Slim

“I know you are reading this poem
in a room where too much has happened for you to bear
where the bedclothes lie in stagnant coils on the bed
and the open valise speaks of flight
but you cannot leave yet.”
― Adrienne Rich, An Atlas of the Difficult World

“Dominant people and groups used power to:
• declare what styles of music will and will not be used
• determine what historical religious leaders looked like racially
• decide which teachings to emphasize, and which to downplay
• determine what religious education literature to use
• decide which pictures or other art goes on the walls
• declare who the spiritual heroes are and why
• decide which aspects of history to remember and how to interpret the past
• decide who is mature in their faith, and who is not
• determine how much race and ethnicity will be talked about
• declare that race is not important and will not be discussed
• declare that the race of those in leadership does not matter
• look at and treat the non-majority groups with paternalism
• force others to assimilate or leave the congregation
• determine the culture through which the faith will be interpreted
• determine the culture through which faith will be practiced
• make others feel powerless
• remain ignorant about other cultures
• determine if change will happen and the pace of change (almost always, slowly)
• make people feel small, unimportant, like outsiders
• deny having power”
― Michael O. Emerson, People of the Dream: Multiracial Congregations in the United States

“It’s not recovery that is painful; our resistance to it is what hurts.”
― Narcotics Anonymous, Living Clean: The Journey Continues

“If there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering.”
― Viktor Frankl