Posts tagged with: black history

When You Slaughter Us You Slaughter God

We should not have to tell you, we should not have to teach you, that we are the very image of God. You should see God when you see us. But you worship a pale deformed perversion of God that mirrors your biases. I find myself saying again: We affirm that black lives matter and are...... Read More

‘Hood Theology

You shall be called the repairer of brokenness, the restorer of neighborhood streets. Let us pray: Holy One of Old, open our eyes that we may see. Amen. (sermon audio here) Free at last! Free last! Thank God almighty we’re free at last! Our people are free. We have the right to vote. One of us...... Read More

Israelite & Jewish Identity in Black & White: Shabbat Vayigash

*Vayigash Mandela. Mandela stood. And now he is at rest. I dedicate this drash to the memory of Rolihlahla, Nelson, Mandela, Madiba. (Vayigash, “he stood,” is the first word of today’s Torah portion, Gen 44:18-47:27.) Ex 46:20 To Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath bat Potiphera, priest of On, gave birth...... Read More

Letter to My Enslaved Ancestors on the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation

A Letter to My Enslaved Ancestors, I don’t know your names or from where you were stolen. I don’t know how many of you freed yourselves or died in bondage. Yet I claim you all and I honor you. The savage ferocity of slavery has torn your names from the memories of your descendants but...... Read More

A Radical, Threatening Love

 The Commemoration of Fr. Absalom Jones (read today's lessons) This morning I’d like to talk to you about Radical, Threatening Love. By the rivers of Babylon, Israel sat down and there they wept when they remembered Zion. By the rivers Mississippi, Potomac and Chattahoochee, our ancestors sat down and there they wept when they remembered...... Read More