“Rasca donde no pica” - Sermón de cierre del Campamento por la Paz de Bautistas por la Paz.
Y perdonen que yo ponga el dedo en la llaga. Pero si BPFNA pretende reimaginar la solidaridad tiene también entonces que darse cuenta de que las mismas personas que durante siglos han sido cómplices y beneficiarios del debacle de las comunidades y pueblos históricamente minusvalorados no pueden ahora venir a decirle al mundo que van a arreglar lo que ellos mismos destruyeron. Quienes históricamente han gozado de todos los mecanismos de la colonización, abriéndose espacio en el mundo con poca o ninguna resistencia no pueden ser quienes ahora también le digan a las personas históricamente minusvaloradas y empobrecidas cómo es que se soluciona el mundo.
“It Scratches Where There’s No Itch” - Closing Sermon at BPFNA Summer Conference Peace Camp.
And forgive me for putting my finger on the wound. But if BPFNA intends to reimagine solidarity, then it must also come to terms with the fact that the very people who for centuries have been complicit in, and beneficiaries of, the abuse and oppression of historically devalued communities and peoples cannot now come and tell the world that they are going to fix what they themselves destroyed. Those who have historically enjoyed all the mechanisms of colonization, making room for themselves in the world with little or no resistance, cannot be the ones who now also tell historically devalued and impoverished people how the world is to be repaired.
No en nuestro nombre - Not in our name.
La guerra y los asesinatos de Trump y Netanyahu, se sienten y viven diferente desde quienes estamos en el Sur Global. Siempre hemos sido víctimas de invasiones, bombardeos y amenazas de USA, sin importar si el que lo hace es Demócrata o Republicano. No importa si la guerra es por petróleo, por democracia o en nombre de Dios. Los golpes son diferentes si vives en el país que los da, o en el país que los recibe.
The war and murders perpetrated by Trump and Netanyahu are felt and experienced differently by those of us in the Global South. We have always been victims of invasions, bombings, and threats from the USA, regardless of whether the perpetrator is a Democrat or a Republican. It doesn't matter if the war is for oil, for democracy, or in the name of God. The strikes are different depending on whether you live in the country delivering them or the country receiving them.
Animating Children’s Participation in a Small Congregation
My goal with kids’ singing in worship is to incorporate their voices as members of the leadership, rather than setting them off on their own. While they’re certainly adorable, I try not to make their cuteness the main focus; my hope is to show them they have a voice in the song of the community, rather than to put them on display to delight the grownups (though if the grownups are delighted, that’s a bonus!)
Benito Bowl: Perreo, América y Recetas Fáciles para la “Liberación”
Decir “together we are América” implica también reconocer que no puede haber unión mientras Estados Unidos explote a Puerto Rico, Cuba y América Latina, sus recursos y su gente porque la liberación es colectiva, no individual. De igual manera, América no puede reclamar unión mientras algunas de sus naciones ignoran y hasta apoyan el genocidio que ocurre diariamente en Palestina. Me parece que la unión que reclamó Benito en el medio tiempo merece un ojo más crítico para evitar reducir su mensaje a nombrar países en una tarima.
Benito Bowl: Perreo, Tokenizing and Easy Recipes for “Liberation”
Thus, in Benito’s case, saying “together we are América” requires understanding that togetherness cannot exist while the United States exploits Puerto Rico, Cuba, Latin America, its resources, and its people because liberation is collective, not individual. Similarly, América cannot stand together in unity while some of its nations ignore and endorse a genocide taking place right in front of their eyes. I believe that Benito’s “together we are América” demands a more critical gaze that does not reduce his idea to the naming of countries on a stage.
Building Hope: A Letter from our Chief Editor Construyendo esperanza: Una carta de nuestro editor.
But, “what is hope if not understanding that reality, though material and operational, does not determine everything that is possible?” asks Dr. Yara González-Justiniano. What is hope if not a continuous journey that rejects the present world and affirms, without hesitation, that another reality—more ethical, more just, more beautiful, and more full of love—is possible? What is hope if not the unshakable conviction that our imagination can exceed imposed social paradigms and allow us to think and act toward the world that Jesus Christ dreamed? Jesus, the little child who comes to life in Advent, is hope made real.
Welcoming our new Interim Director Rev. William Moses Summerville.
My early years in church were the early years of the church. Many of my pivotal moments in my early childhood church life were momentous occasions for the church. Canaan Missionary Baptist Church is the same age as me, and the Pastor that offered Christ to me, baptized me, licensed me, and ordained me still is serving that faith community.
LGBTQIA2S+ Struggles for Justice in Puerto Rico: An Interview with Rev. Abigail Medina Betancourt
The first thing I understood is that it is their space, not mine. I was there as an ally. That meant walking silently alongside them and being present. I believe the most important thing is for us to act with humility and acknowledge the harm the church has done. We should not step into their spaces to try to take control, or to tell them, “I forgive you,” as if they were doing something wrong or as if forgiveness was ours to give.
Women and Violence in Mexico
Evangelical faith, the spirituality of the Kingdom must transform into love and care to women victims of violence. How? We must open our eyes and hearts to the signs of these times, more to the confessional creeds and in alliances with other goodwill groups.