I've never been good at this. Putting my thoughts, my voice, out into the world. I know, I'm a preacher. It's supposed to be easy for me. It's not. Always so self conscious about what i might say that someone might not like....which is strange because i say plenty of things some folks don't like all the time. Like..Black Lives Matter and End Mass Incarceration and Inclusive Welcome to LGBTQ Folks and... well, you get the idea. And i say these things because i understand them to be directly related to the gospel that i preach on Sunday mornings. In fact, i think these messages of good news can't be separated from what Jesus was about here in the world. And right now, not that i put my trust in ANY politician to fill the role of Jesus, I am horrified by the election of someone who so clearly does not care about the vulnerable and marginalized people in this world...not to mention his incredibly misogynist mindset that glorifies rape culture. And so, I am writing, even though it is hard for me. I get mad at myself for not writing a lot more; mostly when I think of all the terrible things that are being put out into the world by folks who are incredibly bigoted and hateful. I try to tell myself that nothing i could say would be that bad, even if it's not perfect. Mostly, i need to overcome this idea that i am not good enough to say what needs to be said. As some in my faith tradition might say, 'it's a trick of the devil.' In other words, I let my own fear stop me from saying what not only I need to say, but what others often need to hear. So, I get depressed and the world just stays the same. Because if indeed Silence = Consent, then i cannot be silent, for I do not consent to a world where bullies rule the day and institutional oppression is considered acceptable. I dissent. Baptist folks used to be good at this. Can you believe it? Baptists. I want to be in that line of folks who said/say no to tyranny and who work for liberation for all God's people. I don't know if anyone is reading this, but it doesn't matter. It's less about it being seen, than it is about me putting it out there. So, here it is.