There Is No Justice In War, There Is Only Death

 Yes,

October 7 was

Israel's 9/11.

And what Netanyahu

and the IDF did

to the children of Gaza

is what we did

to the children of Iraq

and Afghanistan.

And yes,

the pro-war movement

outweighed the anti-war movement

just as much then

as it does now

That doesn't mean the war

was right or just

then or now

After all,

There is no justice in war.

There is only death.

It's Entirely Possible to Protest Without Scapegoating...

 It's entirely possible

to protest the actions

of a nation's leaders

or armed forces

without scapegoating

all members

of that nation,

or its main religion,

race, or ethnicity.

There is no need

to blame all Israelis

or all Jewish people

for the actions

of Netanyahu, Likud,

the Settlers, or the IDF.

To do so is Antisemitism.

Just like there is no need

to blame all Palestinians,

all Arabs, or all Muslims

for the actions of

Hamas or Hezbollah.

To do so is Islamophobia.

Hold the perpetrators accountable

for their violence,

and leave the civilians alone.

There has already been enough

collective punishment

and too many cycles of revenge.

And pay attention

to the brave Jewish people

and Israeli citizens

risking their own safety

to protest in the streets

to bring food to the starving

to free the captives

to be the peacemakers

And pay attention

to the brave Palestinians

and Muslims and Christians

doing the same work

to build peace

and bring healing

and to end this miserable war.

Le Anne Clausen de Montes, 2024

On New Cornerstones, Old Wineskins, and Good Seeds Sown Poorly

 I have been thinking considerably about creating a co-denominational body that can provide an equitable path to ordination/ a credentialing body for people who currently face barriers due to discrimination (sex, gender identity, orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, nation of origin, etc.) in their home denomination. This might be very similar to the Extraordinary Candidacy Project in the ELCA, but with a wider and more ecumenical focus.

I believe we need to prioritize finding leaders who are more Christlike in their treatment of the poor, the hungry, the sick, those in prison, the foreigner, the outcast, and the dying. We need to prioritize leaders who care more about people's basic needs than they do about defending the institutional church-- especially in times and places where people have been harmed or abused by the institutional church.

For years in seminary and ministry, I've heard variations of the saying, 'All you need to succeed in ministry is a penis and a pulse.' Granted, this was spoken in clergy circles within a binary cisgender framework, but it has proven too painfully true for too many gifted candidates for ministry:

To borrow from the parable, sometimes these 'good seeds' were deliberately sown into the rockiest places, thrown to the birds, or thrown out altogether, so that they would have no opportunity to grow or thrive.

Meanwhile, too often, people who should not have been in ministry, but who were advanced because they occupied the preferred skin suit, have done enormous harm by preying on the people they were called to serve.

And I believe we need to create a new ecumenical movement or entity into which each mainline Protestant denomination (or at least the inclusive, diversity-welcoming congregations and leaders thereof) can begin to dismantle their 'old wineskins' and become something new.

Each mainline Protestant denomination came to this country as a White European Immigrant movement; each of these denominations got a boost due to the Baby Boom and White Flight; and none of these things are solid ground--instead they have proven to be a crumbling foundation of sand. Each mainline denomination has already begun to talk about institutional collapse, because we are in a new reality, a new world that does not in many ways resemble the world of post-WW2. (And in many ways, nor would we want to go back to that time).

The stones which were once rejected can become the New Cornerstones.

Those who were forced to be 'last, lowest, and least,' may now be called to move up.

Behold, God may yet be calling us and leading us to make all things new.

And while I think, 'who am I to dream such things?' I also am reminded--who was any Reformer to do so? And what did they go through in order to do what they did?

Give Us That Country Club Jesus

 Give us that Country-Club Jesus

and that Country-Club Gospel
with that Country-Club Commission
to bring in the people
with the 'right' pedigree.

You know the ones--
the ones who can write the big checks
for our aging building
who can park their fancy new cars
in our empty parking lot
who have nice architectural homes
in enviable neighborhoods
and fashionable clothes
and all the right connections
with all the influential people, and
whose children are magically silent
at all the right times
but they look so nice,
dressed up, picture-perfect
like accessories in the pews
and make us feel good about ourselves
and magically never have needs.

And then perhaps they'll bring
their Country-Club friends, too--
with their own big checks
for our aging building
and their own nice cars
for our empty parking lot
and their own fashionable clothes
from all the right stores
and all their right connections
to influential people
and their own magical children
to make our church look less old.

But God,
it's all going wrong:
You keep sending us people in poverty
people who are hungry
people who are homeless
and foreigners
and unwed mothers, and
people with disabilities
and people with problems
that make us feel uncomfortable
and they probably can't even afford
to donate anything for our building.

And they bring regular children
who make noise at all the wrong times
and who wiggle
and who are not in picture-perfect dress-up clothes
and who make us feel old and tired.

And God help us if they bring their friends
with their beat-up old cars
or no cars at all
and no fancy clothes
and no influential connections
and no architectural homes
in enviable neighborhoods.

They'll probably let their kids
play basketball in our parking lot
and run around on our lawn
and they might scuff the paint.
God, we really can't have that.

Jesus, why do you keep sending us
all these undesirable people?
Don't You know
this isn't going to work?
Haven't You ever attended
a Church Growth seminar?

This just isn't going to get us anywhere.
And if we welcome them in,
then maybe others of us will leave
and go to some other church
where we don't have to worry about
these things.

Le Anne Clausen de Montes, 2024

I Confess I Sometimes Wish...

 I am prone to neither violence

nor vengeance,

but I confess I sometimes wish

that whatever has happened

to the civilians of this conflict,

and especially to its children

would happen

to the people who insist

they deserved whatever they got.

It is sheer criminality,

a monstrosity

to believe civilians and children

should suffer so much

because they belong

to the 'other side.'

The only real sides

in any armed conflict

are those who work for peace:

justice, equality, inclusion, human rights

and those who work for war:

violence, destruction, suffering and death.

Le Anne Clausen de Montes, 2024

I'm Already Against the Next War

For future reference,

(In case you were wondering,

or had any doubt)

I'm already against the *next* war.

Wars are a stupid waste

of people's lives

and our earth.

They rarely settle any conflict well,

and the people who bear the brunt

are rarely the people

who had anything to do

with the conflict

in the first place.

Once Again, on Islamophobia and Antisemitism...

Once again,

Islamophobia is not an antidote

to Antisemitism, and

Antisemitism is not an antidote

to Islamophobia.

It is fair to critique the actions, statements, and policies of political and military leaders.

It is deeply unethical to blame all members of a religion, ethnicity, race, nationality, or language group, for the actions of their political and military leaders, or to suggest that innocent civilians deserve to be harmed, or even eliminated from their homes without just compensation, due to the actions of their political or military leaders.

I sure wouldn't wish to be held accountable and harmed for the actions of some of the political leaders in my own country -- especially the leaders I didn't even vote for.

And honestly, I wouldn't even wish such harm to the people who did vote for the leaders in my own country whose actions, statements, and policies I abhor.

Nazi Is As Nazi Does...

Nazi is as Nazi does.

Klan is as Klan does.

Bigot is as Bigot does.

Peace is as Peace does.

Love is as Love does.

Where We Sow War...

Where we sow war,

And seed the ground

With the bodies of children,

We shall never reap peace.

The People Who Are Bleeding NOW

The people who are suffering now

The people who are bleeding now

The people who are imprisoned now

The people who are dying now

***Matter MORE***

Than any ancient history

Any ancient map, or

Any ancient Scripture.

If we believe people living now

Matter less than ancient times

We have lost our moral compass.

As A Former Humanitarian Worker (in Gaza)...

As a former humanitarian worker who spent time in Gaza (as well as the West Bank, Israel and Iraq for the bulk of my time) and hearing the news about the World Central Kitchen workers... it's been a rough week, to say the least.

Of course, the killing of humanitarian aid workers by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) is nothing new. To date, 196 humanitarian workers have been killed in Gaza since October 7th, and the UN and several other international agencies have said this has been the deadliest war to date for humanitarian aid workers since such records were kept.

https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-04-02-24/h_56a5326b5a20d73f2c230f452c37c5b1#:~:text=The%20ongoing%20war%20between%20Israel%20and%20Hamas%20has,in%20any%20other%20conflict%20since%20at%20least%201997.

It has also so far been the deadliest war for children, according to the UN and other international sources, since such records were kept. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/7/is-israels-gaza-war-the-deadliest-conflict-for-children-in-modern-times

And I do get that in large part, people who haven't lived there, day in and day out, just really do not understand.

Seven international humanitarian aid workers from the World Central Kitchen were killed by the IDF, in targeted drone strikes to their clearly-marked vehicles, leaving their clearly-marked aid warehouse. Seeing the photos of the wreckage, with the holes from the missiles going right through the car-roof-sized agency logos, is simply nauseating.

The official story is that the military leaders forgot to communicate the aid workers' movements to the soldiers in charge of the drones. In response, many international aid agencies have paused operations in Gaza, and people are starving, and without water, electricity, healthcare, fuel, or shelter.

(And yes, while everyone knows that what Hamas did was utterly appalling-- 1,200 Israelis killed and 129 civilian and military hostages still being held-- Israelis are not starving, without water, electricity, healthcare, fuel, or shelter. This is an important humanitarian distinction). Meanwhile, 3,500 Palestinians are being held hostage by Israeli leaders as 'Administrative Detainees,' (held without charges or due process), according to Israeli human rights organization Ha'Moked: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/28/world/middleeast/palestinians-detained-in-israel.html#:~:text=More%20than%203%2C500%20Palestinian%20detainees%20are%20being%20held,the%20war%2C%20but%20Israel%20has%20increased%20its%20use.

The WCF workers' deaths caught the attention of the world, but it's been so many more, and this is a pattern that has gone on for years. Decades, actually.

Most people who visit short-term simply do not see or understand the daily realities of the Occupation.

I still believe these folks *can* learn, by reading the reports and testimonies from *both* the Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations who have been working there for years and decades: Rabbis for Human Rights, B'Tselem, Gush Shalom, Ha'Moked, the Israeli Committee Against Housing Demolitions, Breaking the Silence- Israel, the Women in Black, and so on.

... if they want to, and choose to follow through...

I am deeply disappointed in friends who would never give credence to anything reported on Fox News, or anything our own Authoritarian MAGA movement leader says in the United States, and who consider themselves progressive on every other issue imaginable... and yet they fall for right-wing extremist propaganda that even most Israelis wouldn't accept. Even the Ha'aretz newspaper (the most widely-read English/ Hebrew Israeli news source) states in its daily update, Israel at War:

"The war comes after ten months of the most significant domestic [Israeli] political and social crisis in decades, due to legislation promoted by the Netanyahu government aimed at dramatically weakening Israel's judiciary and potentially rescuing Netanyahu from the three corruption trials he faces – and amid an escalation of violence between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the latter empowered by Israel's most right-wing government ever."

(Hmm...Sound like anybody we know here in these United States?)

Why any decent person would admire Netanyahu or believe anything he says or does is beyond me. Again, his own people know better--and that's why they've been out in the streets by the tens of thousands protesting his government since last summer. That's why the families of the hostages are among the most vocal for his removal from office.

And yet people in the United States fall for him, and everything he stands for,

hook,
line,
and
sinker.

Along with all the pro-war propaganda from the weapons lobby.

Working for nonviolent resolutions to conflict just doesn't sell as many megabucks, megaton bombs.

And they ignore not only the Israeli human rights and peacemaking organizations, but also U.S. Jewish peacemaking organizations, like Peace Now and A Jewish Voice for Peace.

Ugh. Will they ever learn?

Every Abrahamic Religion...

Every Abrahamic religion (and likely every world religion) has feminists, progressives, secularists, moderates, fundamentalists, nationalists, and even violent extremists.

There are Muslim feminists,

just like there are Jewish feminists

and Christian feminists.

There are secular Jews,

just like there are secular Christians

and secular Muslims.

There are progressive Christians,

just like there are progressive Muslims

and progressive Jews.

There are moderate Muslims,

just like there are moderate Jews

and moderate Christians.

There are nationalist Jews,

just as there are nationalist Christians

and nationalist Muslims.

There are fundamentalist Christians,

just like there are fundamentalist Muslims

and fundamentalist Jews.

There are violent extremist Muslims,

just like there are violent extremist Jews

and violent extremist Christians.

Most people within each of these religions

are perfectly decent people,

who mean no harm to anyone,

and who are kind and care about

their neighbors and communities.

Let's not defame each others' religious traditions

as if we were really so different from anyone else.

And if you've never heard of a Muslim feminist,

or a progressive Jew,

or a Christian nationalist,

try Google.

A Series of Uncaffeinated Events...

 In a Series of Uncaffeinated Events this morning, I not only managed to pour the milk directly into the jar of instant coffee crystals, but also managed to cook half a container of chocolate frosting in the microwave for as long as I normally warm up my coffee (90 seconds instead of 15-20 seconds). The resulting effect an hour later is that I basically made homemade tootsie rolls... not bad...

I decided to fill the rest of the (half-empty) jar of instant coffee with water, shook it up, and put it in the fridge as 'coffee concentrate'... also not too bad...

How's your morning going?

Christianity Without Nationalism

 Heard this morning but didn't catch the original speaker:

"Christian Nationalism has been fed to us so long, that many of us now simply mistake it as 'Christianity."'

--

Christian Nationalism is utterly contrary to everything Jesus taught us about love of neighbor, love of enemy, equity between men and women, care for the poor, the foreigner, the prisoner, the sick, people with disabilities, and so on.

We as pastors and faith leaders must help our people to see beyond all this. We must be able to speak to a vision of Christianity without Nationalism, a Christianity that follows unabashedly in the footsteps of Jesus, letting go of all our faulty human divisions.

A Perfect (Interfaith) Day in Iowa...

What a lovely day!

We started out for the Hindu Cultural Center in Madrid for Holi. Prior to seeing the event invitation online, I didn't even know we had a Hindu Cultural Center in Iowa. However, it is a beautiful place, and everyone was so gracious and welcoming. Every parking spot was completely filled out at their countryside home. The front plaza was filled with hundreds of members of the Holi community and many friends and visitors. As soon as my kids and I arrived, other kids surrounded them and helped them to join the fun of covering each other in the brightly-colored powder, and showing them how to cup it in their hands and then apply it to each other's faces and heads. Then there was an amazing lunch... and a delightfully long lunch line, which also allowed me to look inside the temple as I waited. The kids enjoyed the curries and rice as well as the Indian sweets!

Next, we headed to First Unitarian in Des Moines for the Central Iowa Transgender Festival, in which we also experienced wonderful hospitality and friendship from so many people, and got to meet so many artisans as well as advocacy organizations.

After this, realizing we wouldn't be back up to Mason City in time for me to make something for our potluck, we made a quick trip to Namaste grocery store for Ramadan iftar desserts, which was recommended to us from our new friends at the Hindu temple. We must go back again when we have more time, because we could have spent hours looking at all the amazing things they have!

Then we were on the way home again to Mason City, arriving just in time to change out of our Holi powder-covered clothes and into fresh clothing for iftar with our Muslim friends at our local mosque. I hadn't looked in the mirror, though, and our friends had a good laugh at the bright orange on my cheek.

Finally, droopy and with delightfully full tummies, we headed home to bed. After all, we have to be up early tomorrow for Easter!

A Dead God Does No Good

 Were Crucifixion the means of Atonement,

there would be no need for Resurrection.

A Dead God does no good.

A metaphor used to explain Jesus

to cultures and peoples accustomed to temple sacrifice

keeps getting twisted into the idea

that if we just kill the right people,

justice will be served

and society will be healed.

There is no Redemption in violence.

On This Good Friday, May We Remember

 On this Good Friday

May we remember

All the innocent people

Killed by unjust courts

And brutal laws

And those who are

Beaten and

Lynched and

Left for dead

Without hope of making it

To trial.

On this Good Friday

May we remember

All the innocent civilians

Killed in war

To pay for

The sins of their leaders.

Such violence

Only begets more violence

And there is

No Redemption

At all.

Here's to All the Clergy Mamas

Here's to all the Clergy Mamas

who not only
planned, preached, and led
Lent, Holy Week, and Easter

but also, more than likely,
planned and prepared
all the holiday celebrations
at home, too:

the Easter dinner and
the Easter outfits and
the Easter egg hunts and
the Easter baskets and
the Easter bunny 'magic'
(like moms usually do)

and,
who likely still did all
the cooking, cleaning and parenting
the laundry and dishes
the shopping and scheduling
and maybe even
tending a sick child or two
(like they usually do)

throughout these long days
of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter

it's quite similar,
after all,
no matter the season
or the holiday

It's well known by now
that Clergy Women
can do anything and everything
that Clergy Men can do

even at half their pay
even with half the respect
even when needing
to be their own secretaries
even with the full weight
of the housework at home, too.

The world seems to get a bit better
with each generation
a bit more equitable
and surely some notable exceptions
here and there,
as some will boast;
but on the whole,
we're not there yet...

So here's to the Clergy Mamas
who do all that they do

Christ has died, Christ is risen
once again and every year

And may you, Clergy Mamas,
when the holiday frenzy is over
find a moment
of rest.

(c)2024 Le Anne Clausen de Montes

Rev. Le Anne Clausen de Montes is a pastor, parent, poet, and creator of Clergy Mamas International and Clergy Parents of Children with Special Needs. She has served congregations in the PC(USA), UCC, ELCA and UMC and is active in ecumenical and interfaith cooperation through the Iowa Faith Leadership Network and Center for Faith and Peacemaking. Prior to seminary and parenting, she was an international human rights worker who helped to investigate the Abu Ghraib scandal; trained hundreds of international volunteers for human rights documentation and reporting and nonviolent direct intervention; and was an assistant program developer for the first Arabic-speaking women's crisis center in the Middle East. During seminary, she was a Prisoner of Conscience in a maximum-security federal facility for her nonviolent protest of the use of torture. She continues to be active in multiple efforts to promote equity and inclusion at home in the North Iowa area of the United States.

Surviving Christian Nationalism by Embracing Radical Ecumenism

 If we are going to not just survive

Christian Nationalism,

but offer Christians something

worth belonging to,

Then we must embrace a radical ecumenism,

Loudly proclaiming who we include,

because we have followed

the call of Jesus

to welcome and include

those who others

would exclude.

Christian Nationalism vs. Radical Inclusion

 We must seek out every opportunity

to practice radical inclusion

in the face of Christian Nationalism.

We must seek out every opportunity

for cooperation, from the ground up:

in parenting groups

in Sunday Schools

in Vacation Bible Schools

in Church Camps

in Confirmation

in pastor sharing agreements

in community parish agreements

in regional lay pastor trainings

in seminaries

in theological scholarship

in denominational relief and development services

in stewarding all of our resources.

We can't afford

to hold on to our little fiefdoms

or our denominational egos

any longer.

On Disinformation as A Weapon of War

Never believe anything reported by armed combatants in war that hasn't been independently verified by journalists, human rights organizations, or other reputable outside agencies. Disinformation is as much a weapon of war as any other machinery of mass destruction.

All killing of civilians is wrong, no matter the demographic background of the civilians in question.

All sexual assault of persons during armed conflict is abhorrent.

All taking of hostages and other prisoners without charges or due process for indefinite lengths of time, is wrong, no matter what 'side' the prisoners / hostages are from.

All denial of food, water, safe shelter, and adequate healthcare to civilians is an abomination.

Never trust anyone, especially any religious leader, who uses ancient Scripture or tradition to justify modern-day atrocities.

On the Klan and Its Modern Descendants, and Selling Your Soul

Joining the Klan,

or any of its modern descendants:

The Proud Boys
The Moms for Liberty
or anyone else
that promotes Klan teachings

This is no less than selling your soul.

It is turning your back
on the teachings of Jesus Christ

in exchange for the Devil
and all his empty promises.

Which promises, you ask?

- That "Jews will never replace us"
- That we can "whitewash" history
- That we can make transgender people disappear
- That we can create neighborhoods, school districts,
and entire cities, where we don't have to see or deal with
people who are different than ourselves.

God's grace is abundant, available, and sufficient;
Repent now, and be reconciled.

Otherwise, of what use to you is Heaven?
After all,
it will be filled
with all the people you so loudly despise:
Brown and Black people
Asian and Arab people
Muslim and Jewish people
Immigrants from all nations
People with disabilities
and so many more.

Even LGBTQIA+ people,
people who simply loved who they loved
and did no harm to anyone.

After all,
they didn't join a hate group
to twist and mock the teachings of Jesus.

That's all on you.

Can such a sin-sick soul be redeemed?
Of course...with a truly penitent heart.
This is what Jesus taught us, too.

Turn back now
from your evil ways
and Live.

Go and sin no more.

A Pastor's Job Is Not to Convince People...

Unpopular opinion: A pastor's job isn't to convince people that any particular Bible story is literally true; it's to help them understand why people felt it was important to write each part and preserve it for future generations-- how does it help people come to terms with issues they face in their own lives, such as suffering, grief, love, vocation, and family struggles?

Some of the Bible is poetry.
Some is is metaphor.
Some is fable.

Most of it was passed down around the campfire for thousands of years before it ever got written down.

Some of it is cringeworthy, dysfunctional family stuff.

A lot of it is how people interpreted things that happened to them: military victory or defeat, famine, exile.

A lot of the Bible isn't about the 'afterlife,' it's about daily life, and how people have coped throughout the centuries.

Many people today still find that certain passages 'ring true,' or help them gain insight into their lives, relationships, anddaily struggles.

Pastors can foster this deeper level of understanding by providing historical and cultural context in preaching on a text, as well as in pastoral care. When we help people understand how different Biblical passages were written by particular people for particular purposes and people, we can also help them avoid applying Biblical passages in ways they were never intended, to do harm to people today.

Nearly a Century After Niemoeller...

 First they came for the migrants,

and I didn't speak up
because I wasn't a migrant.

Then they came for the people who needed abortions,
and I didn't speak up
because I didn't need an abortion.

Then they came for the transgender people,
and I didn't speak up
because I wasn't transgender.

Then they came for the Muslims
and I didn't speak up
because I wasn't Muslim.

Then they came for the Jews
and I didn't speak up
because I wasn't Muslim.

Then they came for the people with disabilities
and I didn't speak up
because I didn't have a disability.

Then they came for the Black people
and I didn't speak up
because I wasn't Black.

then they came for the teachers

then they came for the librarians

then they came for the scientists

then they came for the doctors

then they came for the union leaders

then they came for the journalists

then they came for the university professors

then they came for the university students

then they came for the 'liberal' pastors

they came for the homeless

they came for the hungry

they came for the sick

they came for the working poor

Nearly a century after Niemoeller wrote his poem,
why don't we see

we are repeating this terrible lesson
all over again?

There's Nothing 'Christian' About 'Christian Nationalism'

There's nothing 'Christian' about 'Christian Nationalism,'

except that history shows us how the Church,

and especially the White Church,

chooses Nationalism time and time again.

Those Christians who choose to stand up to Nationalist movements

(whether in Nazi Germany, or here in the United States)

frequently do so at great cost

not only to their vocational prospects,

but their lives.

On Rejecting the Evil of Christian Nationalism, And All Its Empty Promises

Our next chapter in ecumenical partnership-building must be working together to reject the evil of Christian Nationalism and all its empty promises.

Our future is not in holding on to the shards of our White European immigrant squabbles, but in creating sanctuary and a society in which all people are truly, fully, and unabashedly welcome and included as a vital part of God’s Beloved Community.

We Are Both Growing And Dying

You have heard it said,

'If you are not growing, you're dying.'
But,
Life teaches us that we

are both growing AND dying.

From the day we are born,
we are on a journey
of both growth and death.

To live
is to be constantly changing
in ways we may notice
or not notice much at all
on our way to dying

And nothing living lasts forever.
Perhaps it is our own ego, our vanity
that makes us wish to build empires
when humble abodes will do

After all,
Empires require armies
to uphold their power
and Institutions end up
only serving themselves
and will harm anyone
who threatens their status quo.

There's no escaping death,
so let's make the most of life,
and enjoy each other's company
as best we can along the way.

(c)2024 Le Anne Clausen de Montes

What Is It about Christianity and White Nationalism?

To paraphrase Brian Zahnd, Christian Nationalism is just Nationalism, using Jesus as a mascot.

It is the same White Nationalism that we see at work in the Klan.

It is the same White Nationalism that we saw at work in the Nazis and see at work in the neo-Nazi movements.

And yet, it does seem that Christianity, and especially White Christianity, is particularly susceptible to embracing White Nationalism. It is somehow still too easy for us as White Christians--

not just in the fundamentalist, Evangelical, and nondenominational branches, but also in the mainline Protestant and Catholic branches--

to believe that Black and Brown and Asian and Indigenous people, or foreigners; people who are Muslims and Jews and Buddhists, Sikhs, and Hindus and people of other religious traditions; people with disabilities; people who are poor, hungry, and/ or homeless; people who are left-leaning or liberal university students or teachers, writers, artists, musicians, or community organizers or activists, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, or any variety of queer--

that these people are somehow less equal and less worthy of existence on our earth; and less worthy of being treated with dignity and respect and love as our neighbors.

This susceptibility to White Nationalism persists even though it flies in the face of the Gospel of Jesus and everything Jesus taught about love of neighbors that were from widely different parts of society even in Biblical times.

To Grow is to Die, and To Die is to Grow

 You have heard it said,

'If you are not growing, you're dying.'

But,

Life teaches us that we are both growing AND dying.

From the day we are born,

we are on a journey

of both growth and death.

To live

is to be constantly changing

in ways we may notice

or not notice much at all

on our way to dying

And nothing living lasts forever.

Perhaps it is our own ego, our vanity

that makes us wish to build empires

when humble abodes will do

After all,

Empires require armies

to uphold their power

and Institutions end up

only serving themselves

and will harm anyone

who threatens their status quo.

There's no escaping death,

so let's make the most of life,

and enjoy each other's company

as best we can along the way.

There Is No Klan Jesus

 There is no Klan Jesus

waiting to whisk you off

to a Whites-Only Heaven

segregated from all the

Black and Brown Souls

you'd like to avoid

and all the Muslims and Jews

and Buddhists, Sikhs and Hindus

and all the Catholics too

and all the foreigners

and all the poor

all the hungry

all the homeless

all the sick

all the people with disabilities

all the outcasts

all the leftists

But I do believe that if there is a Heaven

and there is a God who created

Black and Brown people

and Muslims and Jews

and Buddhists, Sikhs and Hindus

and Catholics too

and all the foreigners

and all the poor

all the hungry

all the homeless

all the sick

all the people with disabilities

all the outcasts

all the leftists

well then, I believe

that a God who created them

loves them too,

just as much

as me or you

and that God's good Heaven

includes them all, too.

But if you insist on a Separate Place

perhaps it is there,

outside those 'Pearly Gates'...