IT DID BACKFIRE!!!! Thank you for pointing that out so clearly this morning of Good Friday ... I needed that shift in perspective.
I have been watching it play out with a part of me wanting to dissociate from it - like this can’t really be happening ... when I come back into presence and my full body I am so so angry .. and soooo tired of feeling intimidated .. .it is gross.
This morning I watched Rep Pearson’s remarks before he was expelled and it is all the church I need this holy weekend. ... so grateful for their remarkable courage. I see the Holy Spirit in them and it calls out to God’s spirit in me and it isn’t a spirit of fear!!!! 🔥💪
Thanks again Dr. Tisby - it did backfire!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!
Terrorism indeed. They spared the white woman. Tennessee seems to have successfully returned their state government back to the time of Jim Crow. They should not think they’ve won. As you said, they overplayed and have hastened their own downfall.
Here is an excerpt from commentary after the Washington Post article that speaks to the spiritual depravity of the three "Christian men" who led the terroristic charge.
"Religious politicians like the three Tennessee legislators who are leading this ouster lynch of three Democrat colleagues have a seasoned impulse to act more like Peter who hacked off a guards ear - only to be rebuked by his Teacher for doing so - who then intervened to heal the attacked man - in peace. How could adults claiming identity with Christ stand stiff and hostile to “neighbors” calling for justice - calling out to people & legislators who have otherwise found no remedy for massacres except to be sad, pray, and move on?
Just look at these three “Christian” men who went nuclear on three legislators who laid themselves down for the children of Tennessee. One is a Bob Jones University graduate and claims affiliation with the Tennessee Prayer Caucus and seems to have a hard time remembering one if not two of the New Testament’s only Commandments - Love God, and Love your neighbor as yourself (Bud Hulsey). One studied philosophy at Cornell and is evidently ok with standing in line to receive his Catholic sacraments from Christ who says to everyone in that line - love your enemies, show mercy, and extend grace (Gino Bulso). One reports out that he is a member of the First Baptist Church Sevierville, Tennessee, and received a 2022 Victim Rights Activist Award from who knows where but in spite of these helps he seems to find no bearings from his religious activity or his community service on how this loving your neighbor things works in real life - so he lives indifferent, mean, and stupid when children are gunned down (Andrew Farmer).
But the Tennessee voters are the culpable ones. These are the wanting men they saw fit to serve the people, and love all their neighbors."
“ The message was clear: Do not cross us. Do not dare to publicly oppose our power. Do not be young, Black, male and outspoken. We will strike you down with the full might of our office and make sure everyone knows what happens to uppity…people.”. Sadly familiar thinking. I’ve been struggling with this whole situation. Thankful for your words that gave me clarity AND hope.
I would hope that white allies of justice would have their eyes opened over this, that there is steady, energized resistance to the ideas of equality, and that it cannot be resisted by silence and complacency.
Injustice and racism *sometimes* erupt into the open as it did so here in the Tennessee Capitol, raw seething anger finally provoked by Black men speaking out for their own dignity and worth, provoked by the mere presence of a white woman who was comfortable associating with her Black siblings and not the people who claim ownership of her body.
The legislators were provoked by the astonishing idea that their ideas were not welcomed by those whom they saw as worthy only of subservience and obeisance to their powerful selves. And that caused them to say in fiery tones all that they had been holding back about their terror and anger that the old ways of presumed white male patriarchy are passing away, and the people who are leading the charge against their ways are so confident as to not care about the prestige and honor of those who -- in their minds -- rightfully should be their betters.
White people tend to not see this happening because it's "normal" for white people to be given deference and space. It's normal for white people's opinions to simply be true and to drown out the opinions of those who should only be saying "yessir" or "nosir" to those who would control them.
I hope this shocking display of raw anger and overt racism will open the eyes of white people who have in their hearts the ideals of goodness and mercy and justice but who have not yet reckoned with the fact that the system will do all that it can to oppose these values. And I hope white people will realize that complacency about this because "one day God will do something about this, but just not right now because we're not yet ready" is what God is calling us out of. God is calling white people to awake, to acknowledge, and to act on the stirring of their spirits by this clear demonstration of injustice.
It is great that some of us white people have been uneasy with the way that our faith has been manipulated and our trust has been used to vilify and oppose our siblings. Now I think it is time for us who have been stirred to act in ways that will show support for justice.
There is nothing that can stop a people who know that there is nothing to lose when pursuing liberty and freedom for all.
Perhaps Tennessee is the match that will light the fire of resistance.
IT DID BACKFIRE!!!! Thank you for pointing that out so clearly this morning of Good Friday ... I needed that shift in perspective.
I have been watching it play out with a part of me wanting to dissociate from it - like this can’t really be happening ... when I come back into presence and my full body I am so so angry .. and soooo tired of feeling intimidated .. .it is gross.
This morning I watched Rep Pearson’s remarks before he was expelled and it is all the church I need this holy weekend. ... so grateful for their remarkable courage. I see the Holy Spirit in them and it calls out to God’s spirit in me and it isn’t a spirit of fear!!!! 🔥💪
Thanks again Dr. Tisby - it did backfire!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!
Terrorism indeed. They spared the white woman. Tennessee seems to have successfully returned their state government back to the time of Jim Crow. They should not think they’ve won. As you said, they overplayed and have hastened their own downfall.
Here is an excerpt from commentary after the Washington Post article that speaks to the spiritual depravity of the three "Christian men" who led the terroristic charge.
"Religious politicians like the three Tennessee legislators who are leading this ouster lynch of three Democrat colleagues have a seasoned impulse to act more like Peter who hacked off a guards ear - only to be rebuked by his Teacher for doing so - who then intervened to heal the attacked man - in peace. How could adults claiming identity with Christ stand stiff and hostile to “neighbors” calling for justice - calling out to people & legislators who have otherwise found no remedy for massacres except to be sad, pray, and move on?
Just look at these three “Christian” men who went nuclear on three legislators who laid themselves down for the children of Tennessee. One is a Bob Jones University graduate and claims affiliation with the Tennessee Prayer Caucus and seems to have a hard time remembering one if not two of the New Testament’s only Commandments - Love God, and Love your neighbor as yourself (Bud Hulsey). One studied philosophy at Cornell and is evidently ok with standing in line to receive his Catholic sacraments from Christ who says to everyone in that line - love your enemies, show mercy, and extend grace (Gino Bulso). One reports out that he is a member of the First Baptist Church Sevierville, Tennessee, and received a 2022 Victim Rights Activist Award from who knows where but in spite of these helps he seems to find no bearings from his religious activity or his community service on how this loving your neighbor things works in real life - so he lives indifferent, mean, and stupid when children are gunned down (Andrew Farmer).
But the Tennessee voters are the culpable ones. These are the wanting men they saw fit to serve the people, and love all their neighbors."
“ The message was clear: Do not cross us. Do not dare to publicly oppose our power. Do not be young, Black, male and outspoken. We will strike you down with the full might of our office and make sure everyone knows what happens to uppity…people.”. Sadly familiar thinking. I’ve been struggling with this whole situation. Thankful for your words that gave me clarity AND hope.
Was reflecting on this very topic this morning and recalled on old song; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0c1c0ZsTLA
I would hope that white allies of justice would have their eyes opened over this, that there is steady, energized resistance to the ideas of equality, and that it cannot be resisted by silence and complacency.
Injustice and racism *sometimes* erupt into the open as it did so here in the Tennessee Capitol, raw seething anger finally provoked by Black men speaking out for their own dignity and worth, provoked by the mere presence of a white woman who was comfortable associating with her Black siblings and not the people who claim ownership of her body.
The legislators were provoked by the astonishing idea that their ideas were not welcomed by those whom they saw as worthy only of subservience and obeisance to their powerful selves. And that caused them to say in fiery tones all that they had been holding back about their terror and anger that the old ways of presumed white male patriarchy are passing away, and the people who are leading the charge against their ways are so confident as to not care about the prestige and honor of those who -- in their minds -- rightfully should be their betters.
White people tend to not see this happening because it's "normal" for white people to be given deference and space. It's normal for white people's opinions to simply be true and to drown out the opinions of those who should only be saying "yessir" or "nosir" to those who would control them.
I hope this shocking display of raw anger and overt racism will open the eyes of white people who have in their hearts the ideals of goodness and mercy and justice but who have not yet reckoned with the fact that the system will do all that it can to oppose these values. And I hope white people will realize that complacency about this because "one day God will do something about this, but just not right now because we're not yet ready" is what God is calling us out of. God is calling white people to awake, to acknowledge, and to act on the stirring of their spirits by this clear demonstration of injustice.
It is great that some of us white people have been uneasy with the way that our faith has been manipulated and our trust has been used to vilify and oppose our siblings. Now I think it is time for us who have been stirred to act in ways that will show support for justice.
There is nothing that can stop a people who know that there is nothing to lose when pursuing liberty and freedom for all.
Perhaps Tennessee is the match that will light the fire of resistance.