Category: Uncategorized

Dave Diewert

On By J. Barrett LeeIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Back in seminary, I was Dave Diewert’s TA in Intro to Biblical Hebrew.

Teaching Hebrew, for Dave, is really more of a side-gig.  Most of the time, he stays involved with community organizing in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver (also known as “Canada’s poorest postal code”).  Of particular interest to me is his work in solidarity with chemically dependent people for radical harm reduction strategies such as safe-injection sites.

Here is an interview with Dave on the Mark Hasiuk Show.  Worth a watch.

 

 

 

On By J. Barrett LeeIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Repost from earlier in the year. The more I sit with Emerson, the more his words touch me.

J. Barrett Lee's avatarHopping Hadrian's Wall

By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Bulkeley, Hunt, Willard, Hosmer, Meriam, Flint,
Possessed the land which rendered to their toil
Hay, corn, roots, hemp, flax, apples, wool and wood.
Each of these landlords walked amidst his farm,
Saying, “‘Tis mine, my children’s and my name’s.
How sweet the west wind sounds in my own trees!
How graceful climb those shadows on my hill!
I fancy these pure waters and the flags
Know me, as does my dog: we sympathize;
And, I affirm, my actions smack of the soil.’

Where are these men? Asleep beneath their grounds:
And strangers, fond as they, their furrows plough.
Earth laughs in flowers, to see her boastful boys
Earth-proud, proud of the earth which is not theirs;
Who steer the plough, but cannot steer their feet
Clear of the grave.
They added ridge to valley, brook to pond,
And sighed for all that bounded their domain;
‘This…

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Right To Pray

On By J. Barrett LeeIn Uncategorized4 Comments

Here’s a link to an article I found on Huffington Post:

Missouri To Vote On Prayer Amendment 2 Known As ‘Right To Pray’

I am a firm believer in the separation of church & state.  However, I wonder if it might not be more profitable to challenge this law in ways that are more creative than your average lawsuit?

This amendment is obviously the brain-child of Christian fundamentalists trying to assert their dominance over society.

So, imagine what it would be like if state legislation sessions began with a tribal shaman blessing the four directions and smudging the delegates?  How would it change the flow of public debate if committee meetings began with five minutes of guided Zazen meditation?  Can you imagine a room full of Missouri politicians bowing in reverence toward Mecca?

Of course, they’d never go for it (thus revealing the inherent problem with this amendment), but the idea certainly creates intriguing mental images.

 

 

 

This is me NOT weighing in on the Chick-Fil-A thing

On By J. Barrett LeeIn Uncategorized7 Comments
Image by PCHS-NJROTC

Those who know me already know where I stand and why.  No need to rehash that here and now.  Nor do I wish to dignify this week’s mutual posturing exercises with any sort of direct response.

If you’re reading this and, like me, you identify yourself as a Christian and you care about your religious values being known and respected in this country, I recommend that you follow in the footsteps of your Lord and Savior and do the kinds of things that Jesus did.  The folks at your local food bank, rescue mission, soup kitchen, or homeless shelter are desperate for donations and volunteers.  As Jesus told his followers in the Sermon on the Mount, “Let your light shine before all people, that they might see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  Help your church become known for these kinds of good works and your actions will speak volumes to the world about the sincerity of your faith and the depth of your convictions.  I guarantee that it will leave a far more lasting and fruitful testimony for Christ than standing in line for fried chicken.

If you’re reading this and, like me, you care passionately about equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people, I recommend that you get involved with the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at your school or the local Parents & Friends of Lesbians And Gays (PFLAG) chapter in your community.  If there aren’t any such organizations in your area, consider starting one.  By all means, vote with your dollars and don’t patronize any establishment that troubles your conscience, but don’t think that the personal opinions of CEOs will be swayed by your non-participation.  The truth is that they positively couldn’t give a rat’s posterior about your basic human dignity.  Instead, focus your efforts of political change on achievable goals with tangible results.  Donate to or volunteer for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).  Write to your elected officials and tell them that you care about marriage equality.  Campaign and vote for candidates who support equality.  Talk to your local school board about bullying.  Educate your kids.  Love your neighbor’s gay kid, especially if that kid isn’t getting much support from home.  Knowing that you’re there and available to listen will make all the difference in the world.  You might even save a life.

I firmly believe that things will get better, but before they do, we all need to do our part to make it happen.

When you’re lovers in a dangerous time,
sometimes you’re made to feel as if your love’s a crime,
but nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight.
Got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight.

-Bruce Cockburn

To Unplug or Not to Unplug? That is the Question.

On By J. Barrett LeeIn Uncategorized20 Comments

Dear Superfriends and Blogofans,

I crave your input (and no, that’s not meant to be a dirty joke).  While it has been my joy to be the favorite Internet Heretic Superstar for a small following, I’ve lately begun to reflect on and reevaluate my place in the online world.

On the one hand, as my wife recently pointed out to me, this blog has come to occupy the same mental space that my old Community Chaplaincy used to occupy in my mind, heart, and time.  It seems to be a place where fellow outcasts and like-minded spiritual explorers can find good news.

On the other hand, between the blogosphere and Facebook, I am daily finding someone or something that really sets my blood to boil.  I’m finding it more and more difficult to maintain my own personal commitment to sanity and civility when it comes to religious and political dialogue.  You might say that I’m steadily developing a case of road rage on the Information Superhighway.

I fear that the anonymity, isolation, and forced terseness of online social media is severely lowering the bar for effective public discourse in our society.  To put it bluntly: we seem to be losing our ability to communicate.

Nowhere is this observed tendency more obvious to me than in my own psyche.  My fuse is shorter and my patience thinner than they used to be.  In my best moments, I am exhausted from having to be the bigger person while I bear witness to online behaviors that are, frankly, cruel and stupid.  In my worst moments, I have participated in those same cruel and stupid behaviors.  Either way, I’m sick of it.

So, I’m thinking that it might be time for me to take a break from blogging and Facebooking.

What I want to know from you, Superfriends and Blogofans, is this:

Does my online presence (on this blog or on Facebook) contribute significantly to my relationship with you?  If I don’t know you personally, does it contribute meaningfully to your own personal growth?

If the answer to either of those questions is ‘Yes’, I would sincerely like to know.  That way, I can make a better-informed decision about whether:

a.  this exercise is worth continuing

or

b.  it would be better for me to unplug from this online drain of human mental and moral capacities.

I want to hear your thoughts.  Please leave them in the comments section.

 

 

 

Contact

On By J. Barrett LeeIn Uncategorized1 Comment
Chris Hoke. Image swiped from Facebook.

My friend Chris Hoke, a corrections chaplain with Tierra Nueva in Washington state, was recently on NPR’s Snap Judgment, talking about isolation and contact in the penal system.  This is totally worth 11 minutes of your time.  Chris, Bob Ekblad, Nick & Elizabeth Turman-Bryant, and all the rest of the folks at Tierra Nueva have done a lot to shape who I am and what I do.

Click here to listen to this broadcast

The God Particle

On By J. Barrett LeeIn Uncategorized1 Comment
Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Image by Julian Herzog.

Reblogged from the Stillspeaking devotional published by the United Church of Christ.

Romans 1:19-20

“But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of God’s divine being.” (The Message)

Reflection by Daniel Randall

The recent announcement of the discovery of the Higgs boson particle has both scientific and religious communities abuzz. Labeled “the God particle” by some, the Higgs boson apparently helps us understand why there are things – even us in the universe. It explains why there is mass. It lays out why we have sticks and stones, planets and pets, stars and super glue. Simply explained, the Higgs boson may be the “glue” according to some scientists, which holds everything together.  (Click link to continue reading)