Why We Say What We Don’t Mean to Say
We have been formed by a status-keeping system in our nation. It has shaped much of how we see the world. It has formed our “common sense” in ways that make no sense at all.
But not only can we be formed, we can be re-formed to see our common humanity. This is painful work. Real growth always includes pain. This work will never end, as long as I live.
However, the work of living more fully into our stated ideals, into our common humanity and the future we can build together is also blessed and enjoyable work. As we break the mold we have been formed in, we find ourselves freer to move, to stretch, to relax.
Small Things Matter in the Practice of Allyship
My perception was that people were trying to be subtly disrespectful of the chairperson, and therefore the tribe. This did not surprise me. But I felt angry and sad about it. I thought to myself, “What can I do?”
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Need an Ally, Be an Ally
Since then, these leaders and many, many others have continued to stand with each other, and to stand with others who needed them.
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Three Ways to Ally
We live, as Isabelle Wilkerson describes, in a caste system based on skin color and other factors. Our relationships to other human beings has been deformed by this system. Allyship is necessary because this caste system exists – and because we want to take that system down so that the dignity and value of every person can be honored and celebrated.
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How Not to Be an Ally
In our recent course, The Practice of Authentic Allyship, I told the group that I do not want to be called an ally. Allyship is a verb, not a noun. It is an activity not an identity. The only identity I want to claim is that I am a human being, in relationship with all…
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Meaningful Responses to Challenging Questions
I learned many things when I started working on a farm when I was in 6th grade. One of them was that it is a lot less work to keep the bucket of nails away from the edge of a table than to pick up all the nails once the bucket hits the ground. Once…
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Celebration of Groundbreaking of Mukilteo Mosque
The Muslim community was the target of dehumanization by some residents of Mukilteo. But the Muslim community held on to our constitutional values, members of the Jewish, Christian, Sikh, and many other community groups stood with them.
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Challenge 2.0 Episode 3: The Me Too Movement Was the Beginning – What’s Next?
Jeff Renner (00:00): The issues of sex abuse, harassment, and domestic violence gained prominence in 2016. In 2017, the Silence Breakers were named the Time Magazine Person of the Year. New stories of suffering and failure to prevent such suffering continue to emerge. We’ve documented the issues behind the Me Too Movement in a past…
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The Emotional Impact of Good Intentions Hurting Another
I used to think that my intent was more important than the impact my words or actions had on another person. If I harm someone by accident, the harm is still real.
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