Last week I stood in a place
Where the threat of violence
And the promise of nonviolence
Came face to face.
I stood in a place
Where hope and futility
Clashed horns.
I stood in a place
Where fierce love
Went toe-to-toe
Against the violent abuse of power.
Continue reading Lenten reflection by Rev. Angie Wright: Lighting the darkness
Rev. Angie read the following statement Thursday on behalf of GBM to welcome Caravana 43, families of the 43 Mexican students who were disappeared by the police last September.
The families believe the students are still alive and they are here to demand accountability from the Mexican government.
They also asked President Obama to stop funding the Merida Initiative, which they say supports police corruption.
“For 46 years, GBM has worked tirelessly for justice and mercy and to lift up the voices of the victims of neglect, poverty and abuse of power.
Continue reading Lenten Reflection by Rev. Angie Wright: Suffering of the body
Last week, several of our Beloveds traveled to Selma along with members of First Congregational Church, Pilgrim Church and Covenant UCC to commemorate the Bloody Sunday Bridge Crossing. Here are some of our reflections.
“As a white women, being in Selma was like reconnecting a bridge between the ignorance that has been my black history lessons, and the reality of 50 years ago. Bloody Sunday is the point of contact for that bridge – a moment in history which embodies so starkly the experience of so many black folks in America for too many years, and too many years which linger into the present.
Continue reading Lenten Reflections: On the Bridge
Thousands returned to Selma this weekend to remember God’s liberation of God’s people and to rekindle a sense of purpose and unity, to go back into the world with eyes and hearts and minds wide open to those things that stand between the people of God and the justice, mercy and abundant life promised by God
The Selma commemoration is act of remembrance, of gratitude to God and people of faith and courage. It is also an act of recommitment to be about God’s work in the world –
Bloody Sunday brought to light the American state-sanctioned violence against African-Americans and the liberating spirit of God to bring an end to that violence and bondage.
That is the liberating work of the spirit of God even now, and if it is God’s work, it is our work.
As John Legend said, “Selma is Now!”
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, two to three Black people were lynched every week in the American South. The same number of Black people are now killed every week now by white police officers; a Black person is killed every 28 hours at the hands of police.
To end this violence and bondage is the liberating work of the spirit of God today, and if it is God’s work, it is our work.
This we know: Nothing and no one will stand in the way of the liberating spirit of God.
I was stunned to read the results of an al.com poll about how people of faith should respond to the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and the failure to indict the police officer who shot him. Here are the results:
3.9% Hold a peaceful protest as a statement of solidarity
13.6% Work to prevent racial violence because it could happen in Alabama too
28.0% Pray for the Brown family and everyone who is hurting
54.4% This isn’t a faith issue. It’s a matter of law and order.
Over 54% chose “do nothing” (“This isn’t a faith issue”) over prayer (“Pray for the Brown family and those who are hurting”)!
Continue reading Lenten Reflection from Rev. Angie: Our Business
I spent part of my teenage years living in downtown Washington, DC. It was the height of both the crack epidemic and the Reagan administration’s gutting of social programs for homeless and low income people. My neighborhood, a diverse, high-traffic, mixed-use area, had some rough edges, but I loved exploring the streets and the subways. Along the way and with perpetual reminders from my understandably protective father, I learned habits of caution. I carry them with me to this day.
As a result, I am quite wary when anyone approaches me when I am in or around my car. So the other day when I pulled alongside a gas pump at a station on Crestwood Boulevard, I sent a glare in the direction of a young man who was ambling purposefully toward my van.
Continue reading Lenten Reflection from Jennifer Sanders: Change
“‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, or sisters, you did it to me.'” Matthew 25:36-43
This dialogue is from a text message exchange between Lynn Phillips and Grace Roberts. Mary Jane Falletta, Lynn’s mother, is in the final stages of Alzheimer’s, and Grace has been helping out as Lynn’s Care Team leader.
Grace: She is so special to me and I’m thankful you are sharing her with me. I’m so honored. It makes me swell with happiness watching you love and care for your mom. Every mother and daughter should have that relationship.
Lynn: Your words about mom and me bring tears to my eyes. I have not always appreciated her/us, as I should. Thank you for being such an important person in our lives as we make this walk. Continue reading Lenten Reflection by Grace Roberts
SPECIAL PERFORMANCE! Join us this Valentine’s Day, (Saturday, February 14th) from 7-9 p.m. at Beloved for a staged reading of “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer,” a collection of pieces by world-renowned authors and playwrights.
Presenters at this performance will include Laura Secord, Anne Bailey, Shaunteka Curry, Salaam Green, Cynthia Drake, Johnny Coley, DeJuana McCary, Mimi Latoine and Alicia Clavell.
These diverse voices rise up in a collective roar to break open, expose, and examine the insidiousness of violence at all levels: brutality, neglect, a punch, even a put-down. All proceeds will benefit the YWCA Central Alabama‘s Domestic Violence Services and Programs.
A complimentary buffet featuring Mediterranean soups, salads and appetizers will be offered. Wine may be brought for personal use. Suggested donation: $10 at the door. All proceeds will go to Central Alabama’s YWCA Domestic Violence Services and Programs.
Limited seating. Arrive early or email/text reservations to Neko: 205-542-9689, neko.uchina@gmail.com.
We rejoice as the walls that deny legal protection and societal recognition for lifelong covenants of marriage come tumbling down!
The sanctity of marriage – a lifelong covenant of spirit, heart, body, and mind made on behalf of love, family and community – cannot be defined or withheld by the majority of elected officials or the masses – or even bestowed by the courts. It belongs to God!
“Thus says the Lord, ‘I am doing a new thing, can you not behold it?'”
Instead of New Year’s resolutions, I have something else in mind: New Year’s Revolutions.
A revolution is a radical change, a change at the root, a complete turning.
A revolution casts out forces of death and replaces them with forces that are just and life-giving. Continue reading New Year’s Revolutions
