Easter in Palestine
Easter in Palestine
Plus, the power of ableist assumptions
Hi all,
We recently made this newsletter free for everyone because we want as many people as possible to be able to access it. But we also need your support to keep it that way. So, if you can, please become a paid subscriber, support what we’re doing here, and get access to some great benefits! Thank you so much!
Our highlights this week include:
- Reverend Munther Isaac’s powerful Easter message from Bethlehem
- The Baltimore bridge collapse and the invisibility of migrant labor
- The Black woman given a five-year sentence for unauthorized voting is acquitted
- Why we should be skeptical of the transgender “social contagion” theory
- And Jonathan keeps us grounded with a video checking our ableist assumptions
Jonathan’s Recommendations
Reverend Munther Isaac’s Easter Message from Bethlehem
“Where is water? I am thirsty.” These were the first words of a child as his rescuers pulled him from the rubble of a bombing in Gaza, just as we approached Easter when Jesus pleaded for water on the cross. These and many other similarly poignant connections punctuated Rev. Munther Isaac’s Easter vigil for Gaza. He is unequivocally clear about the atrocities Israel is committing against his people, and uncompromising in his faith and trust in Jesus. This steadfastness undoes the comfort-seeking, consumer-centered faith spouting from many pulpits around the world. This is Luke 4, Jesus’ initial sermon, updated for what is happening today in the land where he originally preached it. May you be blessed, challenged, and encouraged by Rev. Isaac’s words.
- Watch Rev. Isaac’s Easter message.
The Baltimore Bridge and the Invisibility of Migrant Labor
At 1:30 AM on March 26, a cargo ship lost power just off the coast from Baltimore, along with the ability to steer. It struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, collapsing it and killing six migrant construction workers. Democracy Now interviewed Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of the immigrant rights group CASA, to which 2 of the deceased migrants belonged. Torres illuminates our nation’s utter dependence on the labor of exploited migrants, while also eulogizing the workers he knew. We also hear from the brother of one of the workers who died on the bridge. He noted that the search for bodies has been put on hold to clear rubble. He implored the government not to prioritize lost profits from shipping over doing what we can to honor the people who make those profits possible. I pray that officials will hear his plea, divers will find the missing bodies, and justice will flow like a mighty river for all those working in the shadows of America’s economy.
- Watch the interview and read the transcript
Sy’s Recommendations
Appeals Court Acquits Black Woman Given Five Years in Prison for Illegal Voting
Six years ago, Crystal Mason was convicted for trying to vote illegally in the 2016 presidential election. A previous federal conviction barred her from voting, something Mason has always insisted she did not know. The judge gave her a five-year prison sentence, which is not just uncommon, but nearly unthinkable. The case has become a symbol of Trump-friendly local politicians and judges attempting to intimidate Black voters. Fortunately, Mason was allowed to be free on bond pending her appeal. Last week, an appellate court finally acquitted Mason, noting the prosecutor never proved she knew she was voting illegally. Mason says she was not very politically involved before this experience, but now she is an activist for voting rights. And her faith carried her through this ordeal. “Although I’ve cried for seven years straight, seven nights a week … I’ve also prayed for seven years straight, seven nights a week. Prayed that I would remain a free Black woman…I am overjoyed to see my faith rewarded today.” Let’s thank God with her, and pray he multiplies the effect of her new-found activism, even as we mourn what happened to her.
Be Skeptical of the Theory That Being Trans is a “Social Contagion”
If you pay attention to debates about trans people in our culture, you may have heard a theory in the last few years that being trans can be a “social contagion.” In other words, people become trans, not because they are coming out as something they always were, but because they were convinced to become trans by social influence or pressure. Writer, performer, and biology PhD Julia Serano recently published a helpful primer on arguments and studies that debunk the transgender social contagion theory. In addition, she points out the history of straight people treating gay people as contagious, and contends this is merely the next iteration of that bigotry. She draws a helpful comparison to the enormous increase in lefthanded people Western countries saw when we stopped stigmatizing being lefthanded and instead recognized people’s innate difference. Why, she asks, do cisgender people even need a theory for how being trans spreads? We could just as easily hypothesize that the trans people who have always existed are coming out in greater numbers due to increased awareness, acceptance, and support. I don’t pretend to be an expert on the social science, but Serano’s way of looking at this aligns with the stories I’ve heard from actual trans people, who are the primary people we should be listening to on this subject.
Staying Grounded with Jonathan
March 21 was World Down Syndrome Day, and a viral video from an Italian advocacy organization reminded viewers of the power of our assumptions to shape disabled people’s lives. What we able-bodied people think about the capacity of people with disabilities can actually become their reality because of our privilege. This short video, featuring actress Madison Tevlin who has Down Syndrome herself, showed me how we can change those assumptions in direct and practical ways that empower, inspire, and create opportunities for autonomy and independence. I hope you are challenged as I was.
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
Jonathan and Sy