The morning of January 6, 2021, I finished writing and recorded a video mini-sermon that was framed around the elections the night before of Raphael Warnock and John Ossoff, the beginning of the Book of Exodus, and the Black-Jewish alliance that held through much of the civil rights era. By early afternoon, I had uploaded the recording to the video guy and clicked over to C-SPAN to watch what I thought would be the ongoing certification of the election, and realized that the sermon was already out of date.
Something I've been thinking about a lot is how in 2022, Iowa Democrats tried to run an entire senate race by attempting to link Grassley to supporting January 6th rioters and I remember thinking at the time, "Republicans do support them though, this will only help." And it did. Already out of date is so real
And, even as I've gotten drawn into it, the will-he-won't-he of whether Trump will actually pardon all of these people that is taking up so much media attention also feels like it's missing the point.
I grew up surrounded by lies, fear, suspicion and bigotry. It came from my European immigrant parents who feared the Black and the Brown. It came from my church which regaled against secular government (and other faiths). It came from the kids in my parochial school who channeled, unfiltered by the discretion of adult realities, their parents’ anti-semitism and crude racism. College was the first place where behavioral mores and rules quieted the ugliness. The professional workplace also suppressed the overt hate. But I felt it seethe, mostly from the white men around whom I studied and worked. I was shocked to hear racist hate during a private meeting with a college professor. We’ve seen CEOs and military general officers violate standards of conduct to lift church above the Constitution. The media space is swarmed by lies and hate. And now, finally, the secret wish of every one of these suppressed haters is being realized: the racist, bigot felon who is a willing tool to white evangelical nationalists is being crowned president. But we’ve always known that these forces were slithering under the thin veneer of any civility and decency we’ve enjoyed in our lives, haven’t we?
So much of my growing up was being taught to be silent in the face of sexism, injustice, violence. Fortunately, I was an oldest girl with two little brothers and read Harriet the Spy six thousand times. I learned to take notes, observe, and call out bullshit loudly and often. I hate White Silence. Hate it.
I'm also a mouthy middle class white woman who worshipped at the feet of Harriet in grade school -- never considered that may have been an influence. Fortunately I had parents who let me say what I thought as long as it was done respectfully and intelligently.
Two stories, one about Iowa churches and one about gun shows:
In 1960, we lived in the NW corner of Iowa and attended a Methodist church there. My parents sang in the church choir and tithed 10% of their income, despite having 5 kids who also went to church every Sunday (except one). Late October, we were left at home. Later, we heard that when the minister began his sermon about how his parishioners should not vote for a Catholic who owed his allegiance to the Pope, my parents looked at each other, stood up and walked out
I heard about it from kids at school the next day....but the minister apologized to them later.
I went to a gun show with a friend and stopped at the 2nd Amendment booth. I asked a few questions about whether there should be limits (should Bill Gates be allowed to have jets and bombs), but when the young man at the booth said owning and displaying a gun was about "getting respect" I replied, "like all the street thugs on TV?"
Since I wasn't yet following you then, I'm glad to get to read this today. Insightful and inspiring as you always are. Thank you.
At the risk of sounding like "#NotAllPastors" or something equally obtuse...I remembered preaching about the insurrection that Sunday but not the specifics, so I looked it up. Part of my sermon that day was a quote from the Board of Church & Society (the social justice arm of the United Methodist Church): "Not only is to be silent to be complicit-it is to abandon our baptismal vows.”
I'm grateful to have Lyz's writing and the commenting community here to encourage me and us to not be silent about bigotry, hatred, and violence. And to enjoy some belly laughs along the way.
I remember returning to the church I had gotten married in, the Sunday after the capital riots. I looked at the pastor who I have never met and said "Boy, I can sure use a good sermon today". He turned to me and said "Well I'm not talking about it. I have other things to talk about." I was shocked. I was there for comfort. I left that day and never returned. I wanted comfort. I wanted discussion. I wanted to understand how hate filled America that day. So now I use my time to get in discussions with my Republican neighbors who hate it because they don't read! But I rejoice with my Democratic neighbors who stay informed!
Thank you for reposting this. I didn’t know about you in 2021, and I value your voice so much.
I feel like I have spent my adult life trying to see what isn’t seen, and acknowledge what goes unspoken. This is a brilliant example of both.
The morning of January 6, 2021, I finished writing and recorded a video mini-sermon that was framed around the elections the night before of Raphael Warnock and John Ossoff, the beginning of the Book of Exodus, and the Black-Jewish alliance that held through much of the civil rights era. By early afternoon, I had uploaded the recording to the video guy and clicked over to C-SPAN to watch what I thought would be the ongoing certification of the election, and realized that the sermon was already out of date.
Something I've been thinking about a lot is how in 2022, Iowa Democrats tried to run an entire senate race by attempting to link Grassley to supporting January 6th rioters and I remember thinking at the time, "Republicans do support them though, this will only help." And it did. Already out of date is so real
And, even as I've gotten drawn into it, the will-he-won't-he of whether Trump will actually pardon all of these people that is taking up so much media attention also feels like it's missing the point.
yeah the horse race (whose gonna win) aspect of the story truly isn't the real story
The final performance of SUFFS on Broadway on Jan 5 (producer Hillary Clinton in the audience) reminded us of our history.
A little more than a hundred years ago, women could not vote in federal elections.
Men violently attacked women who dared publicly demand the right to vote. Grabbed their picket signs out of their hands and beat them with the sticks.
President Woodrow Wilson allowed suffragist women to be imprisoned and tortured for demonstrating.
It took over half a century of activism for the 19th Amendment to be ratified, and decades more for Black women to be guaranteed that right.
We were founded on white patriarchal supremacy and every bit of social progress is a concession.
Women still are not guaranteed equal rights under the law, and governments are controlling women’s bodily autonomy.
I assume this is acceptable to most Americans or there would have been a different outcome in November.
I grew up surrounded by lies, fear, suspicion and bigotry. It came from my European immigrant parents who feared the Black and the Brown. It came from my church which regaled against secular government (and other faiths). It came from the kids in my parochial school who channeled, unfiltered by the discretion of adult realities, their parents’ anti-semitism and crude racism. College was the first place where behavioral mores and rules quieted the ugliness. The professional workplace also suppressed the overt hate. But I felt it seethe, mostly from the white men around whom I studied and worked. I was shocked to hear racist hate during a private meeting with a college professor. We’ve seen CEOs and military general officers violate standards of conduct to lift church above the Constitution. The media space is swarmed by lies and hate. And now, finally, the secret wish of every one of these suppressed haters is being realized: the racist, bigot felon who is a willing tool to white evangelical nationalists is being crowned president. But we’ve always known that these forces were slithering under the thin veneer of any civility and decency we’ve enjoyed in our lives, haven’t we?
So much of my growing up was being taught to be silent in the face of sexism, injustice, violence. Fortunately, I was an oldest girl with two little brothers and read Harriet the Spy six thousand times. I learned to take notes, observe, and call out bullshit loudly and often. I hate White Silence. Hate it.
I'm also a mouthy middle class white woman who worshipped at the feet of Harriet in grade school -- never considered that may have been an influence. Fortunately I had parents who let me say what I thought as long as it was done respectfully and intelligently.
Just as carefully observed, deeply-felt, and vital as when you wrote it. Thank you for running it again!
Two stories, one about Iowa churches and one about gun shows:
In 1960, we lived in the NW corner of Iowa and attended a Methodist church there. My parents sang in the church choir and tithed 10% of their income, despite having 5 kids who also went to church every Sunday (except one). Late October, we were left at home. Later, we heard that when the minister began his sermon about how his parishioners should not vote for a Catholic who owed his allegiance to the Pope, my parents looked at each other, stood up and walked out
I heard about it from kids at school the next day....but the minister apologized to them later.
I went to a gun show with a friend and stopped at the 2nd Amendment booth. I asked a few questions about whether there should be limits (should Bill Gates be allowed to have jets and bombs), but when the young man at the booth said owning and displaying a gun was about "getting respect" I replied, "like all the street thugs on TV?"
"The violence of white silence." There it is. Thank you.
Everytime I hear a catchy Christian song I have to google like - you a good witch or a bad witch?
Thank you for reposting. I think about this piece a lot when January 6th comes up.
Since I wasn't yet following you then, I'm glad to get to read this today. Insightful and inspiring as you always are. Thank you.
At the risk of sounding like "#NotAllPastors" or something equally obtuse...I remembered preaching about the insurrection that Sunday but not the specifics, so I looked it up. Part of my sermon that day was a quote from the Board of Church & Society (the social justice arm of the United Methodist Church): "Not only is to be silent to be complicit-it is to abandon our baptismal vows.”
I'm grateful to have Lyz's writing and the commenting community here to encourage me and us to not be silent about bigotry, hatred, and violence. And to enjoy some belly laughs along the way.
I remember returning to the church I had gotten married in, the Sunday after the capital riots. I looked at the pastor who I have never met and said "Boy, I can sure use a good sermon today". He turned to me and said "Well I'm not talking about it. I have other things to talk about." I was shocked. I was there for comfort. I left that day and never returned. I wanted comfort. I wanted discussion. I wanted to understand how hate filled America that day. So now I use my time to get in discussions with my Republican neighbors who hate it because they don't read! But I rejoice with my Democratic neighbors who stay informed!
Thanks for reposting this--it was really interesting.
My mind stuck on one bit, unfortunately: a woman's behind grafted to a toilet? WTH happened?
really, is that even possible.
it is a terrific analogy though and your article from the huffpost is great ...
Excellent article as always.
OT: I already have a nomination for Dingus of the Week, and it’s still just Monday.
Thank you for posting this again. I didn’t know you yet in 2021.