Smuggling Grace

[The Rev. Dr. William Barber II addresses people at a Moral Monday rally. Wikimedia Commons]

Yesterday, I spent some time reading about the Moral Monday movement in North Carolina. Do you know about it?

Starting in 2013, a broad coalition of residents in North Carolina began public demonstrations to speak against a number of state legislative actions which were harming human lives and curtailing democracy. These demonstrations called state government officials and residents to greater moral commitment and decisive, collective action.

The demonstrations were part testimonial as people shared how they have been impacted personally by the loss of voting rights and access, the defunding of public education, harmful changes in labor laws, and unjust realities in the criminal justice system.

The demonstrations also included direct actions. Over the course of several weeks, about a thousand people volunteered themselves for arrest as they entered the legislative building, a location where they were not permitted to protest. These actions gained a great deal of attention from the press and moved hearts and minds, at times, cutting across historically entrenched lines of race, class, religion, and partisanship.

While I am only beginning to learn about this movement in greater detail, I am curious to know more. I imagine there are various pieces to celebrate, consider, and critique, but I wonder if the Moral Monday movement might offer some important visions and lessons for us as we consider this question:

How do we change public discourse about morality and values, so that we honor justice and equity for our neighbors through tangible, collective actions?

Here are some links for your consideration. I’d like to hear from you too. What do you think?

Why I Engaged in Civil Disobedience at Moral Monday
Meet the Preacher Behind Moral Mondays
Moral Mondays Movement Goes National

– Renee Roederer

Rev. Dr. William Barber, one of the primary leaders of the Moral Mondays movement, also gave a powerful speech this summer at the DNC Convention. “I don’t come tonight representing any organization,” he started, “but I come to you about faith and morality.” He certainly brought that message home as he talked about justice and  reviving “the heart of democracy.” Have a watch and listen:

I am grateful to invite the Rev. Karin Wright to share with us as a guest blogger on Smuggling Grace today. Her story below is quite powerful and sweet.

A Story in Honor of Matthew 1:18-25

¹⁹ Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly. ²⁰ As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit.²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you will call him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” … When Joseph woke up, he did just as an angel from God commanded and took Mary as his wife. (Matt 1:19-21, 24)

We have about 70 head of sheep. We normally lamb (have babies born) in April which often makes Easter very hectic. My husband is extremely practical and forcibly unsentimental about the adorably cute lambs. He believes they should have as little intervention as possible from us. They are employees not pets. They earn their keep by grazing and lambing in the fields.

Last week, we had a December lamb. In the middle of a snowstorm (well, during a lull between two squalls – same difference). It was bitterly cold and we were expecting worse weather later on. He went out later in the day than he wanted to check on the sheep with his mother, my informant. He noticed one of the ewes looked like it had a lamb but had not passed the afterbirth yet. So a recent birth! The first time mother is wandering around with the flock towards the barn, but the shepherd sees no baby. They start methodically searching the pasture, my mother in law taking the tree line and my husband taking the opposite edge. Suddenly, she notices her son jump the fence and run through the pasture towards a lump taking off his coat and his sweatshirt as he goes. Quickly he wraps the new lamb up in the shirt that was closest to his body and therefore warmest.

They took the lamb into the barn and my husband – a fairly likable, easy-going man – began barking orders to his mother for a bucket of very hot water to be brought to him. The first bucket wasn’t warm enough. She balked, not wanting to scald the lamb, but my husband was resolute demanding it be very hot, saying the mother ewe’s body would have been 102 degrees. He kept checking the lamb’s throat to feel for any warmth or signs of life. This lamb was very close to death. With the right temperature in the bucket, the lamb was submerged and rubbed over and over. The shepherd went to fetch the mother while my mother-in-law kept rubbing the lamb for what felt like ages but was really just a few minutes. Soon, the lamb started to rouse and move around. The mother was brought into the stall and began to call for its baby. The lamb responded! It tottled over to its mother and began to nurse!

I would like to be doe-eyed and tell you how heroic, decisive, and wonderful my husband is and how I fell a little more in love with him because of the person he is – which would be true – but I didn’t hear this story from him. He only said to me, “We had a lamb! We named her December.” My humble, unsentimental husband named the lamb. Sometimes, we don’t expect new life. Still, we have to find a way to respond to the arrival of newness in faith. New life can seem so fragile and be quite time sensitive, even requiring extensive work. Yet, life is resilient and we can sometimes find hope in the smallest of successes – like a lamb surviving its first 6 hours of life.

Like the story of scripture above, my husband’s name is Joseph. I found that very fitting this week.

Rev. Karin A. Wright is an Interim Pastor in Northeast Ohio where she lives with her husband, Joe, and their four sons. As a general reminder to pastors, we are sheepdogs for the Shepherd. Go where you are sent.

Photos by Joe Wright — The first is of December and her Mom. The second is of Lynn Wright, Joe’s father and Karin’s father-in-law.

[Syria, Wikimedia Commons]

While reading yesterday, I stumbled upon a powerful poem that I have never encountered before. This poem is by Alejandro Romualdo, a Peruvian poet. He says,

Pray, Christian, pray. But let your God
not starve my comrade to death.
But let your God
restore the land to those who work it.
But let your God
not bury forever in hell
those whose hearts are full of hatred
because they love.
Pray, Christian, pray.
O, if only the fire of your hell might warm
the dreams of the poor!

And if you see my comrade
dead of rage against the earth,
and if you see him, night and day,
dead of cold under the sky,
and if you know that on the morrow
he will be persecuted
and kicked
and put against a wall and shot
at dawn,
do not pray, Christian, do not pray,
for words accomplish nothing.

-Alejandro Romualdo
“Reza, cristiano, reza” in Poesia integra (Lima: Viva Voz, 1986), 112.

Today, we are seeing videos and tweets from civilians in Syria who are sharing their last words as the violence of death comes to them and their children. For years, we have seen this genocide coming from Syrian and Russian state powers but have largely done nothing.

And immigrants and refugees in this nation, including Syrian refugees,  are fearful that they will face violence on our shores as well.

Our prayers matter, but our humanity requires us to be a part of the very prayers we make. Our prayers may be the vehicle by which we are called to action.

But we have to act.

– Renee Roederer

 

After incendiary titles and divisive headlines have grabbed our social media newsfeeds for months, fake news has become a topic in the news itself. A number of sites have begun to make a great deal of money “reporting” stories that are completely false, and they continue to spread across social media sites like wildfire. These headlines move beyond traditional political spin; instead, they put wild conspiracy theories and complete falsehoods into the world under the banner of news.

I think we need to call these stories what they really are – propaganda. Behind the people who believe and share these stories are authors and social architects who lie quite purposefully in order to ignite particular forms of action from us. Most frequently, they capture our beliefs in order to gain power for themselves, and often, they do so by turning groups against each other. We need to pay attention, and we need to check facts. These stories can have dangerous results.

We need only look as far as Pizzagate.

As you may know, a man brought a semi-automatic assault rifle into Comet Ping Pong last week, a pizza establishment which is popular with many families in Washington D.C. He said he was there to personally investigate the claims of a story. The conspiracy theory behind this story, wild as it was, had gained a remarkable level of traction and became propaganda through fake news.

Pizzagate does not get its name from the horrific incident last week in the pizza restaurant. Instead, many months before, #Pizzagate became hashtag after community of people on Reddit concluded that Hillary Clinton, staffers from her campaign, and other high profile politicians were involved in a child sex trafficking ring at Comet Ping Pong. They came to these conclusions after combing through the hacked emails of John Podesta, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign manager, and reading a remarkable amount into the details. The conspiracy theory took on a life of its own and was “reported” through fake news sites. These were shared by a large number of people, and perhaps most concerning, tweeted by Michael Flynn, President Elect Trump’s new appointee for Secretary of Defense.

This story is obviously false. After firing his assault rifle in the restaurant, the man only left with police after he was convinced it was not true. Thankfully, no one was hurt physically, but this was quite frightening for people who were present. It is still troubling for families who frequent the restaurant.

After it happened, my friend and colleague Eric Peltz wrote this comment on Facebook. I share it with his permission:

“Friends, the election of Trump (and most importantly, the validation of his rhetoric) has led to a gunman walking into a restaurant my family and my congregants frequent. If the safety of my children won’t urge you to take the time to diversify your news sources so you’re seeing reports of the hundreds of hate and conspiracy-induced crimes that are happening, it’s hard to believe that you care about me or my children in any real way. How will you stand up against violence and keep my family safe?”

We need to pay attention. We need to check facts. We need to speak out.

We must realize that some social architects will continue to use these kinds of stories as propaganda to solidify power and ignite action from us. We have to see it and name it as what it is.

– Renee Roederer

Last week, Reply All, a podcast hosted by Alex Goldman and P.J. Vogt, released a tremendous episode which reports how Pizzagate moved from rumor, to news, to an entire online community, to action. Check it out the link and give it a listen.

 

 

These days, a mantra has swelled up within me:

There is enough.
There is enough.
There is enough.

In a time of profound anxiety, ignited by tangible threats to wellbeing, I find myself pondering the need for these words. Most of the time, the largest part of me actually believes them. By those words, I mean this:

There are truly enough resources — money, time, passion, compassion, power, skills, drive, ingenuity, creativity, nimbleness, intelligence, relationships, vision, and courage — to look straight at injustices, dismantle their power, and create justice toward lasting forms of change.

There is enough.

But is there will?

As we know, some benefit socially and economically from the very injustices that marginalize, imprison, and kill others. We are up against entrenched systems of power that many will not want to break.

But if the will is there — if there is enough desire to dismantle such systems and build forms of justice — we will have to use every fiber of our being to organize our resources. Journalist Shaun King says it this way: The level of our organization will have to rise to the level of our outrage.

Enough.

– Renee Roederer

 

 

 

That tiny thing you’re great at. . . is a big deal. Really. When shared with others purposefully and resourcefully, it catalyzes change. So what is it?

– Do you have an ability that seems tiny only because it comes so naturally to you?

– Do you engage with it regularly to the point that it doesn’t seem like a real gift?

– Do you forget to marvel at it because it seems so routine or easy?

Well, that’s a gift you need to put into the world. Purposefully.

That’s a gift that seeks greater expression in your community, neighborhood, nation, and world.

These days, when we see the great needs and concerns around us, and when we ponder our fears about needs and concerns to come, we can become absolutely overwhelmed. Our meager work and purposeful sharing can seem. . . well, tiny. It may feel that way, but. . .

That tiny thing? Do not underestimate what it can do.

– When placed strategically with the gifts of others, it can become organized change. It can become organized resistance. What resources can you bring uniquely — money, connections, abilities? Some of which come so naturally to you? Do all you can to make those things fit with the leadership and commitment of others. Look purposefully for where they can be placed alongside the great work that is already happening. Your tiny gift will easily multiply.

That tiny thing? Do not underestimate what it can do.

– When launched into the world with intention, that tiny thing may add a level of care that increases relational safety. Even if only for a moment, it matters. In this current climate, people are reasonably fearful and discouraged. Your tiny thing in a tiny moment may serve as a reminder of human worth and connection. It may provide a needed boost which encourages others to put their gifts into the world too.

So what is it? What is that tiny thing?

In actuality, it might not be so tiny.

–Renee Roederer

 

[Walter Scott]

Yesterday, a Judge in South Carolina declared the case against former police officer Michael Slager to be a mistrial. This development is not entirely surprising, but it is the kind of news that sends a visceral shockwave of fear and rage throughout our nation.

It is an outrageous affront to justice. We all have a responsibility to Walter Scott.

We live in a nation where a police officer can shoot an unarmed, black man multiple times in the back as he is running away, then plant evidence near his body to set up an alternative narrative — all of it caught clearly on camera (take that in) — without a conviction.

There will be a new trial for Michael Slager, as well as a federal trial that was previously scheduled. But it is remarkably disturbing to learn that the jury deliberated 22 hours over 4 days and could not reach a verdict in a case that should be quite clear. On Friday, one juror sent a letter to the court, saying, “I cannot in good conscience consider a guilty verdict,” and, “I cannot and will not change my mind.”

We cannot know the full story of the deliberation behind this letter, but I note how troubling it is to ponder the words will not consider. Notice that those are different words than cannot conclude. While we cannot know the full thoughts behind this juror’s statement, we do know that they ring true for many white Americans: Some will never consider a guilty verdict, even in the court of public opinion, when it comes to police officers, especially if they are charged with violent offenses against Black Americans.

And that should trouble us greatly.

Walter Scott was a man of great worth with full humanity. Above all, he deserved life. Now that his life has been taken, he and his family deserve justice.

Black Americans deserve safety in a nation that is often unsafe toward them. White folks, are we unwilling to consider a conclusion that our nation is guilty of creating these realities?

We are responsible to Walter Scott. We may not be responsible for pulling the trigger which murdered him, but we are responsible to these realities. We are called to mount a response that permanently changes them.

As activist and journalist Shaun King has noted, police officers killed 102 unarmed, black men, women, boys, and girls in 2015. He says we would have to go all the way back to 1902 to find a year when the number of lynchings were that high.

It is beyond time to hold police officers and all people accountable for their procedures and actions. That means we have to do some learning and personal soul-searching as well.

We are responsible to Walter Scott. Time to act.

–Renee Roederer

[Public Domain Photo]

Keep watch. This day is really important. December 5th is about to have great impact upon human lives and will have historical significance for a long time. Here are four reasons why:

Standing Rock

December 5th was the date marked on the eviction notice as it was presented to thousands of Indigenous Water Protectors at the Oceti Sakowin Camp. Together, they have spent months engaged in nonviolent, direct action to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline, calling attention to the destruction it could bring to drinking water and sacred lands. Camping outside, and at times, enduring rubber bullets, dogs, water cannons, concussion grenades, and tear gas, the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota peoples of the Standing Rock Sioux have successfully resisted these efforts and turned the tide.

Last night, the Army Corps of Engineers announced that it would not grant the easement needed for the project to continue. The Dakota Access Pipeline will not be permitted to cross under Lake Oahe. Instead, the Army Corps of Engineers will begin an environmental impact study to consider other routes.

The day could have moved toward eviction and potential violence. Instead, while there is still a great deal of work to be done, this is a day of victory for the Standing Rock Sioux. It gives us all hope in the power and efficacy of resistance and direct action.

The Murder of Walter Scott

December 5th may involve an announcement about the murder of Walter Scott and the trial of Michael Slager. On April 4, 2015, police officer Michael Slager shot and killed Walter Scott in South Carolina after pulling him over for a broken taillight. I have no qualms about calling this murder: Video footage clearly shows Michael Slager shooting Walter Scott five times in the back as he was running away. And that’s not all. After the shooting, Michael Slager dropped an object near Walter Scott’s body. It appears to be a taser. Prosecutors claim that this is planted evidence caught on video.

On Friday, the jury was in the midst of long deliberations when news broke. One juror is holding out, saying, “I cannot in good conscience consider a guilty verdict,” in a letter to the court. The jury has requested to return to deliberations today at 9am.

This case is remarkably significant. If it is declared a mistrial, it will be a horrific day for justice. Could a case possibly be more clear? This is why people proclaim, “Black Lives Matter,” and assert it to the rooftops with cries, protests, and demands. So often, our justice system claims otherwise. If Michael Slager goes free, it will be remarkably troubling, striking fear, grief, and rage in the hearts of many.

Injustice Boycott

And this leads us to next significant movement today: December 5th will be launch of the Injustice Boycott, involving major, long-awaited announcements. Initiated and planned by activist and journalist Shaun King and activists of color in local cities, the Injustice Boycott will make demands to increase police accountability and curb police violence.

A few months ago, King spoke and wrote that national protests have been effective in raising concern and awareness about police brutality, but they have not affected tangible changes in many places throughout the U.S. In order to make a greater impact, he realized we need an economic movement.

He announced that the Injustice Boycott will target entire cities and particular businesses in those places that have supported local injustices. People throughout the U.S. are invited to join and make change through economic pressure. It may take months. It may take years. But it is an important commitment toward a crucial set of outcomes.

The first three cities were announced this morning: 1) Standing Rock, 2) San Francisco, and 3) New York City. More details will follow at 12pm. 

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

Today is the 61st anniversary of the beginning of the Montgomery Bus Boycott which played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement. Shaun King deliberately chose this date for the Injustice Boycott in order to honor the previous movement and express alignment with its power. Today, we honor activists of that era who paved the way for resistance and direct action.

Keep watch today. Pay attention to all the significance because these events will affect human lives. And get ready to participate with your convictions, your voices, your bodies, and your wallets.

Let’s go.

–Renee Roederer

Hallelujah.

It’s a word from a chorus we all know well, especially at this time of year. I’m grateful that I’ll have the privilege to sing Hallelujah a multitude of times this evening and tomorrow afternoon. Ann Arbor’s UMS Choral Union has the longest annual tradition of singing Handel’s Messiah in the entire world. We’ve done this every year consistently since 1879. We’ll do so again this weekend.

While I haven’t sung this 137 times in a row, I’ve sung the Hallelujah Chorus innumerable times. Yet I’ve learned something new in the opportunity to sing The Messiah in its entirety. Based on where it’s placed in the greater work, the Hallelujah Chorus isn’t some “Rah, Rah!” chorus of utter triumphalism. No, not at all. It’s about liberation.

It’s about human liberation from oppression — deliverance from oppression caused by other humans. This becomes clear when we hear what precedes the famous chorus:

The bass soloist sings,

Why do the nation so furiously rage together?
And why do the people imagine a vain thing?

Then the chorus sings,

Let us break their bonds asunder,
and cast away their yokes from us.

Then the tenor soloist sings,

He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn,
The Lord shall have them in derision.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron,
Thou shalt dash them like a potter’s vessel.

That’s when the chorus responds with “Hallelujah!”

It might seem like an odd time to jump in and rejoice. But if we view this less as the powerful (including God) doing destruction for the sake of destruction, and instead, view this as liberation for the oppressed (God standing with them in power) the Hallelujah Chorus has a completely different purpose and tone.

Hallelujah! 

For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. . .

Not standing above and dominating as an oppressor,
but standing among the people as a powerful Liberator —
a Liberator who invites the participation of the people in their own liberation.
(“Let us break their bonds asunder”)

King of Kings and Lord of Lords. . .

Not a tyrant kind of King or Lord,
but King and Lord that is revealed as fully human —
a vulnerable child,
a poor carpenter,
a revolutionary,
a healer.

Tonight and tomorrow, I’m going to think about all of these things when I sing that glorious Hallelujah over and over. And I’m going to pray for liberation in our world and commit to the reality that bonds will be broken.

And the audience will stand to sing it along with us.

We will stand!
the stance of Resurrection,
the stance of Liberation.

–Renee Roederer

Yesterday, I was scrolling through my Timehop app, and I discovered the initial post which launched this website and blog one year ago. I smiled with a lot of gratitude.

I love writing at Smuggling Grace. Today I want to share a shout out to subscribers to say thank you, not only for following along, but also for adding your own voices and perspectives. People have done that in blog comments and on Facebook. Folks have sent me emails, and in some cases, we have sat down over coffee and shared wonderful conversations together. Thank you. It means so much to me.

And that also has me thinking: I have personal connections to some of my subscribers, but there are many more of you whom I do not know. I’m wondering if you might send me an email to introduce yourself. You can write me here: revannarbor@gmail.com. That will also give me the opportunity to thank you personally.

It’s been a wonderful adventure of writing. Thank you for your part in that!

– Renee Roederer

I also want to thank the people who have supported Smuggling Grace financially this year. These contributions have helped me maintain the site and pay fees to WordPress. They have also provided support as I work to organize a new community in Southeast Michigan. Thank you!

My written content here will always, always be free of charge. But for those who would like to contribute, you can do so here: Support Smuggling Grace.

Many thanks to. . .

Lindsay Aldrich
Erin Counihan
Jen Haines
Kathleen Henrion
Sarah Linn
Jody Mask
Jill Mills
abby mohaupt
Randa Seifeldin
Tom and Rachael Tan