Stand With Indigenous Peoples
We Cannot Heal Society With the Tools That Burned It Down
The attack on a mosque in California is heartbreaking. It is also terrifyingly familiar. After violence against Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Indigenous people, Black churches, immigrants, LGBTQ people, as well as violence against those considered conservative, we often hear the same question: “How could this happen?” The answer is always complicated. But some patterns are becoming…
Read MoreEither All of Us Are Human, or None of Us Are
Human beings have survived and thrived by forming in-groups. This instinct is so central to our lives that we’re often willing to risk everything to protect our group. But here’s the problem: other in-groups can be seen not just as different, but as threats—or even as less than human. And once we’ve stripped another group…
Read MoreHonoring Kay Knott, Upper Skagit Elder and PTU Volunteer
Kay Knott is an elder in the Upper Skagit Tribe and a key volunteer with Paths to Understanding (PTU). I first met Kay when she reached out to learn more about PTU’s work. We had lunch and there was an immediate connection. At first, she came just to listen to how we bring people together…
Read MoreShocking But Not Surprising
We are all filled with grief at the shooting that took place at the Q Club in Colorado Springs. What happened there is shocking. It is, grievously, not surprising. In high school we had three bullies in my class. They had a group of followers who actually did most of the damage. One week, they…
Read MoreBrave Conversations in first LGT Class
In the first week we focused on the unity in diversity of the world. In the monotheistic traditions this is grounded in one Creator, a set of common parents of all humanity, and thus our unity as a human family. All too often the idea of one Creator is reduced to one religion about that Creator. This distorts the core teaching of monotheism, turning our recognition of each other as human into “us versus them.”
Read MoreThere is Only One
But there is really only one humanity. There is only ONE. It is not just a concept but a vision that inspires us to act. It inspires us to risk for one another’s humanity in this moment
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