SPIRIT Blog
Soul Rights
Dear Reader,
I feel blessed to be part of a denomination that tries its best to live up to our commitment to equality and diversity. And I am especially glad, as an MCC pastor, to be able to speak out in solidarity with God’s beautiful people all around the world without fear of reprisal when religious and cultural prejudices oppress them. We have such a long way to go in our realization of Jesus’ radical idea of the inherent worth of all as children of God. In a world where girls can be shot for wanting an education, whole ethnic groups can be starved to extinction, or people instinctively shoot young men based on their skin color, we have such a long way to go in understanding the gospel of Jesus the Nazarean. This week, the world seemed to receive confirmation that the Nigerian President has signed into law a horrible anti-lgbt bill. We can be peace-full and still resist; we can be loving and angry; we can be spiritual and care deeply for the dignity and worth of all bodies. The following poem is dedicated with love to LGBTQI Nigerians and all who are struggling for equal human rights and peace:
Soul Rights
No! That is the primal voice that she heard,
Rising up to face a thousand, no, millions of bad news people,
Her one life, as far as she knew, was a race against her time discounted,
“Strong, my legs, stay strong and we will run hard,”
Hard enough to respect what she heard, the No!
In a thousand, no, millions of places
It rose up to claim her life, their lives, the strong runners
The No! of volcanoes and children and hands grasping hands
We are Divinity, the holy refusal – the Soul Rights.
No! No! No! No! No! No! NO!
Glad You’re There,
Rev. Pressley
Soul Rights
Dear Reader,
I feel blessed to be part of a denomination that tries its best to live up to our commitment to equality and diversity. And I am especially glad, as an MCC pastor, to be able to speak out in solidarity with God’s beautiful people all around the world without fear of reprisal when religious and cultural prejudices oppress them. We have such a long way to go in our realization of Jesus’ radical idea of the inherent worth of all as children of God. In a world where girls can be shot for wanting an education, whole ethnic groups can be starved to extinction, or people instinctively shoot young men based on their skin color, we have such a long way to go in understanding the gospel of Jesus the Nazarean. This week, the world seemed to receive confirmation that the Nigerian President has signed into law a horrible anti-lgbt bill. We can be peace-full and still resist; we can be loving and angry; we can be spiritual and care deeply for the dignity and worth of all bodies. The following poem is dedicated with love to LGBTQI Nigerians and all who are struggling for equal human rights and peace:
Soul Rights
No! That is the primal voice that she heard,
Rising up to face a thousand, no, millions of bad news people,
Her one life, as far as she knew, was a race against her time discounted,
“Strong, my legs, stay strong and we will run hard,”
Hard enough to respect what she heard, the No!
In a thousand, no, millions of places
It rose up to claim her life, their lives, the strong runners
The No! of volcanoes and children and hands grasping hands
We are Divinity, the holy refusal – the Soul Rights.
No! No! No! No! No! No! NO!
Glad You’re There,
Rev. Pressley