What should the church be doing about the US election results? ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
| Hi John! You might have noticed that I've been quiet about the US election results. I needed time to let it sink in. I also wanted to give you time to take steps towards mental safety. Today I'm sharing my thoughts about how the Church should be reacting to the US election results. Cartoon: My new book cover! 🏳️🌈
Dad Joke: A toothy one 🦷
Post: Happy Holidays??? 🤨
Quote: Christians vs the status quo 🤝
Announcement: New Holiday Greeting Cards 🎄
Reminder: 3 for 2 Print Sale 🧡
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| Cartoon: My New Book Cover! |
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| This week's cartoon is in celebration of my new children’s book that's coming out soon. It's called “The Rainbow Sheep” and is a humorous story about inclusion, self-acceptance, and the joy of being different. Ricky lives with a flock of sheep that prizes conformity. When one sleeps, they all sleep. When one eats, they all eat. When one baa-a-a-s, they all baa-a-a. And they all dress the same too. Every single day. Until a rainbow sheep joins the flock and everything changes! Rainbow is so fun and so free! Ricky becomes friends with Rainbow and starts showing her true color too. How will the rest of the flock react? It's written and illustrated by me for you with so much love. P.S. Last weekend people had trouble getting to the site because it was down for maintenance but it's working now. |
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| I’ll never understand why a set of false teeth is called “dentures”. They really missed an opportunity to call it “substitooths”. |
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| This cartoon (and many others) is available as a Holiday Greeting Card. I've put them into sets that are funny, or serious, or LGBTQ-affirming. Go have a look and pick your favorite! Each pack contains five greeting cards. |
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| How Should the Church React to US Elections??? |
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| The morning I awakened to discover the results of the USA election, I had a very strange reaction. I’ll share this with you by just sharing with you what I wrote in my journal about it: I woke up yesterday to the news that Trump won. Devastating and depressing! But I had a very interesting internal response to it that I didn’t expect. It was a theological one. What I sensed at a deep level was the importance and necessity of the church to fulfil its prophetic role. I think the church has two roles— pastoral and prophetic. It must fulfil these two functions. But it has dropped the ball for both! And the results of this election prove it. Instead, the church is enticed by kings. This is the story of Saul and Samuel all over again. I also felt a deep urgency that we need prophets. Not fore-tellers, but forth-tellers. People who speak truth to power, including the power of the church. We need prophets! Like Thomas Merton. Dorothy Day. Howard Thurman. James Baldwin. Martin Luther King, Jr.. The Berrigan brothers. William Stringfellow. Who are the prophets today who won’t sell themselves out to the powers? Who won’t be pawns of the authorities, including the church? We need Jeremiahs rather than the hired court prophets he was up against. I think Christianity ought to be a manifestation of love that is universal and ought to reflect this in the church as a microcosmic model for what is possible. But it has failed. How can the church or anyone be both pastoral and prophetic? Can the church care for all people while speaking truth to power? I personally struggle with this question on how to be bold and courageous and speak truth to power and the abuse of power, while at the same time compassionately care for people. Because one gives a tender vibe, while the other gives an abrasive one. But… the prophetic is in service to the pastoral. We speak truth to power in order to demand that it do its job of caring for everyone. Like a shepherd gently caring for his sheep, moseying around with his flock. Until wolves show up. Then he leaps with rage and strength to protect. It’s about justice for all. Not just some. Has the church abandoned its prophetic role because it has abandoned caring for its own people and all people? Or has it preferred to serve the powers in order to secure its own safety and future? We need prophets! Real ones. Now! |
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| You Deserve Affirming Art Prints! |
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| Use the code BF3FOR2 to get 3 for 2 on all of my prints until 6 December 🧡 |
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| Now that we're talking about the election results, I want to know how you're feeling. This outcome will have a huge impact on so many people in so many ways. I want you to know that you are loved and that, in this community, you are safe. Much love my friend, David |
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