Category: culture
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Dear White People: Repent!
On Facebook & Twitter I recently made the following statement: “To my white brothers & sisters: our participation in the #BlackLivesMatter movement begins with our repentance & confession.” A friend read this and asked if I could suggest any resources for repentance. I’ll suggest one such resources at the end of this post, but I want…
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Michael Brown and the Discipline of Seeing
Since first learning about the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO I’ve been thinking about different things I’ve wanted to write. Parenting a newborn and some travel have kept me from blogging, which is probably not a bad thing: most of my initial thoughts have been articulated far better by others. If you’ve not…
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The Racist Scapegoat
Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angels Clippers, has said some despicable things. “In your lousy f**ing Instagrams, you don’t have to have yourself with — walking with black people.” There’s more and if you’ve somehow missed the story you can easily search for more of the man’s ugly opinions. It’s disgusting stuff, made more…
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The Problem of Plugging In
An article I wrote in January for my denomination’s magazine, The Covenant Companion, has been posted (as a PDF) online. In “The Problem of Plugging In” I drew from a couple of Wendell Berry’s essays to discuss the power of metaphors and the way our language hinders or aids spiritual growth. Your church has problems.…
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We’re A Culture, Not A Costume
Students Teaching Against Racism, a student organization at Ohio University, has released these brilliant posters just in time for Halloween, the yearly occasion when hidden prejudices surface in the form of inappropriate, ignorant and offensive costumes. Here’s a blogger with more information and the rest of the posters.
David W. Swanson 