In 2015, I was in the midst of an existential crisis. The right livelihood I had attempted to carve out for myself as a permaculturist (see Go Golden chapter seven for an introduction to permaculture) had not worked out as planned. I was struggling to find work, living in a tiny attic bedroom we were renting from …
Author: Tattooed Theologian
Seminary educated theologian on a spiritual journey seeking to live out the truth of Jesus' teachings, and be an agent of Shalom in our world. Thy kindom come, thy will be done in heaven and so on Earth...Peace be with you.
Christian persecution in America?
Vice President, and fundamentalist Christian, Mike Pence recently told the predominantly white graduates of Liberty University (a fundamentalist university run by Jerry Falwell, Jr. who is a vocal Trump supporter) that they should be prepared to be ridiculed and shunned for holding what he calls "traditional Christian beliefs." In his view the "voices for tolerance" …
Finding hope amidst the chaos
Last Friday night I went to my seminary Alma mater to discuss my recently published book Go Golden with the students in an ethics class. It was humbling to sit there, in a classroom I had spent many hours in as a seminary student pursuing a M.A. in religion, with a room full of students who had …
Embracing diversity New Testament style
In my last post, I posited the argument that God loves diversity and based that statement on the obvious abundance of diversity found throughout the natural world. To me that abundance means we should not only accept people in the LGBTQIA community, we should recognize that they were born exactly as they were supposed to …
There’s something happening here: The sequel
If you close your eyes and think about church you may get a flood of images of steeples, pews, and a choir, or of clergy members in various types of garments that denote their office and role. Perhaps you will feel emotions, be they positive because your experience with church has been largely positive. Conversely, …
Continue reading There’s something happening here: The sequel
God loves diversity. Period.
There is a great deal being said about diversity in society today. Inexplicably, this has become a political issue, because some politicians and their allies believe that certain people deserve better treatment than others, which is strange given that in the Gospels Jesus reiterated the Jewish teaching to love our neighbors without condition and …
Unmerited advantages
Privilege is something seen throughout American life by certain individuals and groups. Sometimes it comes in the form of granting someone permission to do something in particular and is relatively innocuous. If the students I am teaching at the school I work at get done with their work, I allow them to use their smart …
Dr. King and intersectionality
Books have the power to profoundly impact our lives. In 2006, I found an audiobook copy of A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. at my local library. I had some familiarity with King's work prior to listening to that book, and his autobiography in quick succession, but not much. Those two …
2019: Year of self care
The calendar has flipped to a new year. Despite the somewhat arbitrary nature of the Gregorian calendar, starting the new year on the winter solstice makes more sense to me, we are now at the beginning of a new year, where a new you is possible and everything seems to be new, new, new...As human …
Come now…an Advent prayer
Come now long-awaited Jesus, come now the glorious Kindom of God, to bring your holy light into our increasingly dark world. Come now long-awaited Jesus, come now the glorious Kindom of God, to awaken your holy peace within the collective heart of hurting humanity, and in the hearts of every wounded person around your world. Come now …
The Tattooed Theologian 