blessed are those who protest...
what we pray and preach and practice on Sunday must translate to how we show up for the least, the last, the lost on Monday.
***
There is no such thing as a single issue struggle, as we do not live single issue lives.
—Audre Lorde
***
Dearly Beloveds,
my head and heart spin like a wheel as i read the headlines.
the 200th day of violence and war enacted upon innocent Palestinian people.
student protests across college campuses calling for an end to the Israeli war met by violent force from University administrators and law enforcement.
the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could decide whether doctors can provide abortion care to pregnant women with medical emergencies in states that enact abortion bans. (translation: if you’re pregnant and need the pregnancy to end in order to save your life, you might not be able to get the care you need, depending on what the Supreme Court rules.)
the New York Court of Appeals overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction on felony sex crime charges despite hundreds of women testifying about their experiences of assault, rape, and harassment by him.
the Tennessee State Legislature, despite tireless gun-safety advocacy from (mostly) women and mothers from across the state, approving a bill making it legal for teachers to carry concealed weapons on school campuses.
my head and heart spin so fast, they may fly off the axle.
might there be a way to stop, pause, breathe, still the madness?
even for a moment. not to ignore the world, but to practice inwardly what I long for outwardly.
peace. ceasefire. justice. liberation. choice.
blessed are the ones who protest, who suffer, who advocate, who mourn, who fear, who need, for theirs will be the kin-dom of God.
remember, beloveds, our prayers are connected to the whole of our lives and they must make a difference, they must transform us, not only on Sundays, but on every day thereafter.
the hope is that what we pray and preach and practice on Sunday will translate to how we show up for the least, the last, the lost on Monday.
peace. ceasefire. justice. liberation. choice.
amen.
See you back here next week, beloveds.
Love,
Claire
***
Blessed Are the Women is available at all major booksellers and at your local bookshop and library upon request! She makes a beautiful gift for Eastertide, graduation, Mother’s Day, and more. Purchasing options here!
Thank you for reading my Substack. This post is public so feel free to share it.
love this: “my head and heart spin so fast, they may fly off the axle.
might there be a way to stop, pause, breathe, still the madness?
even for a moment. not to ignore the world, but to practice inwardly what I long for outwardly.
peace. ceasefire. justice. liberation. choice. “ ❤️