I’ve never fit in. As far as I can remember, I’ve always made people uncomfortable.
Don’t get me wrong, I had supportive and flexible white liberal parents in the 1970s and they taught me I could grow up to be anything I wanted to be. But they literally couldn’t imagine all that would entail.
by Louis Mitchell
My open heart has questions.
My open heart has fears.
My tender heart has visions,
clouded by my tears.
Not theologically correct for Holy Week, but it’s been a while since I cared much about being theologically correct. The song moves me — though I’m less fond of the heteronormative story the video tells.
Lyrics by Disturbed
Like an unsung melody
The truth is waiting there for you to find it
It’s not a blight, but a remedy,
A clear reminder of how it began
Deep inside your memory
Turned away as you struggled to find it
You heard the call as you walked away
A voice of calm from within the silence
And for what seemed an eternity
You wait and hoping it would call out again
You heard the shadow beckoning
Then your fears seemed to keep you blinded
You held your guard as you walked away
What a year 2013 has been
in the last hours of this year
I’ve been reflecting n talking
2 those close n dear 2 me
around ministry, family bio n extended
n my place in the world…1thing I know is that
thru everything
the good the bad n even the real real ugly
that transpired in my life
and on my journey in 2013
I never lost my Praise…
Continue reading “Ready.”
by Louis Mitchell
We gather to remember
Your vibrant light & your soaring laughter
We gather to remember
The hands you held & lives you touched
We gather to remember
Your uncommon tenderness & your unwavering strength
We gather to remember
The sunrises that we greeted in revelry & the sunsets that we christened with our tears.
The Rev. Dr. Kelli Brown Douglas manages to sum up several threads of what I call OtherWise — woven right up in there among that (annoying) Christian theology (which I can neither tolerate nor ignore).
To move to be free.
To vision beyond the binary
to see what is really there.
To address privilege
and be in solidarity
with the crucified of our time.
Continue reading “Love Thyself: Exodus, Trinity, and OtherWise”
Dear you who needs this tonight–
I know it’s hard.
It’s always and not always hard.
I see you.
It’s worth it.
Struggle.
Survive.
The rest of our stories don’t want to go on without you.
Forget the excuses and forgive your mistakes.
There’s not enough time and we are too small and godlike to be petty.
Glow.
Shine.
All you need ever be is light–and when you can only manage to recognize the dark know that we are here.
Waiting for you.
Reaching for you.
Stretching out with arms and love made of that light.
Last long enough to reach us.
We will hold you and nurture your Strong.
We can do this–together.
I may not know you,
but I can promise you with all sincerity
that I am here and I have love for you.
I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast.
Find peace.
Love.
Always and deeply love.
© 2016 Susan M. Peiffer. All rights reserved. Published with permission of the author.
The Invitation
by Oriah
It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.
By Agape participants, 1997
I am beautiful!
I am passionate!
I am thankful!
I am worthy of all I wish to attain!
by Audre Lorde
in From a Land Where Other People Live
Be who you are and will be
learn to cherish that boistrous Black Angel that drives you
up one day and down another
protecting the place where your power rises
running like hot blood
from the same source
as your pain.
To Be OtherWise 