By Alicia Crosby Mack, re-posted with permission from Facebook (June 24, 2022)

It is not lost on me that the architects of our present harm are using the Christian faith tradition as their vehicle for violence.

This is my tradition. This is my Christianity.

I will not distance myself from them as a form of absolution but will say this is violent & wrong.

In this moment I resolve to more fervently commit myself to justice, freedom, and agency for all because faith should be a balm for healing, not a bludgeon for to gain & keep control or force others into submission.

While I am not responsible for the people trampling on our collective rights, I am responsible to Jesus’ teachings and will not let people run roughshod over others in his name.

Not without a fight.

The scriptures teach me that “where the spirit of God is there is freedom” (2 Cor 3:17) and for me that means legal or spiritual attempts to constrict the agency and autonomy of others is a godless, unholy, and evil affair.

Alicia T. Crosby (she/hers) is a justice educator, activist, and minister whose work addresses the spiritual, systemic, and interpersonal harm people experience. Through her teaching, writing, speaking, and space curation, Alicia helps individuals, communities, and institutions explore and unpack topics related to identity, justice, journey, and intersectional equity. This native New Yorker channels her creativity into her writing, speaking, and work with nonprofits, educational institutions, corporate entities, faith grounds, and communities around the US.