A 4-episode series on abolition as the Uprisings for Black Life began at the end of May 2020.

Uprisings and Abolition (2020 Pentecost Year A)

No fancy exegesis this week; nothing to add to the ongoing analysis of the deep racial inequities in this country. Join Jean Jeffress as they speak from Genesis 1-2:4a on the importance of imagination - of speaking and creating during this time of pandemic and global uprisings against white supremacist police violence.

Link to my last podcast
https://soundcloud.com/thewordisresistance/maundy-thursday-is-canceled

TWIR 6.7.20 Speak It Then Do It

Abraham and Sarah laughed at God's vision and promise of new life.

Before we write them off, we are called to remember how white Christians - yes, liberal/progressive ones - have "laughed" at the idea that chattel slavery could be abolished, that segregation could be ended by militant nonviolent civil disobedience, and more. 

Are we laughing at the idea of defunding, dismantling, and abolishing the police now? Or do we have faith, commitment, and strength enough to make real the "impossible" dreams of God again?

In this episode, Rev. Seth Wispelwey takes us into a place of rest and challenge through where we locate ourselves in this seismic living moment in history.

Oh, and defund, dismantle, and abolish the police.

Transcript can be found here: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word-is-resistance.html

TWIR 6.14.20 We Are Unstoppable! Another World is Possible!

Genesis 21: 8-21, Hagar & Ishmael, Juneteenth, M4BL

TWIR 6.21.20 Stories White People Would Rather Ignore

How do we know what true peace is, when the "peace" most white folks are used to is the violent repression of Black and Brown people? Rev Margaret Ernst unpacks the political and prophetic context of Jeremiah's conflict with Hananiah, and pulls out critical questions this text may ask white people resisting racism. 

To move towards peace with justice, learn about the Movement for Black Lives' platform to defund the police, take action, and talk with other white people about abolition: https://m4bl.org/defund-the-police/ 

To move resources, consider making a donation to our friends at Soulforce to resist Christian supremacy: https://bit.ly/SURJSF

Transcript on our website here:  https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/the-word-is-resistance.html

TWIR 6.28.20 God's Peace is Not White Calm

From January 2017 to December 2023, “The Word Is Resistance” was a weekly podcast from SURJ-Faith by white anti-racist Christians based on the Christian lectionary, offering an anti-racist Word for other white Christians -- though all are welcome to check it out.  We are pleased to keep this incredible resource alive here as an ongoing resource to help us all get free.

What do our sacred texts have to teach us about living, surviving, even thriving, in the context of empire, tyranny, violence, repression - the times in which we are living today?  What do they have to teach us, as white Christians, about our role in resistance, in showing up, in liberation?  They teach us this: 

Our traditions were made for these times.  They come from these times.  So we have resources in our texts, our practices, to help us right now.  We can reclaim our stories and re-tell them to nourish our resistance against white supremacy and our work for collective liberation.