On Monday, April 7th, I had the privilege of saying a few words after the passing of my Grandmother Anna Lee Noble (also known as Grannie Annie), who answered God’s call on March 27, 2014. Many might think that this would have been the time to tell the friends and family that came about the best memories that you had with the one who passed. Unfortunately, my reflection was not of that, but of how I couldn’t share these memories...because I had none.
I can’t really tell [.....]
How did I get here? I’m 30 with no children, and no desire to have any. This isn’t what I pictured for myself, but then, my mental photographs are almost always out of focus.
It wasn’t overnight. Two years ago, I was in a very different place. I literally ached at the sight of every sweet cherubic brown face. I even made a Tumblr dedicated to just photos of cute black babies. I can’t point out a day on the calendar when it all changed. I suppose [.....]
1. The Impossible
He rode into town on a donkey to shouts of praise. Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel. Palms wave in the air and scatter the road as he clunks along. This is no powerful steed, so the entrance is slow and the praise long. "Hosanna! Save us," the crowd cries. They are desperate to be freed, desperate to become a nation unto themselves, freed -no- saved from the tyranny [.....]
Last Sunday I was blessed with the opportunity to hear and see one of the top public intellectuals of our time, Dr. Cornel West. Dr. West came to Washington, D.C. to preach at the Sunday morning service at Howard University's historic Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel. The sermon was a critique of society's propensity to exchange virtue for currency. Dr. West summoned the writings of W.E.B. DuBois, who posed a series of questions, in one of his lesser known bodies of work The Black Flame Trilogy, which reflect the [.....]
1. African children are not your pawns: World Vision and Evangelical Imperialism
Post-Evangelicalism, White Saviorism, and PA$$ING FOR WHITE [EVANGELICAL]
I’ve noticed somewhat of a trend that’s pretty problematic that I wanted to draw out. You can call this my official response to the World Vision / White Evangelicalism drama that went on last week. At the center of the storm, there lied a Christian charity organization that decided to, then reversed on the decision, to hire Christians from denominations that affirmed same sex [.....]
The Ghetto Monk is a home for contemplative thought from the young, spiritual, radical, and ratchet.