As I was having my coffee this morn. I checked my email and read the weekly Saturday message from our pastor at Asbury Memorial Church here in Savannah.
In it, Pastor Billy wrote about fellow church member, friend and Savannahian Anne Allen Westbrook.
“I know that many of us continue to be stunned by things happening in a world that seems to be turned upside down. The killing of 37 year old mother of three, Renee Cole Good, is the latest act of violence and devaluing of human life that has overtaken our country. I appreciate the words Anne Allen Westbrook, put on Instagram. Anne Allen is an Asbury member and a Georgia State Representative. I am grateful for her leadership.”
1. These gorgeous Paperwhite Narcissus jewels blooming in the yard of the old farmhouse (in January!) where Robert and I are staying while our kitchen and living room get a renovation.
2. Daughter Amy and her Hubby Scott being named one of Savannah’s “Power Couples” in the current issue of Savannah Magazine.
Old Proud Dad
3. Simplicity.
The older I get, the simpler I desire my life to be.
In a short encouraging email article, “Honoring the Pause Between,” Savannah’s Ordinary Magic looks at the week we are in right now:
“This week between Christmas and the New Year often feels a little untethered. The calendar keeps moving, but something in us slows down.
It’s a liminal time — not quite behind us, not yet ahead. A space where nothing needs to be decided, named, or improved. Where rest doesn’t have to justify itself. Where listening matters more than planning.
January will come soon enough, and with it we’ll begin tending the inner hearth — warmth, protection, intention, and care. For now, this week belongs to rest and gentle noticing.” ordinarymagic.com
May we all experience—and gift—peace during this in-between time.
From December 1-25, I’m sharing a quote and its truth from John Fugelsang’s Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists and Flock-Fleecing Frauds, the book Robert and I are currently and fascinatingly reading.
An odd Advent Calendar, of sorts.
Just a couple of days before Christmas, Fugelsang reminds us that “Jesus blessed the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), forgave his enemies, even on the cross (Luke 23:34), and taught his followers to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39).” p. 275
From December 1-25, I’m sharing a quote and its truth from John Fugelsang’s Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists and Flock-Fleecing Frauds, the book Robert and I are currently and fascinatingly reading.
An odd Advent Calendar, of sorts.
Today, Fugelsang takes a magnifying glass to the uncomfortable topic of … white supremacy:
“All forms of white supremacy—belief in the superiority of white people over others—stand in direct contradiction to the life and teachings of Jesus, who consistently commanded love for all people, especially the persecuted or marginalized. Jesus was about humbling oneself, not exalting one’s own group. White supremacy divides humanity into superior and inferior groups, giving a pasty middle finger to Jesus’s message of radical unity.” p. 267
“Modern white supremacy exists on a broad, and expanding, spectrum. From the KKK, neo-Nazis, and armed militias to bloviating public intellectuals lending credibility to white replacement theory, from dog-whistle politicians and media to smiling church folk who oppose every racial justice movement, generations of white Christians have resisted any changes to a racially exclusive status quo.” p. 267
“White supremacy is a system that can’t merely be reduced to its most violent expressions. Supremacists don’t all necessarily hate anyone; it’s often easier to just stay pleasantly indifferent to racial injustices and talk vaguely about ‘traditional demographics’ and ‘heritage’” p. 267
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“Christian theology teaches that every person is made in the Imago Dei-the image of God (Genesis 1:27). White supremacy rejects this by implying that some humans look more like that image than others.” p. 267
“No one can serve both Christ and white supremacy. It’s not merely un-Christian; it is anti-Christian.” p. 268
NealEnJoy 