#SaveMelissaLucio, Storming a Mosque, Easter with Baldwin
KTF Weekly Newsletter
Hey everybody,
Check out this week’s episode of the podcast, Can I Say This at Church?, which features Jonathan talking about one of his recommendations from last week’s newsletter: that Hillsong documentary. And here are this week’s highlights as we seek to leave colonized faith for the kingdom of God.
Sy’s recommendations:
Currently, Texas has the execution of Melissa Lucio scheduled for next Wednesday. I say “currently” because the evidence is that she did not commit any crime, and there are many clamoring for clemency. She is the victim of the carceral system’s unwillingness to confront the problem of harsh and deceptive police interrogation tactics that force false confessions like hers. Lucio’s false conviction is typical for women who face this injustice; it was for murdering her young child who actually died in a tragic accident. Her story, and the issues around it are all addressed in this gripping article. But the post is worth a read for another reason: its author is one of the world’s most famous exonerees, Amanda Knox. She writes movingly of the compassion, love, and comfort she received when she entered the community of exonerated criminal justice reformers, and how much she wants to one day welcome Lucio into that same embrace. You can add your name to the Innocence Project’s petition against Lucio’s execution here, or take to social media under the hashtag #SaveMelissaLucio.
Five years ago, many across the world watched as a group of Lakota people rallied thousands to the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota to protest the construction of an oil pipeline across their land. They couldn’t stop the pipeline, but they started something powerful: a school. Many of the encampment’s kids applied to become homeschoolers as the protest carried past the summer and into the fall semester. They learned from elders of tribes across the nation who were present for the political action. Now, the tribe has actual school buildings — traditional Lakota earth lodges — and they are trying to figure out how to educate their children in their own way. This recent episode of NPR’s Code Switch podcast is a fascinating look at how exactly this project is happening, and what it means to the teachers, the kids, and the tribe. You can listen or read the transcript at that link.
Suzie’s recommendations:
Breonna Taylor, Amir Locke, Don Clark — these are just a few of the individuals who police have killed in their own homes in the past five years as the result of no-knock raids. A recent investigative piece by The Washington Post reveals that not only are no-knock warrants frequently deadly for the officers, suspects, and bystanders involved, but they are also an ineffective form of law enforcement. The yields from such raids consistently lead to meager drug seizures and few convictions, while the fatalities are high and disproportionately so for Black and brown individuals. Yet, the number of no-knock warrants has actually increased in recent years due, at least in part, to the digitization of the approval process and a lack of due diligence on the part of the judges granting them. The article is infuriating, enlightening, and well worth your time. Also, Jonathan’s latest spoken word poem dedicated to Amir Locke is a gift that can aid in our initial response, which should be lament.
As followers of Christ called to be peacemakers, we must be vigilant in interceding against the escalation of violence. This past week marked not only the beginning of Passover for the Jewish community and Holy Week for Christians, but likewise the second week of the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims. Last Friday, Israeli forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque during early morning prayers resulting in 158 wounded Palestinians and over 300 arrests. The horrific provocation is only the latest event in a recent uptick in violence in Israel and the Occupied Territories. This article from Al-Jazeera does a good job of providing context behind what is currently unfolding and explains fears of further escalation. As people of peace we must stand against all forms of religious violence and reject the lie that conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is inevitable or acceptable.
Jonathan’s recommendations:
Where Are You From?, a children’s book by Argentine-American author, Yamile Saied Méndez and illustrated by Jaime Kim, will not take you long to read, but its impact will be long-lasting. For many, the question is loaded, unhelpful, and often inspires regret or remorse at what was lost or stolen by your family’s journey to America. For others it is a simple inquiry that should have a simple response. And for a few like me, the answer depends on the person to whom we are talking. For followers of Jesus, the ability to answer this question is necessary in the work of racial justice and ethnic reconciliation — for the person asking, but more importantly, for the one being asked. The liberating work of God always begins inside of each of us because we are not lawyers advocating for someone else but witnesses testifying to what we have seen and heard. And we can’t testify if we don’t know our own story. If you, or any children you’re reading to, want to go further after finishing this book, here is a resource called the “Where I’m From Poem” you can do individually or in community to learn, grow, and share.
If famed novelist, essayist, and thinker, James Baldwin, who was also a preacher, stepped into a pulpit in 2022, what would be his topic? That’s one of the many striking questions author and previous Shake the Dust guest, Danté Stewart asked in his recent article for CNN. Easter can often feel stuffed with bunnies, Cadbury Eggs, and a preoccupation with preparation for spring break. So for me, as a follower of Jesus it is helpful to dwell deeply on the profound love of God. Baldwin did that throughout his writing, and Danté gives the same profound invitation to abide in the liberating love of Jesus.
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
The KTF team