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Emancipation is not a pie: Imagining better metaphors for liberation
As I write this, my country (the UK) sits under the shadow of a red flag alert for genocide against trans and intersex people.[1] This is a situation that has not come about by accident but has been driven intentionally, including by groups and individuals who claim to be motivated by a Christian faith. Often, theology which seeks liberation is directed at injustices within the church. This is, of course, desperately needed and by no means a misguided goal. Racism, misogyny, homophobia, trans and intersex exclusion and many more systemic injustices still have a grip on the church and need to be dealt with. However, the consequences of warped theologies…
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Lollipops and Paper Hearts: The Trauma of Embodying False Truths
Picture this: it’s Friday evening. The church hall is full of excitable teenagers – gossiping, sulking, judging. Staccato bursts of high-pitched laughter punctuate the rumble of conversation. Eventually, they settle down. Today, their youth leader tells them from the front, they will be continuing their series looking at identity, specifically, today they will be looking at…pause for dramatic effect (or maybe to steel the nerves)…sex and sexuality. Giggles, embarrassed snorts, guffaws. “Alright! Settle down!” Following a short sermon-style talk that details “God’s plan for sex: marriage,” the children are separated. The boys follow the male youth leader into a side room. The pastor’s wife, who is a special guest this…
