Happy April, everyone! It’s finally springtime here on the Front Range, and my allergies are really bothering me and half my family. But, still, yeah for good weather!
Before I share my viewing and reading recommendations of the month, here are a few great/interesting April tweets from the “Twittersphere”:
On the truth-gathering process regarding #MMIWG going on right now in Canada, from @AmericanIndian8: “For the…missing/the murdered,the forgotten/We have not forgotten you/#MMIW #MMIWG/#INDIGENOUS #TAIRP/Art by @BojanJevtic”. It’s generally believed that there are currently at least 1,200 missing and (presumably) murdered indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) in Canada.
This April 24 tweet by @Tim KellerNYC started quite a Twitter war, “Unless you believe in Hell, you will never know how much Jesus loves you.”
Then, today one of my favorites on Twitter, @KaitlinCurtice sent this about trying to advocate for indigenous people (as well as people of color and others on the margins of our society): “You can be an incredible ally without trying to become the thing or people you care about./Assimilation is a toxic drug./Be you. That’s the ally we need.”
“Come Sunday” — A recent release from Netflix, this crisis-of-faith drama looks intriguing. Haven’t seen it yet, but it’s past time for a serious, true-to-real-life exploration of faith and doubt. Here’s an L.A. Times article about Come Sunday, in case you’re interested.
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz — Must. Read.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer — We have a lot to learn from this book, and Native cultures in general. Great storytelling.
Massacre at Sand Creek: How Methodists Were Involved in an American Tragedy by Gary Roberts — Serious history by a serious historian, commissioned by the United Methodist Church to investigate the massacre at Sand Creek on Nov. 29, 1864. I’m leading a pilgrimage to Sand Creek on May 26.
From Sand Creek by Simon J. Ortiz — A short but moving book of poetry and commentary based on the author’s visit to the site of the Sand Creek massacre. Written in 1981
The New Testament: A Translation by David Bentley Hart — A gift from a friend. I’m a fan because it doesn’t have passage headings!!!!
The Courage to Be by Paul Tillich — I’ve heard this book is life-changing. Just got it from the library, so I’m ready for changing!
Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan — Tried another “classic” this month on audio, and struck out again. Just couldn’t make it through all the moralizing. 😐
