11:18 AM

How Should Christians Respond To The Syrian Refugee Crisis?

posted by Ryan Herringin 1 comments

Just days after a series of terrorist attacks in Paris, France left 129 people dead and over 350 others injured, Syrian refugees have once again become a topic for debate. It is believed that some of the terrorists gained access to Europe by using refugee status after a Syrian passport was found near the body of one of the suicide bombers from the attacks. However, Serbian police recently arrested a man carrying a Syrian passport with the exact same details as the documents found on the bomber in [.....]

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8:20 PM

The New Creation: How Science Fiction Deepens My Theology

posted by Ryan Herringin Featured Posts0 comments

I recently picked up a fascinating book called Octavia's Brood co-edited by Walidah Imarisha and adrienne maree brown. In a discussion about the book Walidah Imarisha said, "All organizing is science fiction. What does a world without poverty look like? What does a world without prison look like? What does a world with everyone having enough food and clothing look like? We don't know. It's science fiction, and it is as foreign to us as the Klingon home world." I had never heard of organizing being discussed in [.....]

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9:17 PM

Envisioning a Better Future: The Importance of Dreaming

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"Tell them about your dream, Martin."

These words spoken to Martin Luther King Jr. 52 years ago on August 28, 1963 by Mahalia Jackson inspired perhaps the most well-known prophetic use of spiritual imagination in modern history. King's "I Have A Dream" speech was filled with hope and radical imagery. King envisioned a nation where injustice and oppression were no longer prevalent -- a nation so transformed by hope and love that freedom and justice rang "from every state and every city." This kind of dream, [.....]

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1:13 PM

Fighting for Justice: A Commitment to Wait on the Lord

posted by Ryan Herringin 0 comments

One of the most frustrating aspects of social justice work is waiting for your hard work and dedication to finally pay off. Why must we wait so long to see change actually happen? It is not uncommon for a person to work their entire life toward affecting change and never get the result they desire. Following in the footsteps of our ancestors and the prophets of the Bible, when our patience is tested we begin to petition God and solicit God's presence and activity in our society. Where [.....]

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11:54 AM

Encountering The Trinity Through Blackness

posted by Ryan Herringin 0 comments

"I have never felt closer to a higher power than since the protests began." - Deray McKesson

There is a lot of truth in this statement. I feel this way, in part, because I am living out God's calling on my life. As a Christian I have always felt the call to use my faith to become an agent of change and to be a part of a community that is seeking to transform society. In various ways I have worked toward accomplishing that throughout my life. [.....]

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3:00 PM

Can The Protest Movement Reform The Church?

posted by Ryan Herringin 1 comments

Yesterday, on Easter Sunday, protest leaders from Millenial Activists United held a very quiet and peaceful demonstration outside of a church in St. Louis. There was no chanting, just humming and signs being held. Signs that carried messages such as, "crucifixion = lynching" and "Mike Brown was the least of these." Their goal was to remind Black Christians of the radical message of Christ and the implications his death and resurrection have for the today's world. Some church members greeted the demonstrators with support and love. Others felt [.....]

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2:45 PM

The Toll of Freedom Fighting by Chad Golden

posted by Ryan Herringin 0 comments

Undiagnosed mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and many others are at an epidemic level in the black community. This stems from a variety of things but is mainly due to the stigma that is placed on mental illness within the black community. We are often shamed for seeking mental help because we have been taught to view it as some sort of weakness. Others believe that we should have faith and that religion can solve all of our problems. It is said that black people don't suffer from these disorders at a [.....]

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3:56 PM

#BookOfHope

posted by Ryan Herringin 1 comments

On March 15, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a sermon at Central United Methodist Church in Detroit, MI entitled, "The Meaning of Hope." In this sermon Dr. King reminded the church of its responsibility to "keep the flame of hope burning" by becoming "custodians of hopefulness." For King, hope was absolutely necessary to survive in times of far-reaching injustice.

What is this hope that King speaks of? Where does this hope come from? Where can this hope lead us?

In this book I explore the [.....]

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2:52 PM

The Scroll 1/30/15: Top Five Christian Articles of the Week

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1. Why @TefPoe is Leading, and Clergy are Following
In the post-Civil Rights Black Church, Hip Hop culture has emerged as a powerful religious praxis in the black community. Filling a void that was once occupied by spirituals, blues, Dr. King, and the black panthers; Hip Hop has surfaced as a new movement of religious expression...continue reading 2. they would respect us if
With the Ferguson movement and other protests around the country highlighting the dual but interrelated problems of police brutality and racial profiling in African American [.....]

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12:43 PM

How Justice Became Central to My Christian Identity

posted by Ryan Herringin 2 comments

The fight for justice in the wake of the murder of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18 year old teenager killed in Ferguson, MO on August 9, 2014 by police officer Darren Wilson, has continued for over 140 days and into the new year. Many have already deemed 2015 as the "Year of Resistance." Since August 9th, other police involved killings from around the country and decisions to not indict the officers involved have fanned the flames of protest culminating in mass demonstrations in 37 states. It has become very evident that this [.....]

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