Blog

In Defense of Hope: Politics by Maggie Hemphill

When we believe the lie that our individual choices do not impact the collective, we are comforted by our despair. We assuage our anxiety and release ourselves from responsibility or action. Hopelessness is a kind of numbness that desensitizes us to our world and ourselves.

In Defense of Hope: CHAOS

Time flies. And the formless, empty places of my heart, are a greater part, partially because I cannot find my heart. A heart where spaces feel empty – like before they were transformed.

A Series: In Defense of Hope

How will hope hold the complexity of systems, people, polarized political parties, governments, estranged friends – faith communities divided? Is hope light enough to find goodness and heavy enough to sit in despair? Will hope provide for the hopeless without asking me or them to live in fantasy?

Abel's Blood Cries Out

Those who have passed, whose blood cries out to us – the Abels, wait for us to begin to slow down. We have a difficult choice. Will we listen? In a time of protesting, rioting, anger and rage, the blood of Abel deserves an answer.

Bodies, Church, coronavirus, Faith, hope, grief, Jesus, Race, theology of suffering, WomenDanielle Rueb - CastillejoJune 5, 2020abels blood, cain, the Bible, faith, blood, race, riots, latinx, trauma, cry outComment

Bloody-Fisted Hope (referencing Jo Saxton's post)

So, you are asking what to do? Your eager to find hope? You’re rushing to grief?

Then, do the hard and bloody work of fighting for hope.

Repent. Repent. Repent.

abuse, Bodies, coronavirus, Faith, grief, hope, RaceDanielle Rueb - CastillejoMay 27, 2020bloody hope, repent, breakdown, money, jemar tisby, jo saxtonComment

The Sun Stands Still

The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!”

A Weak Theology of Suffering

Jesus stood in front of the donkey, got on it, no scars yet and they all cheered as he entered the city. I cannot watch the live feed of Facebook without wondering if I am another onlooker, or observer, cheering for the next great moment of harm in someone’s life.

Two Dimensional Grief by Rebekah Vickery

I love words
I have none
Tell me,
How do you create without a brush?
I live, do I?
I’m real, am I?
I’m living in a middle space
There are words, drinks, business, and laughs
But also I’m alone

Cinco De Mayo: the Machete Warriors

The native Zapotec and Mexican fighters didn’t know they would survive the onslaught. Zapotec and Mexican heroes were fighting for the land under their feet — saying no to wealthy French landowners financing an unjust war — liberating their bodies from foreign domination.

Grief - Lament - Han by Minjoo Bayers (Kim)

“Han is a sense of unresolved resentment against injustice suffered, a sense of helplessness because of the overwhelming odds against, a feeling of acute pain of sorrow in one’s guts and bowels making the whole body write and wriggle, and an obstinate urge to take “revenge” and to right the wrong all these combined.”

Young-Hak Hyun, Korean Theologian

The Anxiety Club

You in? If you weren’t in “the anxiety club” or very anxious before, there’s a chance you’ve experienced heightened levels of anxiety during the past 4-6 weeks.

"Como La Flor"

The sun rises,
The sun sets
The moon rises
The moon sets
I rise
I set
Despierto contigo,
Separados
Y juntos

WAVES OF GRIEF

I’ve not had a good relationship with grief. My wise friend, Gloria Huh (on #thearisepodcast this week) shared with me that regardless of my awareness, I’ve been building a relationship with grief. Well, she’s right. My relationship with grief is not open or welcoming. It’s stiff, resistant, and at times, hostile.

The Eternity of Holy Saturday – An Apocalyptic Easter

I am celebrating the resurrection of a brown Jesus who ate with wine-drinkers and tax collectors, elevated women to power, healed the untouchables, called religious leaders to pass through the eye of a needle, and gave a murderer deathbed forgiveness and entrance into Heaven.

Resurrection seems like an impossible thing

Jesus is late, and in His failure to show up, death has taken what we know He could have healed if only He had been present.

The Ring of Fire

I cannot carry the THE VIRUS, but I can help shoulder the burdens of my loved ones with the manna for today. I can sing. I can text. I can offer a kind word. I can ask for help. And in this process, we will find a way through the isolation and mess toward hope and love.

Women at War.

We are watching for the welfare of the elderly, the vulnerable, our neighbors, our enemies, the homeless, the marginalized, the undocumented, the ones with no voice, to say, we see, we will feed you, we will shout from the rooftops to protect you.

Skull Hill

I see in my mind’s unruly eye

Mob of humanity, sharks circling kill

Bodies, Church, Faith, hope, hopelessness, WomenDanielle Rueb - CastillejoMarch 20, 2020lent, easter, jesus, skull, golgatha, hill, dirt, acid, day 1, day 3, ressurection, ressurrection, loveComment

Estela Knows the News: Coronavirus!

A lot of people are being quarantined. So, they cannot leave their houses. My mom showed me a video of people singing on their porches. They could not leave their houses because they are being quarantined. Nobody can visit any of the old folks homes, because they might give them the coronavirus.

Bodies, Faith, lent, Race, studentDanielle Rueb - CastillejoMarch 16, 2020coron, coronavirus, quarantine, race, asian, china, trump, estela, news, reporterComment

Pandemic and Love

by a 14 year old poet, musician, artist, with a good heart

Pandemic, pandemic, pandemic

COVID-19 taught me the meaning of,

Pandemic, pandemic, pandemic,

And its only cure is love

Bodies, coronavirus, Faith, hope, hopelessness, studentDanielle Rueb - CastillejoMarch 16, 2020pandemic, quarantine, 14 years, boy, son, cover 19, coronavirus, mexican, latino, student, home school, watch, signComment

When we believe the lie that our individual choices do not impact the collective, we are comforted by our despair. We assuage our anxiety and release ourselves from responsibility or action. Hopelessness is a kind of numbness that desensitizes us to our world and ourselves.

The sun rises,

The sun sets

The moon rises

The moon sets

I rise

I set

Despierto contigo,

Separados

Y juntos

Jesus is late, and in His failure to show up, death has taken what we know He could have healed if only He had been present.

I cannot carry the THE VIRUS, but I can help shoulder the burdens of my loved ones with the manna for today. I can sing. I can text. I can offer a kind word. I can ask for help. And in this process, we will find a way through the isolation and mess toward hope and love.

We are watching for the welfare of the elderly, the vulnerable, our neighbors, our enemies, the homeless, the marginalized, the undocumented, the ones with no voice, to say, we see, we will feed you, we will shout from the rooftops to protect you.

I see in my mind’s unruly eye

Mob of humanity, sharks circling kill

by a 14 year old poet, musician, artist, with a good heart

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