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How did faith in Jesus embolden three African Americans in their quest for freedom? Take ten minutes to watch this animated series and learn how The Reader, The Servant, and The Hymnist lived out their faith. Can you guess who they are before the end of the video?
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As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Savior, during this Advent season, we'd like to invite you to revisit a sermon from a few years ago. Pastor Colin Robeson preached on a part of the Christmas story that is often overlooked in Matthew 2:13-18. After the Magi visit Jesus, they go home by a different route. The Holy Family, warned in a dream, flee as refugees to Egypt, while Herod commands the slaughter of all boys in Bethlehem two years and under. Why does Matthew include this story?
It's that time of year when you may be looking for Christmas gifts for family and friends or maybe a few ideas for your own wishlist. Check out our list of racial justice-themed gift ideas from members of the J&RR Team!
Recommended by Vicki Foreman
I love reading aloud to young children. I love introducing a good book to young readers. I love sharing books with kids and adults and talking about the stories that capture our imagination and our hearts. It's even fun to talk about books we don't all like and why. Reading stories of other lived experiences is a great way to expand our understanding of our fellow humans and develop empathy for people not just like us. These book suggestions are a very, very small sample of the excellent multicultural literature available. Just start searching for "the best multicultural books for (age group)". And for you adult fiction and/or poetry buffs, read anything Maya Angelou or Toni Morrison ever wrote.
November is Native American Heritage Month. Each year since 1990, this month has been set aside to recognize and honor the contributions of Indigenous people in America and to celebrate Native American culture, traditions, languages, and stories. We invite you to explore the resources below throughout this month and beyond.
One of the books most highly recommended by the J&RR Team is Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, the founder of Equal Justice Initiative. Founded in 1989, EJI is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. As part of EJI's work to educate the public, they've produced some excellent reports. They've just released their most recent report: Race and the Jury – Illegal Discrimination in Jury Selection.
Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 – October 15 to celebrate the culture and contributions of Americans tracing their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean.
Be the Bridge has a helpful blog with some history and key terms as well as recommendations for books and other resources to commemorate this month: Celebrating & Honoring the Hispanic & Latinx Community.
I've been thinking about the word restoration a lot lately. It's a word that brings to mind healing, repair, making things right, and wholeness. As we pursue racial justice and reconciliation, what would it look like to put our focus on the idea of restoration?
The word restoration first jumped out at me during a sermon Pastor Scott Dudley preached on May 16. He said, "God's kind of justice is always about restoration, not retribution and revenge… restoration of what was lost or stolen or broken or hurt or wounded for individuals, but also for entire communities." What a beautiful way to think about justice!
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