Category: Vol.28 No. 1 Winter 2019

By Nicole and Rick Braithewait Hunt and John Joubert – “[The challenge is] how do we come back to being one people again. We have the same spirit within us all. We’ve forgotten that.” Nicole Brathwaite-Hunt
“The native part of me tells me that we’re a culture that is totally ignored and people don’t believe we exist anymore. The African side of me, basically tells me we’re a culture that hasn’t treated as humans.” Rick Hunt
John Gentlehawk Joubert said of his friend Rick: “You are trapped. As a Native American, you were not worthy enough to co-exist and the rest of the world wanted to wipe you out. In the black culture, people wanted to own you. You were a commodity so they wouldn’t have to do work. That is not ‘civilized’.”

By Julieta Mendoza – Systemic racism has, throughout my whole life, prevented me from being in spaces like this today, from going to college, from feeling like I belong, and from finding people like me who want a revolution!

by Brenna Cussen – I was beyond impressed that Agape was willing to dive into such a difficult and necessary issue. The diversity of the speakers, musicians, and prayer leaders were a testament not only to the relevance of the topic, but also to Agape’s reputation and dedication to building relationships. How important it was to begin and end the day with ceremony and reflections from Worcester’s Native community, recognizing that the event took place on occupied land.

by Jonathan Betts Fields – Nonviolent love looks

like friendship; embrace it and

end all the isms.

Race justice, lament,

and forgiveness mix well with

laughter, baked goods and singing.

Book review by Claire Schaeffer-Duffy

Robert Thiefels has written a thoughtful and valuable book about consciousness as it pertains to the Christian faith journey. In Standing in the Midst of Grace: Essays on Living in Christ Consciousness, he invites us to look beyond the Jesus we have created in our own image and see the unfolding Christ Who loves us into full participation with an evolving universe.