Today, the snow is suddenly gone. I walked the garden paths and discovered daffodils pushing through the frozen soil towards the sun. Spring is almost here! While I know my Southern friends and family are already playing baseball and basking in the sun, today's sun irrupts through long shadows of grey for those of us in the frozen North. Like me in my garden, I sense that our entire nation delights in the signs of our national Spring as we begin to have cause for hope that we will emerge from our long malaise. Many are vaccinated already, and many more will soon be. Hallelujah! As I watched for God's goodness in the garden, I found myself singing this song from the musical, The Secret Garden, thinking of the blessings of our nation:
When a think is wick, it has a light around it.
Maybe not a light that you can see.
But hiding down below a spark's asleep inside it,
Waiting for the right time to be seen.
Redline Reasoning: Why We Built Segregated Cities
As we watched Ferguson and other Northern cities burn in this last decade, did you ever wonder how St. Louis developed such patches of concentrated poverty and racial tensions? For me, racially segregated cities were part of my inherited world, a given that I didn't understand and knew I was not supposed to question. If you are one of my many friends who get frustrated when folks speak of 'structural racism,' then I urge you to listen to this episode of the Race on the Rocks podcast. Dr. Kevin Boyle tells how what happened before we were born created the hardened urban boundaries that now simmer with racial tensions. If we understand how we got here, we can figure out how to reach a better place.
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and more!
Building Confidence in Our Elections
If you've listened to the podcast, you've heard about why we birthed Jim Crow. In forthcoming episodes, we will hear about the struggle for the Voting Rights Act. Of course, our most recent election generated tremendous anxiety across the political spectrum. State legislatures are considering bills to address election security, and Congress is working on legislation to provide uniform voter registration and election processes. A key part of this is the Voter ID concept. Is it just? I think it's more nuanced than either side admits. Here's my take.
The Beginning of the Good News
This week I began a new series in which we will be doing a close reading of the Gospel of Mark with special attention to how it speaks to our current national agonies. While Nero fiddled, Mark painted a quite subversive portrait of Jesus.
Lagniappe Love
What else to leave you with but one of my favorite lyrics from The Secret Garden? Our American spirit is 'wick'! Enjoy!
