The Long Walk Through The Dark

It has been many months since I have posted on here. The world has certainly changed and I continue this decolonization journey. There is certainly a cost to this journey--a distinct financial one for my family who have relied heavily on raising support for many years and a loss of many friendships. As a straight, white guy, the comparable hardship is minimal. Here is to random blog posts. The following is also part of my personal decolonization journey, particularly how I have seen the Bible used and interpreted as a weapon of power and empire.

My friend has recounted some of his journey on Tik-Tok and in a very backwards compatible way, I wanted to highlight the first part of his journey here. Take a listen and then watch them all.

@jamiearpinricci
My experience in YWAM - Part 1 ##ywam ##exvangelical ##deconstructingchristianity ##progressiveclergy ##progressivechristian
♬ original sound - Jamie Arpin-Ricci

Comments

Decolonizing the YWAM Values: a Personal Journey

"Decolonization once viewed as the formal process of handing over the instruments of government, is now recognized as a long-term process involving the bureaucratic, cultural, linguistic and psychological divesting of colonial power [1]” https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/a-brief-definition-of-decolonization-and-indigenization Jan 25/19 This re-understanding is my journey of decolonization, one rooted in my Acadian identity; rooted in my relationship with the Mi'kmaq, Wolastoqey, and Passamaquoddy; rooted in this Land.This is not an exercise in contextualization, or worse, appropriation, but in decolonization and unsettling the YWAM values for the benefit of all of YWAM. Decolonization is the responsibility of the colonizer more than the colonized. Decolonization is something you practice. These values aren't really values at all but words of the Lord spoken to YWAM. These values, as time goes on, the revelation of these Words continues to change and grow. They are ...

Practice makes perfect

I have realized over the past few years that practice does make perfect... or at least you get better at it. Whether you write, take pictures, snowshoe, or pray, the more you do it the better you get. Also, if you do it every day, even for just a short while, you get better. Along with this, I realize that perfect scares people and makes people a little crazy. I think in art and life it is more important to be honest then perfect. People appreciate honesty way more then perfection. Perfection seems to stop people from doing anything. It was an epiphany for me when it hit that starting something new will always be messy and that is okay. An honest mess is better then trying to attain and sustain perfection. So to pull the two together. If you want to get better at something then try to do a little of it every day and don't be concerned with how good it looks up front. Practice honestly and you will get better as a by-product if nothing else. I went almost five years without taking ...

A Decolonization Recipe (Part 2): Reading Lists

Here is the thing, I have read a lot of books on this journey. It is important to once again, situate my context of knowing and learning. I am settler-Acadian. I grew up along the Wolastoq and now live in Mi'kma'ki, the part now currently known as Nova Scotia. I am a treaty person with the Peace and Friendship Treaties of 1725 forward. This journey is impossible without reading. I spent a lot of years reading almost exclusively from the voice of straight, white, men. I needed to spend a long time listening to different voices... decentering whiteness. Read indigenous authors. Read women authors. In an effort for manageability, I have put some of these books in different pots. It doesn't mean they should always stay there. Also, this is not an exhaustive list. I am not sure if I could pinpoint the reason I chose these other than they are my regular "you may want to start with some of these" books when I am asked about reading lists. I haven't even mentioned th...

The Heart Grows

Search This Blog