I keep coming back to this email in my inbox, thinking about the lives suddenly and violently taken in Atlanta and all the connected lives forever marked by their loss. I am also struck by the story of the regent honeyeater. It hits close to home. As a "1.5 gen" immigrant that grew up around few other Brazilians I often don't know my own songs.
Good Friday afternoon, Jeff. Thank you for your words of wisdom. I enjoying reading them. I am wondering if you received an email I sent to you last. Peace and all good, beloved one.
As always Jeff, you inspire me with your writing. I've been listening all weekend to Dreamland and Gregory Porter's Ally. Something about these hard days that prayers, cooking and music t is healing me.
This brilliant Jeff but also very sad. I'm native white English but your article has moved me to tears. I've shared your email with the team vicar at a UK church I've been joining with in the Northern part of the UK during lockdown. I first saw you (on-line) during the EF conference last autumn. I find your contributions so refreshingly honest and insightful. Our Anglican Bishops here commissioned a report under the name Living in Love and Faith (LLF) a few years ago - aimed at identifying how those at the margins, including LGBTIAQ+ may be welcomed and more included in church community life as well as finding a way forward with same sex marriage etc. One of the core frameworks of this was the idea of 'mutual flourishing' and why your email resonated so much with me. It is relevant, poignant and practical in its appraisal of what 'mutual flourishing' should mean in practice. I neither hear nor see any of this of coming out of the LLF process here and why I felt moved to share your email with clergy I know here. Only when mutual flourishing is fully part of all our Christian communities can we truly describe ourselves as disciples of Christ. Thank you so much Jeff. My love and prayers for you and your husband. Yve Taylor EXETER U.K.
I appreciated so much the grace you extended in your final thoughts. Grace, like Christ’s, extended to all. That grace can be so difficult to emulate, but each time I see someone extending it, I’m filled with hope.
These are deeply introspective reflections, beautifully expressed. I love the repeated call back to being useful. It gives the piece a poetic rhythm.
Sometimes it’s not WHAT you say, but HOW you say it. In this case it is both! Thanks for the closing reminder that even amidst a horror of this magnitude—God’s amazing Grace is still applicable!
This is not the way we should have learned their names. Yes. I’m so sorry that others have pained, insulted, injured, and killed your people. I’m so sorry. Thank you for sharing your words.
We have all their names now:
Soon C. (Julie) Park, 74
Suncha Kim, 69
Yong A. Yue, 63
Paul Andre Michels, 54
Hyun Jung Park Grant, 51
Xiaojie (Emily) Tan, 49
Daoyou Feng, 44
Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33
I bow in grief, especially to the elders, so sorry that we were not able to protect them and honor them properly.
Here is a heartbreaking profile of Xiaojie Tan, who owned Young's Asian Massage. She comes from a Roman Catholic family in Nanning, a city in Guangxi. Her daughter, who is engaged, is now planning a funeral instead of a wedding. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/18/stop-asian-hate-atlanta-shooting-victim-mother-business-owner/4754151001/
I corrected the spelling of Hyun Jung Park's name above, based on the newest reporting. But I'm going to leave the story as written. Here's a story about her, based on an interview with her son Randy: https://www.thedailybeast.com/son-of-atlanta-shooting-victim-hyun-jung-grant-calls-bullshit-on-robert-aaron-long-sex-addiction-claim
I keep coming back to this email in my inbox, thinking about the lives suddenly and violently taken in Atlanta and all the connected lives forever marked by their loss. I am also struck by the story of the regent honeyeater. It hits close to home. As a "1.5 gen" immigrant that grew up around few other Brazilians I often don't know my own songs.
Good Friday afternoon, Jeff. Thank you for your words of wisdom. I enjoying reading them. I am wondering if you received an email I sent to you last. Peace and all good, beloved one.
Roger T
Thank you so very much.
Hearing you, standing with you and marching for you in NYC.
As always Jeff, you inspire me with your writing. I've been listening all weekend to Dreamland and Gregory Porter's Ally. Something about these hard days that prayers, cooking and music t is healing me.
This brilliant Jeff but also very sad. I'm native white English but your article has moved me to tears. I've shared your email with the team vicar at a UK church I've been joining with in the Northern part of the UK during lockdown. I first saw you (on-line) during the EF conference last autumn. I find your contributions so refreshingly honest and insightful. Our Anglican Bishops here commissioned a report under the name Living in Love and Faith (LLF) a few years ago - aimed at identifying how those at the margins, including LGBTIAQ+ may be welcomed and more included in church community life as well as finding a way forward with same sex marriage etc. One of the core frameworks of this was the idea of 'mutual flourishing' and why your email resonated so much with me. It is relevant, poignant and practical in its appraisal of what 'mutual flourishing' should mean in practice. I neither hear nor see any of this of coming out of the LLF process here and why I felt moved to share your email with clergy I know here. Only when mutual flourishing is fully part of all our Christian communities can we truly describe ourselves as disciples of Christ. Thank you so much Jeff. My love and prayers for you and your husband. Yve Taylor EXETER U.K.
Thank you for sharing you. Everything you wrote touched me deeply and opened more of my eyes.
Thank you for your heart, Jeff. It has touched mine. I continue to hold in God's presence these women, the shooter and all impacted by this tragedy.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for this, Jeff.
I appreciated so much the grace you extended in your final thoughts. Grace, like Christ’s, extended to all. That grace can be so difficult to emulate, but each time I see someone extending it, I’m filled with hope.
These are deeply introspective reflections, beautifully expressed. I love the repeated call back to being useful. It gives the piece a poetic rhythm.
Sometimes it’s not WHAT you say, but HOW you say it. In this case it is both! Thanks for the closing reminder that even amidst a horror of this magnitude—God’s amazing Grace is still applicable!
This is not the way we should have learned their names. Yes. I’m so sorry that others have pained, insulted, injured, and killed your people. I’m so sorry. Thank you for sharing your words.