Kids, learn from your leaders. This school year, if you don't like the grade your teacher gives you... just fire your teacher and replace them with one you trust to tell you your truth.

Wait... It's still June? The same month that Musk tweeted that Trump was in the Epstein files? And the birthday parade? And NO KINGS day? And Israel attacking Iran out of nowhere? And now we're in a war, but not in a war, but in a war?

My brain hurts... Time is weird in the darkest timeline.

Handing out preprinted signs is manufacturing a message. But millions of people making their own out of poster board, markers, etc? THAT's a movement of many crying out in their own voices what they actually think and feel.

Anyone else think it's time for John Krasinski to bring back Some Good News?

Go read 1 Samuel 8:4-22.

I continue to be struck by how well this story encapsulates my feelings as a Christian pastor during this rise of Christian Nationalism. I think of verse 7 where God says to Samuel, "it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their King."

For real though

Loving our neighbor extends to ALL people, but the word "neighbor" is also about proximity. It means to love those that you share space with. While we stay tuned to the daily destruction happening in our world, don't forget to love those around you well. God made us for relationship & community.

Saying you're "colorblind" is still wrong. It's still a way of denouncing and belittling someone. If you actually valued them, you would see their differences with humility, wonder and appreciation. Jesus didn't deny that she was a Samaritan woman in order to talk to her at the well.

PRESIDEnts surround themselves with diversity of thought, so every decision is considered from all angles as they PRESIDE* over the country.

DICTATors surround themselves with loyalists, squashing divergent thinking as they DICTATE* or lay down their own will authoritatively.

*see dictionary

I miss decency, honor, & respect. I taught my students last night about the importance of seeing others, not for their differences, but as fellow bearers of God's image. Then we had to talk about how rare it is these days for people to see others in this way. But all we can control is ourselves.

When I was called to serve at my church, I know I received at LEAST 85% of the vote by the church. Even with that, I took a long time before making careful changes.

Imagine if I got only 49% and claimed I had a God given mandate to tear down and rebuild the church however I want in two weeks.

You may fix a leaky pipe in your home by turning off the water, but you don't fix leaks in a city water system by cutting off the entire cities water supply.

Lesson: complex systems require careful action. Careless executive actions may intend to solve problems but at terrible cost to the country.

A good reminder, in times such as these.

I love this picture. The larger tree is holding up the smaller tree, though it was cut down. The beauty is in how the one with plenty supplies nutrients for the one without... that together, they thrive and flourish. May we be willing to lay down our pride in the same way to love our neighbor.

This meme isn't entirely true, but not entirely false either. But the idea fascinates me, that trees reveal God's intent for creation... that death is only a result of the effects of our poisonous decisions and a broken world we live in. This is why I find hope in His promise of restoration.

New to Bluesky, and I already appreciate how quiet it feels. Looking forward to staying connected to people and interests without the targeted ads and garbage.