There are many different religions and spiritual practices in this world, and countless individual ways of believing and practicing spirituality. Freedom of religion means everyone has the right to believe and practice whatever they want as long as it doesn’t harm others. Freedom doesn’t mean we get to force our beliefs and values on everyone else. Freedom doesn’t look like punishing or even killing those who deviate from our beliefs. Freedom is being exactly who we were created to be and living our truth out loud without pressuring anyone to adopt our truth as theirs.

“Religion is like a pair of shoes.....Find one that fits for you, but don’t make me wear your shoes.” ― George Carlin

[Artwork by David Hayward, nakedpastor.com]

“If a believer demands that I, as a nonbeliever, observe his taboos in the public domain, he is not asking for my respect, but for my submission.” ― Flemming Rose

Despite the premise and founding principle in the US of freedom of religion, the religious citizenry tends to be controlling and opposed to freedom of choice for those inside and outside their circles. There is a long history of legislating morality, demanding strict obedience to arbitrary rules, and of shaming children and adults who are incapable of perfectly adhering to these expectations. There are also enumerable accounts of attacks on groups and individuals who express their freedoms and color outside the heteronormative WASP(white Anglo Saxon Protestant) lines.

“It is precisely that requirement of shared worship that has been the principal source of suffering for individual man and the human race since the beginning of history. In their efforts to impose universal worship, men have unsheathed their swords and killed one another. They have invented gods and challenged each other: "Discard your gods and worship mine or I will destroy both your gods and you!” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

As newlyweds, my husband and I attended a church in a Southern state where a fist fight broke out in the sanctuary over some petty conflict. The church ended up splitting into two different churches. I don’t recall what caused that split, but some examples of differences I have seen within churches that produce strong feelings include: choir and organ music or worship band with drums or no instruments at all; communion at every church service to no communion; the day(s) of the week worship services are held; only men in leadership and ministry positions or women allowed equal opportunities to share their gifts; a dress code of suits and dresses or casual attire; potluck meals with meat, vegetarian or vegan fare; Jewelry or no jewelry or only functional jewelry like watches and cuff links; dancing, clapping and raising hands or absolutely none of the above; only certain versions of the Bible allowed or all inspirational literature welcome. Some groups focus on outreach for the purpose of helping fill needs and show love while others are focused on growing their numbers of seats in pews, online views, and dollars in the collection plate. Some are welcoming of anyone and everyone who walks in the door and will love them just as they are. Many other congregations say they are welcoming of everyone and then teach you that you must change to be worthy and saved. Some churches or cultures treat women and children as property of men and foster environments that lead to abuse without accountability or consequence. In other communities, children and women are honored, protected and celebrated. I’m sure there are many more differences you could add, especially from other cultures and faith traditions that I have not experienced. The point is that humans can’t agree on much because we are all different. We should at least agree that we all need the freedom to be who we are and believe what we believe.

“You can’t pick and choose which types of freedom you want to defend. You must defend all of it or be against all of it.” ― Scott Howard Phillips

The world lost an incredible woman this week who believed strongly in embracing all people and protecting our freedoms. Dolly Parton had an amazing light and earned the respect and love of millions. So much has already been said about her by so many. I just want to share one of her beautiful songs of hope and encourage us all to smile when we remember Dolly and ask ourselves “What would Dolly do?”

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When we start from a place of healthy self-acceptance, we are better equipped to love and accept others unconditionally. We lose some of the need to criticize and judge another person’s appearance or compare different body types as if they were livestock at the county fair. And this goes beyond physical appearance. We have numerous ways of categorizing people and elevating ourselves above others. I’m not exactly sure if this need to put others down comes from a lack of self-love or an excess of self-love. No matter the cause, the outcome is poor for all of us. We are better together than fragmented and fractured.

When I look at the world around me today, I see so much fighting, demonizing, violence and destruction that is negatively impacting our relationships, our livelihood, our health, and our ability to recover from crises. There is, of course, light in the darkness, but at times the darkness seems overwhelming. What do we do when literal storms keep coming one after another, leaving a trail of damage, and we don’t have the time or resources to recover before getting hit again? What do we do when our neighbors are starving and we are barely able to put food on our own tables? Our country used to have safety nets in place to help in times of crisis and to prevent starvation or homelessness. Much of the government infrastructure to keep us safe and healthy has been stripped away. We are poorer and sicker, which is not great.

The United States and other parts of this planet are learning what happens when leaders have an insatiable desire for power and wealth with no guardrails. I mean, we built guardrails, but they have been knocked down, jumped over or just ignored completely. The welfare of the citizenry is not even a consideration. Our brave military are being used and abused as pawns in global grifting and posturing. Our tax dollars are being squandered on a whim by wealthy tax-evaders rather than propping up the hard-working, law-abiding people who paid them faithfully. Unfaltering loyalty and pandering platitudes enable an “all for one” mindset devoid of the “one for all” pairing. Giving all the power to an individual or group who are lacking empathy and concern for humankind is very dangerous. We must prioritize the good of all over the will of one. And love— the most powerful force in the world— will win in the end.

Roads Go Ever On

Evangelical Diet Culture

Welcome back, readers. Thank you for checking out this week’s article. If you’ve enjoyed my previous essays, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps more than you know. If you’re unable to become a paid subscriber, please share this article after reading. Thank you…

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23 days ago · 17 likes · 6 comments · Bekah Graham

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In 2024, Jack Posobiec and Joshua Lisec wrote a book called Unhumans: The Secret History of Communist Revolutions (and How to Crush Them). They argue that the United States is under siege by “the left.” “For the purposes of this book, we will call them the unhumans,” the authors write, because they “oppose everything that makes up humanity.” Don Trump Jr. and J.D. Vance both wrote blurbs endorsing this book. “To ‘unhuman’ someone means to deprive someone of their rights to life, liberty and property.” The authors insist that “communists” are trying to “unhuman” those they consider good Americans, and that “we can’t tolerate an ideology like that” and so must do it to them first. (From Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters From an American, July 17, 2026) Wow! I don’t like even quoting this book because of how awful and untrue it is, but I am trying to make the point that I am one of the people they consider the enemy and this is categorically false. I am supporting all humanity and “their rights to life, liberty…” This book is projecting certain actions and intentions on “the left” that they themselves are doing and planning.

I have heard the terms “scum”, “animals”, “criminals” and “terrorists” used to describe immigrants and anyone who doesn’t support MAGA/Trump. There is outright violence, threatened violence and dehumanizing rhetoric encouraging violent behavior. Stephen Miller recently told the State Department that at “these violent antifa demonstrations,… not one of the people that is demonstrating looks like a normal person, …They’re all deformed in some way.” Wow! That is some bullshit. I’ve only been part of peaceful anti-fascist demonstrations with many other normal Americans of various ages, races, religions, genders, occupations, and political parties. Most of them bring a sense of humor, a sign, and a passion for a country built on democratic principles and non-violence. I don’t know, maybe Stephen Miller isn’t accustomed to interacting with normal people so he doesn’t know what they look like. I’m quite sure he has never attended one of these events that he speaks of.

Where does this false demonization and dehumanization of others come from? Why are we always separating ourselves from the “them” who we see as lesser? In the Judeo-Christian history of the world, the first humans were told by God to eat any fruit from any tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In her blog Throw Out the Bathwater, Lisa Whelchel points out that we were taught “that Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were thus punished and banished from the Garden of Eden. But as I looked underneath God’s decree not to eat of that one particular tree, I wondered about the “why” behind that mandate. As a parent, I always had a reason for any rules I imposed on my children. I wanted them to obey, but not because I was on a power trip and would punish them if they didn’t honor my authority. It was because I loved them and wanted to spare them some kind of hurt or negative consequence that I myself had probably learned the hard way. Wouldn’t the reason God told Adam and Eve not to eat from that tree be just as important, if not more important, than simply establishing his dominance and need for control, even if it was for their own good?….What was He wanting to teach them, aside from unquestioned obedience? As the account goes, he creates them and sets them in the midst of this beautiful garden with two important trees in the middle: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He tells them they can enjoy and eat of any of the trees in the garden, except for the latter one, and if they do, they will surely die. Along comes Satan in the form of the serpent, who plants doubt in Eve’s mind by saying, “You will not certainly die. God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” It had never occurred to me until today that God was fine with them eating from the tree of life and living forever, he just didn’t want them to eat of the fruit that would open their eyes to start judging good and evil. Apparently, only God was safe enough to trust with that particular power. When humans start judging, separation enters the picture.” (You can read more from Lisa Whelchel here.)

Throw Out the Bathwater

What If It Wasn’t Disobedience?

I woke up with great anticipation. Today was the first official day of silence. The only talking I would do each day would be with my spiritual director. I would meet with him in the morning, and he would give me the assigned passages to pray through and be my guide through whatever presented itself that I might need help digesting…

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2 months ago · 97 likes · 87 comments · Lisa Whelchel

It didn’t take long after gaining the knowledge of good and evil for humans to turn to violence, when one son of Adam and Eve killed his brother. Many of us learned these stories as children, and many of us also learned that love, discipline and violence go together. Sometimes a parent or teacher used a hand, a paddle, a stick, a wooden spoon, a spatula, a belt… to “lovingly” correct a disobedient or disrespectful child. There can be a fine line between discipline and abuse, and children usually don’t know the difference. However, children are conditioned to accept and expect violence if they make mistakes. We were taught that we are all sinners but somehow there are certain types of sin and certain types of people who are particularly evil or who have less worth. Did Jesus teach us that? No, Jesus loved and embraced the people who other humans rejected and judged. Jesus never raised his hand or a weapon against another human. Jesus didn’t demonize people or encourage us to reject or hate or hurt each other. Jesus told us not to judge and told us to love one another as we love God and ourselves. So, instead of listening to voices telling us another person is “unhuman” or abnormal and deformed, let’s listen to the many voices and messages that align with Jesus and love for all. Let’s join our voices together in singing: “I’m human, you’re human, we are human.”

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I believe that some individuals are toxic to certain people and not to others, just like some of us enjoy peanut butter but it is deadly to others. Penicillin is healing to some and toxic to others. Narcissists can seem fun and charming to many people while they are abusing and destroying others. If you question why someone walks away from a relationship, a job, a church, a political party or leader, etc. consider that it could be because there was something or someone toxic to them. I have several examples from my own life, and I am learning to avoid or resist those toxic situations rather than continuing to drink the Koolaid.

I know that I am not everyone’s cup of tea and may even seem toxic to some people, especially if they disagree with what I have to say. I became a different version of myself who I didn’t even like when I spent time around my sister. That is why I eventually decided that we could love one another better from a distance. Freeing myself from such unhealthy relationships as well as unhealthy beliefs has helped me grow and thrive in a way I never did before. We all have the ability and freedom to choose who we spend our time and life with and what we want to do with our own lives and bodies.

Selena Gomez wrote and recorded a song about saying goodbye to someone in order to fully find and love herself. The words about setting fire to our forests and our purpose sound all too real right now.

I am not so deluded to think that we can live in a bubble and never interact with toxic people. That isn’t a realistic goal and can cause us to isolate. It’s actually healthy to interact with a variety of different people with differing opinions and knowledge or culture that will broaden our minds and experience. I LOVE the diversity of humans in our world! We must not let fear or avoidance limit us to only surround ourselves with people like us. The people we strongly disagree with can sometimes teach us something important or maybe help us strengthen our own convictions. A person who seems a little extra might just help us loosen up and not take everything so seriously. Just watch for the people or situations where there is an unhealthy level of conflict or unwillingness to listen and learn from each other. Those are the ones that may be a waste of time or could even be dangerous.

If you are in a toxic situation or recovering from one(or more), I hope you will find your way to a place of healing and peace. You deserve to feel loved and respected. If you don’t, maybe it’s time for a change. Look for the people and places where you can be you. I’m here for you if you need a safe place to share your pain and find empathy.

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In her speech on June 18 at the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center, former FLOTUS Michelle Obama said that no one can steal our resilience and pride. I saw immeasurable evidence of that yesterday at the Cincinnati Pride parade and festival. It’s always great fun to celebrate with our LGBTQIA friends and family and it is so heart-warming to see all of the support from organizations and corporations in the community. I gave hugs and virtual hugs to many people in the parade including the mayor’s son. The weather was cloudy and temps in the seventies with a nice breeze, so our hugs weren’t as sweaty as they have been in past years. A huge shout out to all of the beautiful people who show love and acceptance to each other every day and every month, because that is what Pride is all about.

The Visit Cincy float rides through the crowd at Fountain Square in the Cincinnati Pride Parade in Cincinnati on Saturday, June 27, 2026. https://www.cincinnati.com/picture-gallery/news/2026/06/27/photos-cincinnati-pride-parade-2026/

The title “Pride” is off-putting and confusing to some because they think of pride as a sin of conceit and arrogance. However, many of the same people seem to accept, respect or ignore arrogant and prideful character traits in certain people, such as a sense of superiority regarding one’s race, religion, or sexual orientation. Anyhew, the actual definition of pride that we celebrate in the month of June is “confidence and self-respect as expressed by members of a group, typically one that has been socially marginalized, on the basis of their shared identity, culture, and experience.” I am so proud of my amazing friends in the LGBTQIA community for their strength, courage, creativity, resilience, and for loving big whilst being targeted with so much hate. No one can steal your love or resilience.

During this summer season, we are all gathering for barbeques and picnics. We all put on our shorts and swimsuits one leg at a time. Many of us stay busy with concerts, sporting events, and festivals in addition to our usual work schedules and lawn upkeep. We all complain about the heat and sweat through our shirts. We all breathe a sigh of relief when we walk into an air conditioned building to cool off. We all experience a sense of wonder and joy when we see fireflies and firecrackers as night falls. Yes, we are all human and we have more in common than we often realize.

“Failing to see the humanity of all people puts us all on a slippery slope, and once that slide starts, there’s no telling where it stops. A dangerous precedent that flies in the very face of our faith and of the founding promise of this democracy, that all of us are created equal, that each of us is a child of God with inerrant value and no one has the right to sit in judgment of who is American enough.” -Former First Lady Michelle Obama, June 18, 2026

Several years ago, I read Harper Lee’s books and would like to share several short excerpts that spoke to me and are very timely:

“If there’s just one kind of folks, why can’t they get along with each other? If they’re all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other? Scout, I think I’m beginning to understand something. I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time. It’s because he wants to stay inside.”

“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” ---Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird.

“Prejudice, a dirty word, and faith, a clean one, have something in common: they both begin where reason ends.”

“A man can condemn his enemies, but it’s wiser to know them.”

“The only thing I’m afraid of about this country is that its government will someday become so monstrous that the smallest person in it will be trampled underfoot, and then it wouldn’t be worth living in.”

“Why doesn’t their flesh creep? How can they devoutly believe everything they hear in church and then say the things they do and listen to the things they hear without throwing up? I thought I was a Christian but I’m not. I’m something else and I don’t know what.”― Harper Lee, Go Set a Watchman

Finally, please watch this video of Amy Grant singing one of her new songs with the PS22 Chorus. “How Do We Get There From Here” was written in response to the recent Covenant School shooting in Nashville, and is a heartfelt plea for a world with less violence and more compassion. Soak in the humanity of all of these beautiful kids!

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[Flamy Grant and band performing at Levitt Pavilion in Dayton Ohio, June 4, 2026.]

My husband and I travelled to Niagara Falls a couple of weeks ago and spent some time walking and enjoying the power, the beauty and also the peace and calm that can be found in nature. There is a nature preserve near the falls where we enjoyed seeing lots of birds, chipmunks, and turtles in their beautiful habitat of water and foliage. I felt such an incredible sense of peace that seems rare these days. I decided that I need to take the time on a regular basis to put away my phone and immerse myself in nature. I believe it is good for mental and physical health and well-being.

[A Canadian goose family enjoying some calmer water just a short stroll from Niagara.]

For the remainder of this article, I will share the words of various musicians who have inspired and touched my heart recently. I hope you too will find love and belonging in music and nature, and maybe a few moments of zen.

“We want the same thing
To bе loved
We need the samе things
To have enough
We want the same thing
Someone to trust” from Amy Grant’s Please Don’t Make Me Beg

“Is there an ocean of affection
Where I come from and where I'm bound?
Where all this fear and imperfection
Could be swallowed in love somehow
Is there a seat at this table
For every part of me that's able
To want to be found?” from Audrey Assad’s Still Making Me

Through living life, I’ve come to see life through a different lens. God’s love is for everyone, not just a select few. I feel like “God’s love only applies to a select few,” is what the narrative has become these days, unfortunately. I just want to reiterate, honestly, the great commandment. And “faith, hope, and love” but “love is the greatest.” Our culture needs to hear that now. Michael Passons from https://sojo.net/articles/interview/90s-christian-hit-song-now-blooming-queer-anthem

“Is it deliverance
If you can never, never change?
Is it deliverance
If you hurt me in exchange?” from Deliverance by CHVRCHES

“Before you judge me, try hard to love me” from Michael Jackson’s Childhood

“Living in a rainbowland
Where skies are blue and things are grand
Wouldn't it be nice
To live in paradise?
Where we're free to be exactly who we are
Let's all dig down deep inside
Brush the judgment and fear aside
Make wrong things right
And end the fight
'Cause I promise ain't nobody gonna win” from Rainbowland by Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton

“When the ink dries on our story
What will history reveal
Will we have been part of the problem
Or a part of how we heal” from How Do We Get There From Here by Amy Grant and Ruby Amanfu

“There's a song penned for soldiers --
it says, ‘let us live to make men free.’
We're all sisters.
We're all brothers.
Standing on each others' shoulders
there's no wall we cannot scale.
We are an army of lovers,
and we shall not fail.” from Crys Matthews, Battle Hymn for an Army of Lovers

Flamy Grant in Ones Like Us: “may you know peace
May you trust the compass of your heart
To lead you to the still waters of liberation
May you know well courage
And gentleness
May you look beyond the storm to the silver lining
That makes the journey worth it
Leading you to hope
Leading you back home to yourself
Back home to love”

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My name is Crysta and I look forward to sharing thoughts, quotes and stories of how we can love ourselves and love ALL people for who we are. The past several years have been a time of “unprecedented” loss, grief, violence, and political divisiveness. But out of this darkness has shone a million lights of love, hope and truth as people are fighting for love and justice in this hurting world. As the great poet Amanda Gorman said in 2021, “For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it, If only we’re brave enough to be it” (The Hill We Climb, Amanda Gorman). Come join me on this journey of love and light! Share your stories and thoughts respectfully. Please subscribe for free and you will receive email notifications when there are new posts to read. I would also love for you to share my posts and invite your friends to join the conversation. And remember that you are enough already and so is everyone else.

Today I am sharing several quotes from The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee. I recommend that you add it to your reading list. Heather writes about the fallacy of zero-sum thinking and how it harms everyone. Zero-sum thinking is a belief that a gain for one individual or group is inherently a loss for another.

When we are focused on defending the economy, are we talking about the sum total of our populations’ consumption of goods and services or are we talking about the economic condition of people like us? In other words are we thinking of the good of all or just the good of some?

“In 2016 a Finnish sociologist named Kirsti M. Jylha wrote about her finding that a social dominance orientation was predictive of climate change denial… Social dominance is about accepting that there are differences between groups, that some groups are better and some groups are worse. People who score high in social dominance orientation tend to see the world as a competitive triangle where it’s natural and inevitable that hierarchies exist. So society shouldn’t do anything to reduce those hierarchies because there’s probably something in these groups who have a lower position that has caused their lower position. When thinking about climate change, we calculate the risk and decide that we aren’t personally going to suffer because of climate change. Maybe future generations, animals and people in developing countries will suffer, but if our group isn’t suffering then we are going to maintain a status quo that rewards our group.”

In The Hidden Wound, Wendell Berry explained that “by denying the reality of racism and our own role in it white Americans have denied ourselves critical self-knowledge and created a prettified and falsified version of American history for ourselves to believe in. One built on the wishful insinuation that we have done no harm.. to protect ourselves from the anguish implicit in our racism.”

“Our people are not standing at the same depths today, so we must resist the temptation to use universal instruments to attain universal ends. When it comes to designing solutions, one size has never fit all. Everywhere that I found white people paying the spillover costs of racism, I also found that without exception their coworkers and neighbors of color were paying even more in lost wealth, health and often lives. Getting white support to address those different levels of need and to acknowledge the racism that caused those differences is never easy, particularly when the zero sum mental model turns every concession into a threat of loss. That’s why uprooting the zero sum is so essential, as is embedding in its place the value that I found radiating out of the people who have the biggest impact on me and their communities, the knowledge that we truly do need each other…. We’ve got to get on the same page before we can turn it…. It’s time to tell the truth with a nationwide process that enrolls all of us in setting the facts straight so that we can move forward with a new story together. What we’ve got now just isn’t working.“

“There’s a better way. It’s called targeted universalism: a concept developed by law professor and critical race scholar John A. Powell… With targeted universalism, you set a universal policy goal and then develop strategies to achieve the goal that take into account the varied situations of the groups involved. Let’s take home ownership, the center of financial security and wealth-building for most families and for the American economy….As we have seen, people of color and black people in particular have been disproportionately and intentionally excluded from this linchpin of economic freedom. So any program designed to boost home ownership that does not specifically address the barriers facing African Americans can only succeed in increasing the racial home ownership and wealth gap. A public policy that does manage to increase black home ownership to the same level as white home ownership would shrink the pernicious racial wealth gap by more than 30 percent. Today however, our major federal commitment to home ownership comes through the color blind home mortgage interest deduction, which allows people to deduct from their tax bill interest paid to lenders on all real estate properties they own. The problem is, this massive subsidy is upside down, bestowing the largest benefits on the richest people, and effectively rewarding people with wealth for having it, as opposed to helping people without it find a toehold as the whites only housing programs did in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. The ability of white families to count on inheritances from previous generations is the biggest contributor to today’s massive racial wealth gap. We can do better. The maps have already been drawn through racist red-lining. So instead of ignoring them and the damage they wrought, we can target down-payment assistance to long-time red-lined residents…If the United States adopted policy interventions to close the racial disparities in health, education, incarceration and jobs, the economy would be 8 trillion dollars larger in 2050.”

“After decades of research, Dr. Katherine W. Phillips of Columbia Business School made the conclusion that it’s the mental friction that creates diversity’s productive energy. Members of a homogeneous group rest somewhat assured that they will agree with one another, that they will understand one another’s perspectives and beliefs, that they will be able to easily come to a consensus. But when members of a group notice that they are socially different from one another, they change their expectations, they anticipate differences of opinion and perspective, they assume they will need to work harder to come to a consensus. This logic helps to explain both the upside and the downside of social diversity. People work harder in diverse environments both cognitively and socially. They may not like it but the hard work can lead to better outcomes.”

“Dr. King said that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. But we know that progress is not guaranteed. When the arc in America bends from slavery in the 1860s and returns to convict leasing in the 1880s; when it bends from Jim Crow in the 1960s and returns to mass incarceration in the 1970s; when it bends from Indigenous genocide to an epidemic of Indigenous suicides; when it bends, but as a tree does in the wind, only to sway back, we have to admit that we have not touched the root… The great lie at the root of our nation’s founding was a belief in the hierarchy of human value and we are still there. This moment is challenging us finally to settle this question: who is an American and what are we to one another? We have to admit that this question is harder for us than in most other countries because we are the world’s most radical experiment in democracy, a nation of ancestral strangers who have to work to find connection as we grow more diverse every day…. Many in power have made it their over-arching goal to sow distrust about the goodness of the other…denying the beauty of what we are becoming. They are warning that demographic changes are the unmaking of America. What I’ve seen on my journey is that they are the fulfillment of America. What they say is a threat is in fact our country’s salvation. For when a nation founded on a belief in racial hierarchy truly rejects that belief, then and only then will we have discovered a new world. That is our destiny. To make it manifest, we must challenge ourselves to live our lives in solidarity across color, origin and class. We must demand changes to the rules in order to disrupt the very notion that those who have more money are worth more in our democracy and our economy. Since this country’s founding we have not allowed our diversity to be our superpower and the result is the United States is not more than the sum of its disparate parts, but it could be. And if it were, all of us would prosper. In short, we must emerge from this crisis in our republic with a new birth of freedom, rooted in the knowledge that we are so much more when the “we” in “we the people” is not some of us but all of us. We are greater than and greater for the sum of us.”

I hope you have enjoyed these excerpts and that they have inspired thought and hope. I really do believe that diversity can be our superpower if we let it, and I want to see a new improved country and world where we are all equal and thriving together.

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We usually learn lessons through trial and error even when we don’t just listen to our parents’(or other smart people’s) instructions or warnings. Sometimes it takes several repeated mistakes before we finally learn to do things differently. I am able to admit that I am fairly stubborn and resistant to change. Just ask my patient forgiving husband of 29 years. However, I am now definitely ready for a big change and evidently many others are too.

Many of us are working hard at one or more jobs and are still struggling to pay bills, buy gas and groceries, and afford health care or education. Some have invested in homes and/or retirement savings and then lost significant money or equity due to recession, an unstable stock market or predatory lending. BIPOC communities are often hit hardest by financial loss, poverty and homelessness or substandard housing. Higher education is now priced so high that it is primarily for the wealthy or else you spend your whole life paying off high-interest student debt. As prices steadily rise on just about everything, many Americans begin to rack up credit card debt just to survive. With one catastrophic event, we could be suddenly and unexpectedly jobless and homeless with no safety net. There’s got to be a better way, right? How did we get here? What can we do to improve our economy and our standard of living? You may be wondering, what does this have to do with learning from our mistakes or shooting ourselves in the foot?

America has become an oligarchy where a very small group of uber-wealthy individuals and corporations have grabbed most of the money and power. Somehow they continue to get richer while the rest of us get poorer or at least struggle to make our income keep up with our expenses. This broken, inequitable system is brought to you by 250 years of a capitalist society where most of the cards are held by older white men. The people in power have convinced many of us to vote against public services and policies that would help us, partly because they might also benefit BIPOC families. They scapegoat immigrants, black citizens, transgender youth, foreign drug cartels or “domestic terrorists,” training many of us to hate and blame these groups for all that is wrong in our country. Meanwhile, they hoard all of the money and power, giving themselves tax breaks and engaging in insider trading and back room deals. It’s a reverse Robin Hood situation: robbing from the poor to give to the rich. Just look at what the banks and mortgage companies did 20 years ago that led to a housing crisis. Too many Americans lost their homes and their earned wealth because of predatory sub-prime lending. Then the victims were blamed and the banks were bailed out of the crisis they created. (I highly recommend that you add The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee to your reading list to learn more about this.)

Are you ready for something different? Do you want a better life for your kids and grandkids? What if we moved toward a democratic socialist system instead where everyone could have equal access to healthcare and education. What if everyone had a livable income and could afford all of the necessities. Here is some information about numerous countries who have some form of socialism: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/democratic-socialist-countries Everything may not be perfect and it will surely take a long time to recover from the mess we have gotten ourselves into, but don’t you think we should at least try? What we are doing now isn’t working for the majority of Americans. Communities are healthier and collectively thrive when all citizens have their needs met and can contribute to society. I, for one, would love to see what that looks like in my homeland.

This is just something to think about when you vote in the primaries and other future elections. Get to know the candidates at all levels of government and decide who you believe will continue the status quo and who is advocating for real change that will serve all people. Who seems to truly love people and who is seeking money and power? I’m really hoping we don’t do this again.

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You may feel like you are alone, but sadly there are countless hurting people in the world who have been abused, rejected and/or silenced. All too often, our pain has been caused by religious parents or leaders who we should have been able to trust to protect us. There is usually a culture of silence and shame while the wagons are circled to protect the abusers and handle allegations internally. There is no justice or reconciliation in these situations. There is only suppressed trauma and often continued abuse when the perpetrators are not held accountable.

I just finished reading Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez. This book is an eye-opening history of an evangelical movement that intertwined itself into American politics and established clear gender roles. White men are expected to be macho and tough, willing to shed blood if necessary, and they have fashioned Jesus into their militantly masculine image. Women are required to submit to the men even when they are abusive and violent. People who don’t fit into the prescribed gender roles are made to feel like second-class citizens. Sadly, this evangelical movement has spawned many abusive and unfaithful men especially among the leaders, and over and over they have been forgiven and even praised while their wives and/or victims were blamed and silenced. But at least they sold lots of books and spread their toxic masculinity far and wide. This set the stage for tolerance of despicable deeds and words from our president and many other powerful, wealthy men. Violence and rape of young children and women is somehow acceptable because those in power are advancing “conservative family values”. What?! This is insane! What happened to the macho men protecting their women and children? What happened to rejecting and shunning evil and sin? The mental gymnastics must be exhausting to justify what is happening(and has happened for decades).

I applaud anyone who has spoken up against powerful abusers and demanded accountability and justice. We are the strong and brave warriors for truth and love. We confront those who claim strength but hide behind lies and distraction. We refuse to be silenced by threats or by labeling us as terrorists. Every accusation is a confession. We will continue to speak truth, show love and fight for justice for all people of the world. We will be a voice for those who are afraid to speak. Join us when you are ready. We will be waiting with open arms and hearts.

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How do we define love? Is it actually love if others don’t feel loved by us? Some are being accused of hatred and don’t see their words or actions as hatred. It seems as if words have different meanings to different people and actions can be interpreted in very different ways. So let’s review some definitions of love and hatred.

Merriam Webster has several definitions of love, but the one that best applies in this context is as follows: “unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: such as

(1): the concern of God for humankind

(2): empathy, concern, or care for others”. (www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/love)

On the flip side, Merriam Webster defines hatred as “extreme dislike or disgust; ill will or resentment that is usually mutual; prejudiced hostility or animosity.”

So I think each one of us needs to ask ourselves if what we have in our hearts and what we are communicating to the world is concern, care and empathy or resentment and animosity? Do I have love for some and hate for others? Am I truly wanting to love everyone and make everyone feel welcome in my presence? If so, am I currently achieving that goal or do I need to work on my approach, on my heart, my words and my behavior? I believe this kind of self-reflection is an important exercise for all of us especially in these politically charged times. It is so easy to slip into “us versus them” thinking and develop resentment towards “them”. The bigger challenge is developing and maintaining a genuine love and concern for the wellbeing of ALL people everywhere.

Is love transactional? Is it offered on condition of certain behavior? Is it withdrawn if the recipient stops meeting my expectations? Or is it forgiving and merciful? Does love attempt to control others or does love allow freedom and acceptance? Does love call people names or hurl insults? Do I tell myself that I am better or smarter or that what I believe is the whole truth and that others just need to wake up and accept my way of thinking?

I learned about “the love chapter” in the Bible early in life and I think it is worth reviewing some of the lessons from 1 Corinthians 13. If I speak eloquently without love, am I just annoying people like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal? If I equip myself with all the facts and knowledge but share them without love, will anyone listen? If I give away all my possessions to charities without love, what kind of impact will I have? Love is patient and kind, is not arrogant, is not provoked, does not hold grudges, and celebrates truth. Love endures and never fails. “We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! … But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:12-13, The Message Bible)

And now a few quotes about love and how to live hate-free from other sources:

“It is up to each one of us to immunize ourselves from any disabling bolts of anger and defend ourselves from the thunderstorms of hatred. No matter how maliciously anyone might act towards us, humankind’s ability to express empathy, compassion, and mercy is the only life-sustaining panacea. Whenever we foster empathy and compassion and display mercy towards other people, we overcome the vilest actions and greatest atrocities committed by other persons. If we love everyone, we can never feel victimized or hate anyone. If we love ourselves, we will never act in a degrading manner.”― Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls

“With gentleness and forgiveness, dismantle the scorn. A compassionate heart for others is important. Keep your life hate-free, and love the people around you. It is vital to remember this: kindness is everything. Let there be no animosity, but spread benevolence for each other.”― D.L. Lewis

“Spread love without boundary”― Rashid Jorvee

Before you scroll on, please listen to this brand new song by Amy Grant which contemplates How Do We Get There From Here:

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1. Valuing Human Life. Some say they are “pro life” and are opposed to killing babies. What difference does a few years make in the value of a human life? Is a young child in another country of less value than an unborn baby in the US? How do we justify the mass murder of children in schools in the US or Iran or Gaza? Isn’t it better to value ALL human life from the womb to the tomb? If we can do something to protect human life or reduce the number of lives lost, shouldn’t we? Are we directing our tax money to protecting and preserving life or destroying lives? It’s ok to change your mind or acknowledge that you have been lied to and misled.

2. Defending the Constitution and our Freedom. Are we fully defending the US Constitution or do we have some blind spots when it comes to constitutional law? Are we only defending freedom of speech or freedom of religion for those who share our beliefs or talking points? Are we focusing on the second amendment while ignoring the fourth through the eighth? Are we allowing the executive branch to ignore the powers of the legislative and judicial branches which were so wisely established by our founding fathers? Do we want to maintain a democratic government or surrender to the whims of one man? Are we throwing in the towel on this experiment after 250 years or will we work to defend our democracy and maintain our goal of liberty and justice for all?

3. Separation of Church and State. I was always told that it’s important to keep church and state separate. Now it seems that the church and state are in an open marriage with capitalism, oligarchy and fascism. To illustrate my point, I give you the White House Faith Office selling Easter blessings (https://baptistnews.com/article/trumps-faith-adviser-selling-seven-easter-blessings-for-1000-gift/) and the MAGA merch store selling bibles. A bible with the American flag and a political slogan on the cover along with a cross is an obvious representation of Christian nationalism.

   

4. A Strong Economy and Affordability. Are we seeing signs of lower prices and more jobs for the common citizen of the US? Are we seeing stability in the stock market or in global trade? How does it help the US or the world economy to spend billions on war while cutting off oil production and supply? Are tariffs helping or hurting the average US citizen? Are tariffs helping or hurting our reputation and positioning in international trade opportunities? How high will prices climb as a result of war and tariffs? How many people will be financially devastated to the point of being unable to afford basic necessities(food, shelter, clothing, health care)? Why are we protecting the ever-expanding wealth of a few while the rest of us work hard and yet struggle to make ends meet? Are we going to hold the uber wealthy accountable for the inevitable casualties of this extreme disparity of resources? It’s ok to change your mind and course correct.

5. Conformity to Christian/Conservative Standards. We have developed a divisive political and social culture where the focus is on certain groups who have been deemed unacceptable or even criminal by the “moral majority.” One group has set themselves in a place of power and has created a narrative that helps them maintain power and avoid accountability. Wealthy mostly white Christian nationalists have proven that gaslighting and propaganda is highly effective. Over the past several decades they have convinced masses of people that their way is the only way for good Christians to support with their votes, money and brand loyalty. Meanwhile, many of these same powerful people have been involved in backroom deals and a depraved pedophile sex-trafficking ring. These same conservative political players have been cheating to win by gerrymandering voting districts, allegedly tampering with voting machines or data, and passing laws to make it harder for certain groups to vote. Many have had multiple affairs and/or have been indicted and convicted of multiple crimes. But they try to distract from their own crimes by manufacturing problems that don’t exist or blaming other groups for the problems they are causing. And truth has been consistently and constantly exchanged for lies. How does this way of doing things align with the way of Jesus? Is this what Jesus meant by “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven“? Again, it’s ok to change your mind and humbly realize that you have been misled. I sure was.

I’m sure I could continue writing all day, but hopefully this has given you enough to contemplate for now. If you find value in these questions, please share with friends and family and seek respectful dialogue. As always, let’s strive to love ourselves and others more completely just as we are. Thank you for reading! Have a great week!

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One thing I still can’t understand is why a patriarchal movement that tasks men with protecting their women and children is instead supporting and protecting a ring of billionaires who are accused of raping and trafficking children and women for decades. That dog don’t hunt. Please, make it make sense. It doesn’t and it never will.

Yesterday, the US and Israel killed little girls in their school in Iran. These countries are also responsible for killing thousands of children in Gaza. Innocent children. Human beings. Not terrorists. This is not what we as humans are supposed to do.

Children react during the funeral of the Faojo family, killed in Israeli bombing on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on 11 November, 2023 (AFP)

How did we get to a place of accepting this violence? “Evidence suggests that it is not innate aggression that makes men violent, but the internalized belief that they fall short of society’s perceived standards for masculinity. Psychologists call this phenomenon, “masculine discrepancy stress” and research shows that the more acutely a man suffers from this, the more likely he is to commit almost every type of violence, including sexual assault, intimate partner violence and assault with a weapon.” - Ruth Whippman

I’m not saying that this is only a male problem and that I blame all men for this problem. Our society places a lot of pressure on men and women to live up to certain gender role expectations, and most of us have participated in the enforcement of these expectations in our lifetime. I don’t believe that all men are capable of rape or murder. I do believe that all men have felt some level of pressure to be masculine, to be the provider and protector. Don’t cry. Don’t be weak or soft. Don’t let them see you sweat. Fight like a man. Show them who’s boss.

Christian ideology has also contributed to male dominance and female submission. It has taught women and children to obey and submit to authority no matter what. It has taught us to distrust our own sinful minds and bodies and feel unworthy of the grace and blessings God gives us. It has taught us that God loves us unconditionally yet will burn us forever if we screw up or don’t choose to believe in him. These teachings have created environments where abuse and violence are tolerated, excused, and covered up to protect those in power. These beliefs have led to acceptance of inexcusable acts and traits from a “strong man” who promises to bring about the greater good(and actually delivers evil and destruction while making himself richer).

I am not against all Christians or people of faith. I believe in freedom of religion. What I am against is abuse and violence being done in the name of God. I am asking us to examine our expectations and our belief systems and decide whether we can support people or systems who violate our values on a daily basis. Protecting our children is a basic and important task for men and women. Let’s take it seriously.

I think about my sweet granddaughter when I read the words of the following song. She approached a little Indian girl at the playground yesterday and greeted her warmly. Then she touched the other girl’s shoes because she liked their flashing lights. Let’s all remember that everything and everyone belongs and find the beauty in our “small hours.”

"Small Hours (Live)" by Audrey Assad

Unfettered by the fear of God
Never anxious love will not be there
She's at home on every inch of sod
She sees belonging everywhere

She's never learned to hate herself
Doesn't worry she's too much to bear
Doesn't think that she is hard to love
She sees her glory everywhere

The wilds of her imagining
Close and still lingering

Beauty in her small hours
Beauty in her small hours

She lights up when she hears her name
She moves her body like a prayer
She's naked, free and unashamed
Her innocence is all she wears

The wilds of her imagining
Close and still lingering

Beauty in her small hours
Beauty in her small hours

She keeps her vigil when darkness falls
Her needs are simple and her hours are small
She understands that everything belongs
Her promised land is the ground she's walking on
Your promised land is the ground you're walking on
The ground you're walking on

Beauty in our small hours
Beauty in our small hours

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I was thinking about my blog name, “Awakened2love”, and I realized that in addition to being awakened to love, I have been awakened to lots of hate, depravity, and toxic people and institutions. I may have written before about waking up TO a nightmare, and that’s what it feels like sometimes. A few months ago, I read Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s book Nobody’s Girl about her traumatic childhood including being victimized and sex-trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Last week, I watched a documentary that she participated in along with many other victims. By the end of the four-part series Filthy Rich, I felt like my brain couldn’t handle any more depravity. I don’t enjoy hearing about children being raped and sold to powerful, wealthy people for their entertainment. It is heartbreaking, disgusting and maddening to know that a large and unknown number of people have been allowed to get away with horrendous crimes against children and women for decades. Finally, some of the information is being released and some countries are working on accountability and justice. The brave young women and men who have come forward to share their experiences may finally watch more of their abusers be held accountable for their crimes.

Of course, there are many other examples of hatred and depravity, including the treatment of immigrants in the United States. There is hateful targeting of transgender persons and other LGBTQIA humans. I have written on these topics many times before and wish there wasn’t still a need to keep repeating myself. Fortunately, there are millions and millions of people who are on the side of inclusive love and justice for all humans everywhere. They are shining like stars in this dark night as beacons of hope that one day we will achieve the American dream of liberty and justice for all. Please join us on the journey.

Swimming to the Other Side by Pat Humphries

We are living ‘neath the great big dipper
We are washed by the very same rain
We are swimming in this stream together
Some in power and some in pain
We can worship this ground we walk on
Cherishing the beings that we live beside
Loving spirits will live forever
We’re all swimming to the other side

I am alone and I am searching
Hungering for answers in my time
I am balanced at the brink of wisdom
I’m impatient to receive a sign
I move forward with my senses open
Imperfection, it be my crime
In humility I will listen
We’re all swimming to the other side

We are living ‘neath the great big dipper
We are washed by the very same rain
We are swimming in this stream together
Some in power and some in pain
We can worship this ground we walk on
Cherishing the beings that we live beside
Loving spirits will live forever
We’re all swimming to the other side

On this journey through thoughts and feelings
Binding intuition, my head, my heart
I am gathering the tools together
I’m preparing to do my part
All of those who have come before me
Band together and be my guide
Loving lessons that I will follow
We’re all swimming to the other side

We are living ‘neath the great big dipper
We are washed by the very same rain
We are swimming in this stream together
Some in power and some in pain
We can worship this ground we walk on
Cherishing the beings that we live beside
Loving spirits will live forever
We’re all swimming to the other side

When we get there, we’ll discover
All of the gifts we’ve been given to share
Have been with us since life’s beginning
And we never noticed they were there
We can balance at the brink of wisdom
Never recognizing that we’ve arrived
Loving spirits will live together
We’re all swimming to the other side

We are living ‘neath the great big dipper
We are washed by the very same rain
We are swimming in this stream together
Some in power and some in pain
We can worship this ground we walk on
Cherishing the beings that we live beside
Loving spirits will live forever
We’re all swimming to the other side
Loving spirits will live forever
We’re all swimming to the other side

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Our national and global sociopolitical climate has been getting hotter and more stormy, which seems to be impacting most of us negatively where we live in our personal interactions with people around us. Sometimes we say or do things that may be out of character for us, or we may find that those on “our side” are engaging in behavior that we are not on board with. Others of us choose to remain neutral and silent, hoping the storm will pass and leave us unscathed. Our natural human inclination is to judge and criticize others when we don’t agree with their words or actions, without knowing or understanding their hearts or intentions. We also tend to group people together and assign the same beliefs or characteristics to all. So, my goal and hope is to help us get to know one another’s hearts and find middle ground where we can walk forward together. I know I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. Won’t you join me in this endeavor?

Question 1: Do you love your family—your parents, your spouse, your kids, siblings, cousins, grandparents, etc.? So do I!

Question 2: Do you always get along with your family and agree with everything they do? No? Neither do I.

Question 3: Do you still love and talk to your family when there is conflict or difficult times? Most of us do, right? Sometimes we take breaks from talking or may even cut ties completely due to unhealthy or traumatic situations. But my guess is that the majority of us are able to remain in relationship with each other no matter what. That’s love and commitment.

Question 4: Would you let an outsider break your relationship with your family members? Would you believe a stranger or an acquaintance over your own family if they told you that your family members weren’t worthy of your love or trust? Probably not, right? What if they told you the same thing over and over until it felt true? What if they were in a position of authority, like a minister/priest, an officer of the law, or a government leader? Would you believe them then and turn against your family?

Question 5: Who else do you love? Do you love your friends, your neighbors, colleagues at work, your favorite athletes, actors or musicians? Do you always feel warm and loving thoughts toward them? Do you tolerate different views and behaviors than your own?

OK, I know I’ve asked more than five questions so I’m going to stop with the numbering. How are we doing so far? Are we good? Can we switch gears a little?

Who or what do you hate? Who or what do you fear? Why do you hate or fear that person, group or thing? Is it because of something that happened to you personally, something that happened to someone you love, or something that you heard about? Do you feel like you can never forgive that person or group for what they have done or what you believe they have done? Do you feel unsafe with them around?

Would you ever consider actually hurting someone who you hate or disagree with? Is violence or bullying ever ok? Is name calling ok? Is it ok if a person in uniform hurts or kills someone? Under what circumstances? Conversely, is it ok for anyone to hurt or kill an officer in uniform or any other person who is doing their job? If so, under what circumstances?

I think I have given us enough to ponder and discuss for now. Maybe this will inspire other questions or thoughts. I would love to talk with you if you want to comment below or connect with me one-on-one. More importantly, I encourage you to talk to the people in your life who you may feel disconnected from or who you would like to know and understand better. Use your judgment and be safe and cautious if things are particularly volatile. It may be wise to have a conversation in a public setting and have another trusted person nearby to help if you get into trouble. Good luck and Godspeed!

I will close with a few quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”

“All my adult life I have deplored violence and war as instruments for achieving solutions to mankind’s problems. I am firmly committed to the creative power of nonviolence as the force which is capable of winning lasting and meaningful brotherhood and peace.”

“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.”

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2025 was also a difficult time for America. There is really too much to talk about in one blog article, but you lived through it so you know what I’m talking about. A new year is supposed to bring hope for something different and better. Some of us resolve to make changes in our lives or in the world around us. How do we find hope in dark times? How do we move forward with confidence that things will change for the better?

Yesterday, a depressed and suicidal person asked me what they should do. I told them to recognize that they are worthy of love and that their life has value. I encouraged them to accept help from their support team and reach out when feeling suicidal. I reminded them of their dreams to help other people and acknowledged that they have incredible potential to make a difference in others’ lives if they stick around. This is true for each one of you as well. We all are worthy of love and can make a difference in the world.

Martin Luther King, Jr. received death threats and said: “If one day you find me sprawled out dead, I do not want you to retaliate with a single act of violence. I urge you to continue protesting with the same dignity and discipline you have shown so far.... If I am stopped this movement will not stop. If I am stopped our work will not stop. For what we are doing is right, what we are doing is just, and God is with us.”

“...A climate of hatred and bitterness so permeated areas of our nation that inevitably deeds of extreme violence must erupt. I saw its wider social significance. The lack of restraint upon violence in our society along with the defiance of law by men in high places cannot but result in an atmosphere which engenders desperate deeds.” (from the autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr)

Dr. King was not saying that violence is inevitable or justified. He said that “a climate of hatred and bitterness” leads to “extreme violence” and “desperate deeds.” He saw this clearly in his short lifetime and we are seeing this today. We must not let hatred into our hearts even in the face of evil.

Since I started writing this before work this morning, I learned that a young American woman in Minneapolis was killed by an ICE agent today. She did not deserve to die and the violence must stop. We the people must continue to peacefully protest (as we have the constitutional right to do) and show love to those who are being marginalized and attacked. We must not react to hate with hate or respond to violence with violence.

Martin Luther King famously said: “Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

Dr. King also said: “The nonviolent approach does not immediately change the heart of the oppressor. It first does something to the hearts and souls of those committed to it. It gives them new self-respect; it calls up resources of strength and courage they did not know they had.” I have found this to be true. I have met some incredibly brave peacemakers and protectors of democracy this past year. And I am so proud of my friends and family who are fighting this fight with me. Millions have come out en masse to speak out for what is right and true and just. I want to dedicate the following song by Vince Gill to my fellow comrades. I was privileged to hear it performed live last month.

So what do we do on dark days when we are grieving and scared? We stay strong and march on, my friends. Change is coming. March on!

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I want to ask some questions and share some thoughts to help us focus on the peace and love that Jesus brought into the world. Was Jesus seeking attention and praise when he was born to a carpenter in an animal feeding trough? Did he spread fear and hatred towards certain groups of people? Was he about locking up foreigners or embracing everyone as a neighbor? How did he respond to violent acts or deaths? Who did Jesus say were blessed? How does he want people to treat the poor and sick? Does he teach an “us vs. them” attitude or an attitude of unity and respect? What did Jesus do when people were exploiting the poor in God’s name? Did Jesus say we are perfectly made in God’s image or that we are despicable sinners unworthy of love? Does God love us all unconditionally or will he kill us or burn us forever if we don’t believe in him or live perfect lives? Did Jesus teach us not to trust our own minds and to believe and support other humans even when they are obviously abusive or deceitful? Just a few questions to contemplate.

In Inner Anarchy, Jim Palmer wrote: “Jesus was not a Christian. He is not the founder of Christianity. Jesus never encouraged people to worship him. Christianity is a religion created later, mostly by Paul and later church councils, in the name of Jesus, and is much different from the truth that Jesus taught and lived.

Were Jesus alive today, he would not be a Christian. Jesus is still one of best-kept secrets because his truth has been grossly distorted by those who claim to speak for him. There is a religion-free Jesus who belongs to all of humankind. Christianity does not own or have first rights to Jesus. His truth has universal significance.

It’s a mistake to make Jesus a religious figure or front man for Christianity. You have to disentangle Jesus from what you heard at church to find the truth he said would set you free.”

Please listen to this rockin’ song written from Jesus’ perspective:

If you’re still with me, read this excellent, straight-shooting article by Mark Sandlin:

https://southernfriedheresy.com/p/sunday-school-never-warned-me-about-capitalism

“I realized the American Dream was just capitalism in a Bible belt…a pyramid scheme with lobbyists…capitalism cosplaying faith… It’s like a potluck where only five people are allowed to eat, but everyone else has to keep bringing food or get kicked out of the building…

“Love doesn’t hoard.
Love doesn’t exploit.
Love doesn’t ask who deserves to eat.

Love feeds.
Love flips tables.
Love builds a world where no one gets left behind so someone else can get ahead.” ~ Mark Sandlin

May we all have a wonder-full holiday season bringing comfort, joy, peace and love to everyone we meet. Isn’t that what Jesus did?

Today’s news is the same way. It’s hard to discern what is true because there is so much fiction being presented as truth and truth being mis-labeled as “fake news.” The guilty are claiming to be innocent and are declaring other individuals and groups as criminals who are just doing their jobs or trying their best to follow our country’s laws and live in peace.

One of the strangest and most disturbing realities of our time is that some are trying to “legislate morality” while condoning and ignoring some of the most despicable immoral behavior from wealthy people in power. Certain people have been targeted and labeled as disgusting and dangerous who are trying to live authentically and peacefully, not hurting anyone. They are used as political pawns to win elections. Meanwhile there are uber-wealthy people getting away with sexual abuse, fraud, kidnapping, and even murder, and there are millions of people ignoring their appalling behavior. These same uber-wealthy people are not satisfied with their wealth, but are actively taking money and food and healthcare from the poor and middle-class. It’s like Ebenezer Scrooge or the Grinch on steroids. Fortunately, those two fictitious characters turned from their greedy, wicked ways to create a happy ending. I don’t know about you, but I’m not holding my breath waiting for the redemption of our real 2025 “grinch” whose “soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable mangled up in tangled up knots!”(Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel)

I’m currently in the middle of reading Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice by Virginia Roberts Giuffre. She spent several years as a teenager serving as a sex slave for Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The up-close, inside look at the depraved, torturous lifestyle of some of the rich and famous is sickening and heart-breaking. So many young girls and boys have had their lives destroyed by men(and women) who have insatiable lust for sex, money and control. They have been terrorized with threats of harm to their families if they told anyone what was happening. They have been made to feel that they are deserving of the horrible things done to them or that they enticed their abusers even as young children. Many have learned to hate themselves and developed a distorted view of what love means.

Meanwhile, many wealthy and powerful people are continuing to live their lives without facing just consequences after participating in Jeffrey Epstein parties and receiving “massages” from very young girls. We need to choose to believe victims and seek justice no matter who is guilty. We must protect our children and teach them to speak up when something bad happens knowing that our society will punish abusers and stop the abuse. Because what are we teaching our children when evil is rewarded and innocence is punished? Do we really want to see how that plays out in coming generations? I know I don’t.

Before you go, please enjoy the art of David Hayward aka “Naked Pastor”. You can find more of his art and merch or read his blog here.

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(My father, Wayne Lovin, a disabled American veteran, 1933-2019)

When enlisting in the military, you are required to take an oath: “I, (name of enlistee), do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. (So help me God).”

“That phrase ‘according to regulations and the UCMJ’ is the critical safeguard. It means illegal orders don’t deserve obedience. It means officers have a duty to refuse commands that violate constitutional principles or military law. It means loyalty to the Constitution supersedes loyalty to any individual, including the commander-in-chief.” (https://www.usconstitution.net/the-military-oath-that-protects-democracy-from-presidents-and-why-hegseths-warrior-ethos-speech-tests-its-limits/)

I recently heard a military wife say that the military does not want to be deployed against their own countrymen, their own neighbors and fellow citizens. Having a president and secretary of defense abusing their power by ordering the military to attack law-abiding American citizens is the kind of fascist shit that our brave soldiers fought against in World War 2. We the people will not tolerate this in our democratic country. We will continue to defend our democracy and the freedom that our fathers and forefathers fought to protect. We will not pledge allegiance to a wannabe king. We will work towards the dream of an America where “liberty and justice for all” is finally realized. I do solemnly swear. Will you join us?

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So what do we do about these problems? Should the government provide assistance so that all people have enough to eat and have health care when they need it? Probably, but that seems to be an unreliable solution with the current administration and political power plays. A couple of judges ordered the administration to use emergency funds to provide SNAP benefits, but who knows when or if this will happen and who will receive what amount? Meanwhile, people need to eat.

Have you noticed that private citizens and restaurants and grocery stores are stepping up to feed the hungry? This warms my heart and reminds me that we are surrounded by compassionate and generous humans. I just read about two local restaurants offering free meals for kids, and I’m sure that there are many more that I don’t know about and more that will follow suit. There is also a local organization called Last Mile Food Rescue where people can volunteer to pick up food donations from stores and deliver them to food pantries. (There is an app that you can use to get connected and help get food to people in need.)

We the people can get through anything by helping each other. And we can use our right to vote on Tuesday, November 4 to make our voices heard. America is still a democracy that needs to be protected from those who want to override the will of the people. The people want and need food, housing and healthcare. The people do not want or need a ballroom in the people’s house. The people in the national guard do not want to be deployed against their own communities. We the people want due process for alleged criminals, foreign and domestic. We the people want the rule of law to mean something and need leaders who enforce the law and uphold the constitution. We the people want a more perfect union which finally delivers on the promise of liberty and justice for all. So, please get out and vote. And please speak up in other ways and let’s help each other. See a need, fill a need.

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:34-46

The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:34

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With this goal in mind, I want to highlight some concerns about the America we are living in right now. There are too many issues to cover in one article, but I will talk about some of the more shocking developments over the past days, weeks and months. (Admittedly, I have not done extensive research or spent hours comparing different media sources. I just don’t have the time or mental stamina.)

ABC News reported: “Since Sept. 2, Trump has ordered military strikes on at least five boats in the Caribbean Sea that the administration insists were carrying drugs to the U.S. According to the government’s account, the military has killed 27 people.” The POTUS and Defense Secretary brag about these murders on social media and plan to continue to kill people without due process or proof of wrongdoing. This goes against the sixth commandment and the US constitution.

For the past nine months, masked unidentified men have been terrorizing families and kidnapping people all over the United States, shooting tear gas, rubber bullets, and real bullets at protectors, journalists, clergy and government leaders. Most of the people they are disappearing are not criminals and many are citizens. Men in masks terrorizing people is not new in America. I just can’t believe it’s being done unashamedly in broad daylight on camera per orders from the Commander in Chief. And now hundreds of people who were taken to Alligator Alcatraz are missing!! “The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:34)

Millions of people are being cut from health insurance and food assistance so that the wealthiest people can continue to get richer and avoid paying their share of taxes. This will inevitably cause many unnecessary deaths, increased homelessness and malnutrition, all across America in red and blue states, including cities and rural areas. Most of us will be impacted by either not being able to afford health care, having to pay much higher costs for health insurance and medical services, even longer waits and/or longer drives to access life-saving care, or being forced to quit working in order to care for sick children or aging parents. The billionaires won’t care or help us in our time of need.

On a positive note, there are millions of citizens standing up and speaking out for justice and democracy. There are judges doing their jobs in upholding the law and reminding the government of the guardrails in place to prevent abuse of power. There are journalists and talk show hosts standing up to attempts at censorship and continuing to report the facts and speak truth to power. So many of us are now aware of the fragility of our democracy and our freedoms, and we refuse to be silent and allow fascism to take control in our beautiful country. If you would like to join us in peacefully exercising our freedom of speech this Saturday, find a No Kings protest near you here.

Cincinnati’s own Blessid Union of Souls sang:

“Open up your mind and then open up your heart
And you will see that you and me aren’t very far apart

‘Cause I believe, that love is the answer
I believe, love will find the way

Violence is spread worldwide and there’s families on the street
We sell drugs to children now, oh, why can’t we just see?
That all we do is eliminate our future with the things we do today
Money is our incentive now so that makes it okay

But I believe, that love is the answer
I believe, love will find the way”

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