Hi Friends,  

This past week was another heavy one. The fight against climate change just got much harder with SCOTUS ruling against the EPA’s ability to regulate fossil fuels. 53 migrants were found dead inside a tractor-trailer outside of San Antonio. This, added to the complexities of celebrating July 4th amidst mass shootings and the brutal killing of Jayland Walker, left us clinging again to Jesus with a mournful longing for His kingdom. We pray peace to you and yours and are grateful that you would spend time with us exploring how we can leave colonized faith together. Here are this week’s resources.  

Jonathan’s recommendations: 

• July 4th is a complicated holiday for Black folks in the United States and it has always been that way, except for a brief period immediately after the Civil War. But it got complicated again because of racial terrorism and white supremacy. This quick podcast (or video if you prefer) from Dulce Sloan, a correspondent for The Daily Show, shed light on a period of time I didn’t know about. As followers of Jesus, especially those resisting oppression, marginalization and violence, we must never think or feel we know it all. Wisdom is something we are always seeking and I’m grateful for stories like this that help me give texture and nuance to the collective reality of Black Americans when I am tempted to flatten it out.