the 99 collective

Compassion has become the singular quality through which I understand God to be at work in the world.

I am being profoundly transformed by the reality that I am one with all the Universe, Mystery and Life. I can do nothing but seek authentic, loving, peace-building relationship with and among creation.

Holy communion has long been Christian tradition in which the Body of Christ is invited to commune together around the Lord’s Table. In fact the word “communion” means to share. Whether you dip bread or wafers, drink from the chalice …

I belong to the most distrusted minority in America. It’s not because of my skin color, or an accent, or what I wear. Sometimes I’m glad I can hide it. But it’s something I’m very proud of, so I prefer not to.

In a nutshell, it was about storytelling. Listening to why others had come, and sharing my own journey with them in return. Something revelatory happened there.

Learning to see these obstacles and inequities can feel tedious and be inconvenient for those of us who benefit from and function well within the status quo. But… we must understand that we suffer from our ignorance too.

This poem is inspired by my work with detained survivors of torture and the book of poetry, Kalakuta Republic, by Chris Abani—a political prisoner who endured years of torture in Nigeria.

What a “B” movie reminded me at 2 in the morning, and why it’s important.

“Our right thinking regarding justice rarely, if ever, becomes incarnate, relational solidarity. We are silent witnesses. Paralyzed by the relationships we don’t have or the actions that we cannot imagine taking.”

I’m often asked what I’m reading, what books have been formative for me, and what I think is worth taking a look at. Here are a few on my shelf, what’s on yours?