If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
The Blog
The week evokes memories and teachings about resistance to tyranny, racism, economic inequality, ecological disaster and militarism. Remembering this past, we should renew our work to resist these evils in the present.
t's easy to forget that we are up against something bigger than flesh and blood people. And it's particularly easy to forget that people are not the enemy when people are shooting pepper spray in your face.
God is waiting, just beyond the veil of our faithless actions, just outside the moment of history, and all it takes is for us to heed God's call to hear the prayers of the poor.
Occupations create a common public space for assembly, free speech and intense, transformative conversations. Occupations are also prophetic speech acts; they stand in a long and distinguished biblical tradition.
This year, as the 1% comes together to network and pray, an alternative, "People's Prayer Breakfast" will commence across town. The gathering will issue a challenge to all the participants at the National Prayer Breakfast.
Imagine dozens, or hundreds, of people gathering in every city, town, neighborhood, synagogue, church and college campus to go through a set of rituals and readings together that recall the liberatory message of our traditions.
The convergence of King's birthday and assassination with the advent of #OccupytheDream... offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to publicly "refocus the cultural content" of black Christian faith in the direction of economic justice.
There are many reports of the protests, violence and arrests as the final, large-scale Occupy protest in the country came to end. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to tell my story as a clergy witness to the police crackdown.
If it doesn't take too much imagination to conceive of a Hell of our own making, then maybe we can imagine a Heaven that's crafted by human hands as well.
It is no secret that many persons and families are going through hard times. The rise of unemployment is alarming. Despite these economic realities, I believe that God is calling us this year to be one of Jubilee for our nation, world and global marketplace.
The New Year is supposed to generate a bit of optimism, but in early 2012 we are not feeling very optimistic when it comes to organized religion. This may be a do-or-die moment for religion.
Today in many churches all across this nation, we continue to indoctrinate innocent children in the practice of homophobia. These children grow up with a desire to please God, and in doing so they become the Rick Perrys of the world.
Like every liberal activist and preacher's son, I have arch-conservative family members who don't agree with my philosophies, whom I see every year on the holidays. This year, Occupiers have nothing to worry about.
It doesn't matter whether or not you believe in God or which faith you follow if you do. Here's a question worth asking this holiday season: Would Jesus be an Occupy demonstrator? The Bible suggests that He would.
Lives will be wasted if we do not push forward. Let us be in conversation with those who would persecute us and claim some kind of religious exemption from the love and respect for humanity that is required in every religious tradition.
As so often happens when change is needed, we left it to our young people, to those strong enough in body and spirit, to wake us up. Occupy Wall Street is calling out the devastating results of corporate greed.
