Erin (Lashley) Dooley
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Millennials In Ministry

Julius Jones, Kyle Rittenhouse, Truthsgiving, and the Persistent Widow | KALEO PHX

 
 
 
 

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NOVEMBER 21, 2021

After the heavy week of Julius Jones, Kyle Rittenhouse, and ASU Multi-cultural center, I spoke at Kaleo Phx on Sunday, November 21, 2021. This is a recording from that gathering and below is a transcript of my message notes.

 
 

JESUS STORIES

“Julius Jones, Kyle Rittenhouse, Truthsgiving, and the Persistent Widow”

Luke 18:1-8 | Erin Dooley

Not too long ago the pastors of Kaleo read a book together called I Bring the Voices of My People by Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes. In her book, she argues that truth-telling begins the process of healing and liberation in community. 

Truth-telling does two things for both the oppressor and the oppressed. For the oppressed, naming your oppression and your oppressor removes your identity and value from underneath it and gives you the opportunity to walk away from it.

For the oppressor, truth-telling forces you to look at your behavior head-on, stand eye-to-eye and decide if you will continue to choose to oppress people or if you will repent, walk away from that behavior, and restore what has been taken, stolen, abused, and harmed. 

Truth-telling reminds us that our bodies, our skin, our faces reflect the Amego Dei -- the very image of God...which is valuable and worthy of honor and dignity.

And because we claim to be KALEO - a church that creates space to practice the ways of Jesus together. And because we claim to reflect the Kingdom of God which is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural ...then I’m going to do a bit of truth-telling tonight. Because a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural community of people cannot exist together if they do not feel safe to exist together.

I don’t think we need people that will beat around the bush.

It’s been happening long enough and isn’t doing anything.

I don’t think we need people that will try to make people feel comfortable.

I think we need people that will tell the truth -- the Good News, which is great joy for ALL People.

Good News that liberates. Good News that heals. For THAT is what Jesus calls us to proclaim. 

Our passage tonight is Luke 18:1-8.

LUKE 18:1-8 (NLT)

“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

 
 

JULIUS JONES

This week is significant. It’s the week that follows the death row trial of Julius Jones. 

“The death penalty’s roots are sunk deep into the legacy of lynching.” - Angela Davis

If you didn’t hear, “Julius Jones has been on death row in Oklahoma for 19 years for a 1999 murder he’s always said he had no part in. Mr. Jones, who is represented by federal attorneys Dale Baich and Amanda Bass, was convicted and sentenced to death at the age of 19 and has now spent half his life in prison, waiting to be executed for a crime that new and compelling evidence suggests he didn’t commit.”

For 22 years Julius’s family has been fighting for justice. And after...

  • 115,489 calls

  • 33,359 callers

  • 91,499 signers

On Wednesday, November 18th, The Oklahoma governor granted clemency to Julius Jones hours before his scheduled execution. Although he is no longer being executed, Julius was sentenced to life without parole. Although we rejoice that he was not executed...our souls still ache that we often feel crushed under a justice system that willingly keeps an innocent Black man behind bars.

KYLE RITTENHOUSE

Then on Friday, Kyle Rittenhouse, was acquitted of all charges. If you haven’t heard about that story, writer, comedian, and television host, Amber Ruffin said it plainly...

“Kyle Rittenhouse, (a White-17-year-old) man accused of shooting three people during a Black Lives Matter protest was declared not guilty on all charges.” With tears streaming down her face, Amber proceeded, “It’s not okay for a man to grab a riffle, travel across state lines and shoot three people, and then walk free. It’s not okay for the judicial system to be blatantly and obviously stacked against people of color. It’s not okay for there to be an entirely different set of rules for White people. White people have been getting away with murder since time began. I can’t believe I have to say this but…you matter.”


And I would add, especially if you live in a Black or Brown body...let me say to you...You matter. For this week the verdict for these two cases has communicated to us that we don’t matter in this county. That people of color aren’t worthy of liberation, aren’t worthy of protection, aren’t worthy of justice, aren’t worthy of freedom.


But we know...that’s not what Jesus says.

Amber continued her thoughts on television and said, “Every time one of these verdicts come out it’s easy to feel like you don’t but I’m here to tell you that you do matter. You matter so much that the second you start to get a sense that you do, a man will grab a gun he shouldn’t have in the first place and travel all the way to another state just to quiet you. That’s the power you have.” And I would also add that you are made in the Amego Dei — the very image of the living God. 


ASU MULTI-CULTURAL SPACE

This week is also significant as the final verdict for the ASU Multicultural space dispute was decided.

At the beginning of the fall semester, “Millions of people watched a disagreement between pairs of students at Arizona State University that was captured on video, with the clip showing two white male students getting asked to leave a multicultural space. Groups of ASU students have advocated for multicultural spaces on campus for several years to provide an area for students of color, underrepresented minorities, LGBTQ students and others to meet and discuss issues.” READ MORE

“Charges were pressed on the students of color and although the charges were dropped due to hundreds of advocates calling/protesting, the BIPOC students were required to write a three-page paper on how to react in a more ‘civil manner’ when addressing racism as though their reactions to the injustice were savage.” READ MORE

You might be wondering why I might be bringing up so many social issues happening in our time. That's what Jesus did over and over again. He addressed the socio-economic injustices happening to the people of his time. 97% of the people alive during the time of Jesus were living under the oppression of the Roman Empire.

So, to separate Jesus from the day-to-day lived experiences of the people that make up the multi-ethnic family of God is to separate Jesus from the very mission He was sent to the earth to do...which is found in Luke 4:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,  for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

Because we as a church claim to be Jesus followers, and a safe space for the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural family of God, let me read a quote from the @BLMPHXMETRO: 

"To tell BIPOC directly impacted by racism and harassment that they need to learn how to be more civil when confronting racism is asking them to assimilate to white culture and is (a) racist (request) within itself. The inference here is that because they are not "civil" then they must be savages. This verdict communicates to people of color that white men are celebrated when they display a vigilante spirit while BIPOC folx are almost always punished and made out to be the aggressive savages for even defending themselves against racism."

**TAKE A DEEP BREATH**

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY

This week is also significant because it is the week of Indigenous People’s Day...also known as,

“Truthsgiving, coined by Indigenous activist Christine Nobiss to dismantle common misunderstandings about Thanksgiving with...well, the truth. Some say Thanksgiving is celebrated at the expense of Native peoples, and while America celebrates a day of thanks with feasts and football, many Native Americans continue to live with disparities and economic hardships.

Since 1970 The United American Indians of New England have carried out a National Day of Mourning. This is what they have to say:  ‘Thanksgiving Day is a reminder of the genocide of the millions of Native people. The theft of Native lands. The relentless assault of Native culture...(the National Day of Mourning) is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of racism and oppression which Native Americans continue to experience.’”

These are true events that happened in a place many of us pledge our allegiance. Started by a faith many of us pledge to follow.

The truth is hard to hear...but the truth sets us free.

BLACK LITURGIES

To acknowledge the heaviness of these truths and the significance of what has taken place in our country, I’d like to take a moment to move us through some moments of silence, breathing, and prayer taken from Black Liturgies by Cole Arthur Riley.

Inhale: We grow weary in the wait.

Exhale: God, bring justice.


Inhale: We hold space for what was lost.

Exhale: There is healing in remembrance.


Inhale: Lord, help us enter their pain.

Exhale: Without centering our own.


Inhale: God, protect the memory of Indigenous people.

Exhale: Restore to them what has been taken.

Brothers and sisters,  it is easier to ignore these truths than to sit in the pain, lament, repent, and stand in solidarity with.

It is easier for me as a Black woman to assimilate and ignore the injustices of the systemic problems and empire in America...than it is to reflect on the fact that this country wasn’t made for me...or others like me who exist in the margins.

  • I live in a world made with systems and structures that weren’t designed for me to get a loan.

  • Or to go to the doctor and truly be cared for.

  • Or to be protected and kept safe while riding public transportation.

  • Or to get a job with equal power and equal pay.


Jesus knew that the Roman Empire was also a systemic problem that oppressed those who existed in the margins. The forgotten, the left out, the poor, the lonely, the homeless, the sick — the ones nobody wanted to look at, be around or talk to — to THEM Jesus brings the Gospel. Good news to the poor. Good news that brings GREAT joy to ALL people.

Like I mentioned earlier our passage this evening is Luke 18:1-8. In honor of this week being Indigenous People’s Day, I want to read to you our passage once more from the First Nations Version. (listen to audio version to hear)



WHAT IS JESUS SAYING?

What’s interesting to me about this passage is that the unjust judge didn’t change his mind because he CARED for the widow. 

He didn’t care about what she was experiencing. He didn’t care about the hardships that came to her as a result of systemic oppression. He didn’t care that she was hurt, abused, or lived a life day to day that was difficult and hard.

But the widow saw justice because she wouldn’t let up...she was fed up...and wouldn’t shut up...until the justice she was seeking was granted to her.

Jesus was making a point that though you live in a world that may not always care for you...your persistence will help you see justice.

Jesus was also making a point that His kingdom doesn’t operate like the world’s. In His world, there is a God who cares for you and hears you. 

Then, later in the passage, Jesus challenges them:

When He returns for a second time, will there be anyone still crying out? Will there be anyone still standing up to systemic oppression? Fighting for love and Shalom. Will there be anyone still praying, crying out, asking the Father to intervene on behalf of their people?
The answer should be yes because it should be you and I.


CLOVES CAMPBELL, SR.

I’m reminded of the story of Cloves Campbell, Sr. “who came to the state of Arizona in 1945 at the age of 14. He eventually became involved in community affairs to improve his South Phoenix neighborhood.

Campbell, was disappointed for many years that the Arizona news media did not cover the accomplishments and activities of the African American community. In 1969, he became owner and co-publisher of the Arizona Informant, using the slogan, ‘We Record Black History . . . 98% of Our News, You Won’t Find in Any Other News Media in Arizona.’”

Let me remind you that this man lived here...in our city...in our state...in our town. 

It is said that Campbell proudly stated, “I was unbought and unbossed.” He was proud of his reputation for shaking things up at the Capitol: “As an aggressive and articulate Black Senator who was outspoken (he said) I did not believe in rocking the boat, I believed in turning the boat over and I wanted to see if the individuals who landed in the water could swim.” (MY GOD)


Cloves Campbell, Sr. reminds me of Jesus...

  • When it came to resisting the oppression of the Roman Empire…in our time...systemic injustice in the United States of America...Jesus turned the boat over.

  • When it came to befriending tax collectors...in our time...corrupt officials...Jesus turned the boat over.

  • When it came to caring for prostitutes...in our time...escorts, only fans, or those whose lives WE think people shouldn’t ascribe to...Jesus turned the boat over.

  • When it came to affirming the identity and dignity of the Samaritans...in our time...those we would classify as half-breeds, who defile the “true religion” (for some of us that might be people who exist in the LGBTQ+ community)...Jesus turned the boat over.

  • When it came to tending to the poor and the widow...in our time...those crushed under the feet of the wealthy and powerful...Jesus turned the boat over.

Pastor, author, and spiritual director, Kurt Willems states, “Jesus (continuously) challenges the socio-political norms that were the result of Roman rule…(and invites us to) rediscover our unique place as a people whose authority comes, not from power and might, but from identifying with the margins of empire.”
What do we see Jesus constantly doing? What Kendall described to us earlier as RADICAL welcome. 

Jesus brought the GOSPEL -- which was Good News to the Poor.

THIS Jesus...invites us to follow in HIS ways.

THIS Jesus...says to us come...follow me.

**INVITE THE BAND TO COME UP**

At the CCDA National Conference, I attended a couple of weeks ago, the new President and CEO, Rev. Cecilia J. Williams, reminded us of the lyrics to a song by Gregory Porter:

They build their houses in preparation for the King

And they line the sidewalks

With every sort of shiny thing

They will be surprised

When they hear (Jesus) him say

Take me to the alley

Take me to the afflicted ones

Take me to the lonely ones

That somehow lost their way


Let them hear me say

I am your friend

Come to my table

Rest here in my garden

You will have a pardon

Friends, let me remind you, that when systems that are unjust won’t hear you...Jesus does. 

The systems and structures of White Supremacy and oppression must come down and the radical welcome of the LOVE OF JESUS must go up. All of that starts with you and me seeing the way of Jesus for what it REALLY is...and walking in that together. 
We claim to be and ARE...the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural family of God.

In light of Indigenous People’s Day or as some call Truthsgiving happening this week, I’d like to read to you:

This Land Belongs to No One

A prayer written By Hila Ratzabi


“The earth is God’s, and all its fullness;

The world and those who dwell upon it.”

—Psalm 24

This land belongs to no one

but God. The Earth was here

before us and will endure

after we are gone.

Let us walk gently

upon this precious earth,

taking only what we need,

leaving little waste,

nurturing the soil,

revitalizing the land

to sustain future generations.

This land we dwell upon today (Grace Lutheran Church in downtown Phoenix)

is the ancestral land of the Tohono O’odham Nation.

We acknowledge their historical roots

in this place, the many generations

who were stewards of this land.

We hear the echoes of their prayers

to the Great Mother Earth

and seek to learn from their wisdom.

We acknowledge the history of pain,

disease, and bloodshed

the Native peoples’ endured

when they were colonized.

Though we can’t reverse the course of history,

let us not ignore it.

Let us look history in the eye

and accept its painful truth.

Let us honor the memory of those who died on this land,

who lost their sovereignty.

Let us honor the Native people who, to this day,

keep their sacred traditions and culture alive

and seek to reclaim, reassert, and revive their sovereignty.


We are grateful for the bounty we will enjoy this week,

the abundant variety of foods this earth provides.

We acknowledge those who will cook the meals,

The mothers, daughters, sons, and fathers

and those who will set the table.

We acknowledge those who plant

and harvest the food we will eat,

many of whom are immigrants.

We send them blessings for safety and freedom.


We commit to sustaining this earth

so it will continue to sustain us,

our children and grandchildren.

We commit to give more and take less

from this fragile earth.

Thank you, God, for the land that sustains us, for our family and friends, and this sacred moment we are privileged to enjoy. AMEN.

 
BENEDICTION

Our friends from Neighborhood Ministries will be with us on Sunday, December 5th, registering people to vote if you have not already. Voting is one way you can change systems and structures in your neighborhood and truly love your neighbors well as you LEARN what they NEED.

Our next meal together will be NEXT Sunday, November 28th.

Until we see you again… may the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

BIBLIOGRAPHY (Resources to take you deeper from Kurt Willems)

 
Racism, PastorErin Dooleykaleo phoenix, kaleo phx, black female pastor, millennials in ministry, erin lashley, kendall dooley, jesus stories, erin dooley, julius jones sermon, julius jones, decolonize faith, jesus and justice, kyle rittenhouse, truthsgiving, the truth about thanksgiving, progressive church, phoenix, arizona, downtown phoenix church, downtown church, Black lives matter, white supremacy, white christian nationalism, systemic oppression, luke 18:1-8, the persistent widow, black liturgies, cole arthur riley, this land belongs to no oneComment