Indigenous Europeans Protest for Palestine
Plus, Nex Benedict and Christian homophobia
Hi everyone,
Happy Leap Day! Highlights this week include:
- A new YouTube video from us
- One of Europe’s last indigenous peoples protests for Palestine
- A new anti-woke university
- Nex Benedict, and homophobia in the name of Jesus
- A Comedian on how church should make us uncomfortable
- Sy helps us stay grounded with demonstrations this Saturday
This past week marked the anniversary of our publishing Faith Unleavened: The Wilderness between Trayvon Martin and George Floyd by Tamice Spencer-Helms. It was also the last week of Black History Month. So here’s our new YouTube video featuring Tamice reading an excerpt from her book on how stories of her ancestors helped her disentangle her life from White Jesus. If you’ve never heard this, you really should listen. It’s powerful. And don’t forget to pick up a copy of the book if you never got the chance!
Sy’s Recommendations
Indigenous Europeans Protesting for Palestine
Before Europeans colonized the world, they were Romans and other imperial forces ridding Europe of its own indigenous people. One of the last remaining indigenous groups on the continent is the Sami people who live in what we now call Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Familiar aspects of colonialism mark their recent history: land seizures, discrimination, national borders dividing their people and lands, environmental degradation, and threats to their culture and language. Recently, the Sami have become outspoken supporters of Palestine. “[O]ur bodies know the pain of being displaced from our homes and forced out of our own lands,” said one Sami woman. It is consistently on the margins of our societies that we find a clearer understanding of what empires do and when we must resist them. So take a few minutes to learn about the Sami people and their calls for a cease-fire.
- Read about the Sami and Palestine
A New Anti-Woke University
The University of Austin (UATX) doesn’t exist yet, but it promises to be a bastion of free speech and the relentless pursuit of truth, as well as, crucially, a place where the woke will not be welcome. It’s funders are tech billionaires and a few other notable names like Harlan Crow. Many of the people involved are those making a career out of being cancelled, railing against elites, transgender people, and critical race theory. Fortunately for us, a journalist named Noah Rawlings applied for UATX’s preview summer program, The Forbidden Courses, and has relayed to us in great detail and equally great snark what the experience was like. It’s worth reading because Rawlings’ analysis of the intellectual mood of many young, conservative, White men is sharp. His interactions with the 80-percent White and over 70-percent male students revealed and underlying anxiety: “The social capital, political influence, and access to wealth that was formerly the uncontested and exclusive prerogative of straight white men was now under question. They felt it at school. They saw it in the media. They were here, at UATX, to live out a dying dream, to vent their frustration at its loss, and to help one another cling to it as long as possible.”
Jonathan’s Recommendations
Nex Benedict, and Homophobia in the Name of Jesus
(content warning for homophobic rhetoric and a mention of fatal violence) The United States is not a Christian nation, yet many invoke the name of Christ to justify the demeaning of queer people through government policies. Nex Benedict was a nonbinary high school student from Owasso, Oklahoma who died after a fight with classmates. Many are grieving the loss of a vibrant, loving member of their community while others are using scripture to dismiss this event and dishonor the image of God in a child who was just as valuable as theirs. At a recent event featuring a panel of state legislators, an audience member asked why the Republican supermajority has been so focused on removing the rights of LGBTQ+ people. She mentioned Benedict’s death. State Senator Tom Woods briefly attempted to express sympathy for Benedict, but then immediately said he and his constituents did not want “filth” like queer people in Oklahoma, and he was going to vote with his constituents. He elaborated, “We are a religious state and we are going to fight it to keep that filth out of the state of Oklahoma because we are a Christian state.” Addressing this death or the attack on LGBTQ+ rights requires fervent kindness and a gentleness that this man of supposed faith does not exemplify at all. May we use our power and influence to love our neighbors well, not to capitalize on their pain and suffering to ensure our continued popularity and power.
A Comedian on How Church Should Make Us Uncomfortable
On a somewhat lighter note, comedian Josh Johnson dedicated part of a recent show to the story of a pastor who scammed his congregation out of $3.2 million by telling them God wanted them to invest in the pastor’s new cryptocurrency. His commentary about the blurred lines between influencers, fraudsters, and many pastors is both funny and poignant. It should cause us to reflect on what Christ actually calls people who lead in his name to do. Additionally, he told the story of an unhoused woman who hugged him tightly after he gave her three dollars. He said he knew the audience would judge him, but he felt discomfort almost to the point of disgust. But then he said that to some degree, he thought church should feel like that; we should be uncomfortable with how close we’re getting to people who make us nervous because everyone is actually welcome. It’s a very entertaining and powerful clip (with a tiny bit of swearing, if that bothers you).
Staying Grounded with Sy
As I mentioned on our bonus episode about Israel and Palestine, participating in a protest can be a centering, cathartic, and even calming activity. Acting together with people who see clearly the same injustices as me, when so many people call those injustices good, is grounding and motivating. So I’m suggesting taking part in one of the protests all around the globe this Saturday under the banner “Shut it Down for Palestine.” You can find info on your local protest at that link. I would encourage you to go even if you’re not ordinarily someone who protests to find out if maybe you might have the same sort of positive experience I do. And if you don’t, I would sit for a time, without judging yourself in any way, and try to discern what about actions like these makes you uncomfortable. You can then reflect on what you learned about yourself, and ask God to help you interact with and shape those emotional reactions in whatever way seems most faithful.
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
Jonathan and Sy
Thanks for the informative articles. And sharing your thoughts on these issues. Much appreciated.