Author: redwa1106

Focus: In the1700s Europe experienced an intellectual movement called the Age of Enlightenment. During this time, leading thinkers started relying more on science than religion, which advanced the understanding of the Rights of Man as well as natural world. This thinking created a conflict between liberal democracy (all men are created equal) and an economy… Continue reading Revolution →

"I think that one of the big reasons why we are seeing such backlash against critical race theory is because its opponents saw all those young whites in the streets last summer with Black and Brown folks agitating and burning shit. They’re like, “Oh hell no! Scrub those textbooks. There will be no Bacon’s Rebellion… Continue reading No Bacon’s Rebellion 2.0 →

Focus: “The contradictions between these two founding arrivals--the Mayflower and the White Lion--would lead to the deadliest war in American history, fought over how much of our nation would be enslaved and how much would be free. They would lead us to spend a century seeking to expand democracy abroad, beckoning other lands to "Give… Continue reading Session 1: Arrival (1619-1739) →

from The Racial Justice Initiative Team of the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference Last week we again heard the horror of three deadly shootings, this time at Atlanta-area spas where eight people lost their lives. In the aftermath, many questions swirled around the situation, including the motive of the shooter and the treatment of the case by… Continue reading Questions After the Atlanta Mass Murders →

Focus: Bryan Stevenson is a public interest lawyer who has dedicated his career to helping the poor, the incarcerated and the condemned. He's the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative(EJI), an Alabama-based group that has won major legal challenges eliminating excessive and unfair sentencing, exonerating innocent prisoners on death row, confronting abuse of… Continue reading Let’s Talk About Injustice →

Focus: The story of Jesus has been told to us in many different ways. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Jesus Christ,Superstar! gives us a story line from the vantage point of Judas; Godspell (Schwartz & Telebak) gives us a vision of life with the disciples. The Gospel writer Mark begins the story with an… Continue reading Identity →

Focus: We think we're entitled to "righteous anger", but is it really so righteous? And does anger actually help us fight injustice? In an increasingly angry culture, Brant Hansen encourages us to re-think our assumptions, and embrace a lifestyle of forgiveness. Brant Hansen is a nationally-syndicated radio host, does extensive work for CURE International, and… Continue reading Anger & Forgiveness →

Focus: Lesley Hazelton describes herself as an agnostic Jew who studies the prophet Muhammad. In this short talk, she describes a deep and powerful lesson she has learned by studying the accounts of God's revelation to Muhammad. This lesson is applicable to all who claim a faith. Watch and make a note of the stories… Continue reading Doubt →

Focus: AJ Jacobs' book The Year of Living Biblically was a bestseller when it was released in 2007. In this Ted Talk, Mr. Jacobs summarizes his project and its conclusions in an entertaining and thought-provoking talk. Watch and make a note of the stories and quotes that jump out to you. Gathering Prayer: Holy One… Continue reading My Year of Living Biblically →

MLK Day 2021 It has become my habit that each year on this observance of the birthday of Martin Luther King, I re-read his Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Each reading brings familiar phrases and each reading strikes a new note in my thoughts. Most recently, I have taken to writing those thoughts; this note… Continue reading MLK 2021 →