only say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”
Low oxygen due to covid landed me in the ER yesterday. Instead of admitting me to the hospital, they pretty much sent the hospital home with me! Amazing program! This is my third round with this sucker, and I am REALLY hoping it is my last! Thanks for your thoughts & prayer!
Whether or not you like the political views of
@KamalaHarris
, can we together celebrate the fact that a black Asian American woman has been nominated for Vice President for the first time in history?!
I’ve been improving A LOT over the last three days and was just told I meet all criteria to return to the land of the living!! Shelley also is largely symptom free!! For all the love and prayer sent our way, we THANK YOU!!
I am deeply saddened to hear about the serious heath concerns of
@rachelheldevans
. Lord, on the authority you’ve given us to effect change through prayer, we intercede on behalf of our beloved sister and her precious family. We pray for Rachel’s complete healing!
#PrayForRHE
Kingdom social activism should differ from what usually passes for political activism in that the kingdom activist protests with the hope of seeing both the oppressed and the oppressor set free and she knows that hatred and vengeance only intensified the bondage of both.
Politics aside, for the first time in the history of America, a woman -& a woman of color!-has just become the second most powerful person in AMERICA! Huge ceiling broken!!
#CongratsKamala
If you’re a kingdom person who is significantly more hopeful or more discouraged by yesterday’s election, may I remind you that your one & only Ruler was enthroned as Lord two thousand years ago, and his position has never, and will never, be contested. Keep your eyes fixed!
After two National Conventions we have FINALLY found a conviction both sides can passionately agree on: America will enter the apocalypse if the opposing side wins! If we do not outgrow this venomous “You-Are-An-Enemy” mindset, both sides will eventually be proven right.
Shelley & I have methodically followed CDC Guidelines from the start of this pandemic. Yet, I somehow contracted the COVID virus! Come on!! I feel like I got hit by a bus, but otherwise I’m doing fine. It just goes to show that, when dealing with covid, you can’t be to careful!
People of Haiti, Africa and other countries disparaged by our President, please IGNORE him! He DOES NOT reflect the sentiment of the vast majority of Americans!
“Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest, and sacrificial.”
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I suspect that the doctrine of biblical inerrancy has shipwrecked more people’s faith than any other Christian teaching. It sets people up for a fall if they ever start seriously studying the Bible.
Billions of dollars of church real estate, identified as “houses of God,” goes unused Monday through Friday while Jesus sleeps out on the street in the cold (Mt 25:35). What’s wrong with this picture?
If ever there was a time when American Christians needed to “stand in the gap” & pray for the peace and healing of this country, that time is NOW!
#prayforpeace
If you’re one of those Christians who think tonight’s super blue blood moon is a “sign” that something is going to happen with Israel or whatever, you’re into ASTROLOGY—which the Bible forbids. Knock it off!
A good friend of mine for 20+ yrs died from covid last week. He was 72, fully vaccinated, no underlying conditions & strong as a horse. When I now hear someone claim that the covid crisis is “fake news, I find I have a very non-pacifist desire that I must suppress.
The Romans crucified criminals naked, to humiliate them. The naked crucified Christ, who bore our shame, reveals the naked, authentic God, who removes our shame. In Christ, there is NO SHAME. We therefore need never fear being naked— authentic, honest, real, vulnerable.
If you’re not intentionally looking for the best in the person whose political views disgust you, you are, in effect, acting on the assumption that they are pure evil. You are, in effect, acting like you are God, for only God could know this. That is not something you want to do.
Just saw a shocking News clip of a Trump rally last night during which Trump slammed Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Somalian Refugee, for being anti-American. The crowd began to chant “send her back.” This isn’t just ugly and immoral: This is really dangerous!
Violence only begets more violence. The violence we are experiencing today is the by-product of centuries of white on black violence, which itself is born out of the diabolic ideology of white supremacy. This the principality and power that must be exorcized!
I am amazed by the raw honesty and profound bravery of all the women telling their gut-wrenching stories on this thread! With tears in my eyes, I thank you for sharing. It IS changing the culture, howbeit, all too slowly, and with much resistance.
#WhyIDidntReport
The earth LITERALLY sits on pillars and is sorrounded by hostile water (Psa 104:2-6; Job 9:6, 26:11; Psa 75:3) while the dome above us is “hard as a molten mirror”(Job 37:18; Gen 1:7) and holds up water that rains on us when God opens its windows (Gen 1:7; 7;11)?
Listening to all the anti-immigration talk swirling around these days, it feels like many Americans have forgotten that, unless you are a Native American, YOU ARE AN IMMIGRANT. When we talk about “those immigrants,” we are talking about contemporary versions OF OURSELVES!
The Kavanaugh “Interview”/“Interrogation” is an incredibly intense drama exposing how hopelessly broken the American government is, and, therefore, how broken American society is.
I just learned that President Trump said the US shouldn’t accept immigrants from “shithole countries like Haiti,” but should instead welcome immigrants from countries like Norway. I am as shocked as I am heartbroken. And if anyone alleges this is partisan politics, I will SCREAM!
I applaud
@Walmart
for their decision to stop selling ammunition for hand guns and assault rifles. This is huge! They sell 1 out of every 5 bullets in the U.S!! May other vendors follow their example!
In my opinion, the aspect of Dr.M.L.K’s legacy that most needs to be recovered today is King’s conviction that only a love that refuses to hate or retaliate can bring about personal and social transformation. This is, in essence, the message of the cross.
Dear Jesus, send your comforting Spirit to the families who lost loved ones in Parkland Florida. Give our civic leaders the wisdom that knows “the ways that make for peace” And envelop the murderer in your love and be at work to rid his heart of evil and transform his soul.
While the beast of white supremacy in this land will not go quietly into the night, it feels like George Floyd’s murder & the remarkable world-wide response to it has inflicted a fatal wound. Lord, let it be so! (Ephesians 6:12)
I don’t know if America is yet on the brink of self-imploding, but the stench of its diseased soul is intensifying. It is going the way of all empires established through violence (= all empires). If my hope wasn’t anchored in God’s eternal Kingdom, I’d be very cynical.
In the midst of the massive social & political earthquake that is currently ripping America apart, it’s so important for Jesus followers to take their stand on the eternally unshakeable ROCK, Jesus Christ. As the great hymn proclaims, “all other ground is sinking sand.”
That ache in your soul measures the gulf between your present experience and the world you know you were created for. Dare to dream around that ache, and it transforms into hope-filled anticipation.
Why is America the only country on the planet that has regular, horrific, mass murders at our schools? And why has nothing since Columbine even been TRIED to make our schools safer? This sickness will not cure itself.
I was honored to attend George Floyd’s funeral today. It was such a great tribute to this “gentle giant.” And I’ll tell you, I’ve never left a funeral feeling such hope in my entire life!
#SayHisName
#GeorgeFloydMemorial
Since the Columbine debacle in 1999, there have been 114 mass shootings resulting in 1,300 victims. It’s a uniquely American phenomenon! Yet, our government has continually failed to pass significant legislation to curb access to assault rifles. That also is uniquely American.
Whatever else may be important, the MOST important fact in any given moment, including this moment, is that you are engulfed in the perfect, unwavering, unconditional, unsurpassable love of God. Try to notice what is most important, moment by moment, starting now.
I had a couple of good days and thought I was in the clear, only to have the symptoms all come back two days ago with a vengeance! Covid-19 is one truly miserable virus!
How many black men must be suffocated to death before the systemic disease of racism is irradiated from the group that is called to serve and protect?
#GeorgeFloyd
#icantbreathe
Lord, we now ask you to be an ever-present influence on the jury for the Dereck Chauvin trial, opening their eyes to see what is just and emboldening their hearts to embrace it.
I can clearly see that I’d amp up my Twitter following if I was more explicit in my denouncements of Trump, but the truth is, whoever leads this fallen country, it ain’t Jesus, and I’m HIS ambassador!
I’m burdened with a heavy heart today. I grieve another black man being unjustly shot by police. I grieve the unjust and completely counterproductive destruction of property that this shooting brought about. & I grieve the unwillingness of Americans to listen to their opponents.
Yes, God is the answer IF the white church will align itself with God’s will by confessing our complicity in America’s racist history and by committing to work for equality following the leadership of our black and brown sisters and brothers.
The ugly dimension of Scripture became stunningly beautiful for me the moment I simply accepted that God has always been doing what God did in a definitive way on Calvary: namely, entering into solidarity with sinners and appearing sinful as a result.
“Our relational God has given us a relational sacred text, one that, should we surrender to it, reminds us that being people of faith isn’t as much about being right as it is about being part of a community in restored and restorative relationship with God.”
@rachelheldevans
It’s heart-wrenching to watch this horrific darkness descend upon the people of Afghanistan, & especially upon the young girls whose bright futures have over-night become a living nightmare! I pray for them, though I confess that doing so only deepens my sense of helplessness.
Seems to me the example
@Simone_Biles
set for other young women by putting her mental health above social pressure and achievements, is her greatest and most important achievement yet! Well done Simone! We couldn’t be more proud!
(1) Thank you all for this much-needed feedback. It has been confirmed by the community I share life with. I failed to acknowledge the power dynamics of this situation, and I can now see how my reference to “the accusing woman” was hurtful and indicated that…
There are a ton of issues that moral & intelligent Republicans & Democrats can understandably disagree on. Whether or not it is racist to refer to countries where black people come from as “shitholes”, suggesting we shouldn’t accept immigrants from them, is not among them.
I’m sure critics find a sinister behind it, but I think it’s a good day when the President of the USA finally acknowledges the 1921 Black Wall Street massacre. This nightmare has been swept under the rug too long! I was in grad school before I even heard of it!
Unless your greatest good is the conviction that we are to unconditionally love all people and never kill, you will sooner or later feel justified hating and killing people for the sake of your greatest good
Apparently in the minds of some, I just committed the ultimate cancel-culture sin: I found something positive to say about their “enemy.” Guilty as charged! Going against your entire party, in this polarized environment, reveals independent thinking and courage! Come on!!
Evangelical Pastor Rich Joyner Urges American Christians to prepare to take up arms in a Civil War Against Left-Wing Activists, and he butchers the Gospel to justify it! Please, in Jesus name, do NOT heed his advice. Listen to Jesus instead! My 5:39-45.
I live in a country that rips children from parents & keeps them apart indefinitely. Regardless of WHY some claim we need to resort to this terrorizing strategy, it’s hard for me to see it as anything less than evil. I’m encouraged outrage is welling up on both sides of the isle.
There are, no doubt, people who have given themselves over to evil. But it’s surprising how much you learn when you instead assume (as in I Cor. 13) that the people who oppose you are intelligent, moral people who simply see things different from you. Try it!
(1) I want to seriously thank all of you you for this much-needed feedback. I failed to acknowledge the power dynamics of this situation, and I can now see how my reference to “the accusing woman” was hurtful and indicated that I didn’t believe her. The truth is…
This statement & podcast from Greg Boyd a master class in how *not* to respond to an investigation. It’s disturbing, inappropriate, unhelpful and exposes serious theological failures that obstruct pursing the truth, repentance and healing justice.
[thread]
We have now had 18 non-terroristic mass shootings in America THIS YEAR, 8 in schools. The total for all other countries is zero. What is so different about America? If the answer has nothing to do with citizens’ access to military style weapons, then what?
American democracy is doomed once the “we” in “We the people” gets reduced to an “us-verses-them” for the majority of citizens. There is still time to change course, but only if we commit to embracing those we intensely disagree with as included in our “we.”
#braverangels
Women victims speaking out today is to sexual harassment what I-phone videos has been to police brutality the last few years: a horrifically ugly dimension of reality that we privileged folk were sheltered from has been unveiled..
Lord, we ask you to pour out your reconciling love on the dear people in Kenosha WI, and influence all you can influence to keep this hatred, division and violence from escalating further. Bring your all-encompassing shalom. Amen
Thanks for the outpouring of love and prayer. Last night was much better than the previous two, so hopefully I’m passed my peak! Really feel and appreciate the help!
Shelley & I have methodically followed CDC Guidelines from the start of this pandemic. Yet, I somehow contracted the COVID virus! Come on!! I feel like I got hit by a bus, but otherwise I’m doing fine. It just goes to show that, when dealing with covid, you can’t be to careful!
I deeply appreciate the love & prayer you’ve sent my way. I’m almost fully recovered! Linger lower back ache & loss of taste & appetite are my only lingering symptoms (& I wouldn’t mind hanging onto the last 2 for a while). Also, so far everyone in my bubble is negative! 🤞
Shelley & I have methodically followed CDC Guidelines from the start of this pandemic. Yet, I somehow contracted the COVID virus! Come on!! I feel like I got hit by a bus, but otherwise I’m doing fine. It just goes to show that, when dealing with covid, you can’t be to careful!
Once you abandon the silly notion that life owes you anything, you become grateful for every positive thing in your life. And that, friends, is the key to happiness.
#HappyThanksgiving
The thought that there is a transcendent mind that knows my every thought and motivation would terrify me if I didn’t completely trust that this transcendent mind is pure love.
Trump just declared “we already won,” and claims the Dems are trying to steal the election. How so many of us had hoped this could have been avoided!! God help us!
Jesus died to tear down the walls that divide humans & to create within himself one new humanity (Eph 2:11-18). This means reconciliation is part of the atonement-on a par with the forgiveness of sins. Hence, to omit reconciliation from the Good News we preach is simply heresy.
If you are a praying person & a lover of peace, I’d encourage you to focus your attention on Tulsa OK today & tonight. The convergence of social, political, historical and spiritual forces on this city tonight make for a highly combustible and dangerous situation.
#prayfortulsa
America’s animosity-filled culture war just received a massive steroid injection, on top of the injections of a contested election, an insurrection, racial injustice, and out-of-control gun violence. Lord, we need you desperately.
The Fake News hates me saying that they are the Enemy of the People only because they know it’s TRUE. I am providing a great service by explaining this to the American People. They purposely cause great division & distrust. They can also cause War! They are very dangerous & sick!