The Pierced Pastor

 Over the course of the last few years, but specifically in the last month I’ve done some reading and, maybe more importantly, had a number of conversations regarding DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and the topic of systemic racism. These conversations were with a somewhat diverse group of people falling into many different categories when it comes to; age, race, culture, and gender. During these conversations it became clear to me that there is often a misconception of what the topic and term “systemic racism” seems to embody as well as what the policies, broken or not, around DEI attempt to do. As a Pastor in a local church, and more importantly as a Christ follower, I believe firmly that each of us is created with inherent worth. As we read in the creation account in Genesis, each one of us is created as an image bearer of God. Because I hold this view, having these conversations and being able to share my experience is incredibly important to me. With that being said, my...

This is not a post about politics. Instead, it is a post about the way we have conversations around politics and the Christian response to politics and those who disagree with us. We find ourselves in the midst of very complex and multifaceted situations that have produced a tense and very polarized atmosphere. The reality of the situation is that right now there is a group or groups of people who are celebrating the perceived wins of the political shift. These wins may be economic, social, religious, or something else. However, on the other side there is a group or groups of people that are frightened of and mourning the political shift we’re going through. For these groups there are a number of perceived negatives that could encompass social issues like loss of rights, loss of representation, and discrimination. The challenge here is that we must look at and engage with the entire situation holistically. For one side to only celebrate while not addressing any of the perceived negativ...