By: Ryan Thorson on October 20, 2025
Opening Reflection – Allegiance and FormationWe stood to honor veterans, and I clapped. Then the congregation turned toward the large American flag in the corner of the sanctuary, placed their hands over their hearts, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. I remained standing, but I did not raise my hand or recite the pledge. I…
By: Noel Liemam on October 16, 2025
Introduction My current take on the Israel-Gaza conflict is more than just a conflict. It is a wicked problem that is rooted within their history and their faith/religion. The Jewish are firmly rooted in Judaism while the Gaza (or the Palestinian) are strong in their faith as Muslims. Most of my views are shaped by…
By: Diane Tuttle on October 16, 2025
What do you currently understand, and how have your assumptions and emotions been shaped? My initial thoughts about the Israel-Palestinian conflict turn to the absolute complexity of it. Fundamental questions such as who owns land, what are the power, security and economic needs of a country and its people, who has a right to be…
By: Elysse Burns on October 16, 2025
On the morning of October 7th, before hearing of Hamas’s attack on Israel, I was reading Lamentations. In my journal, I noted: “All our enemies open their mouths against us… my eyes flow with rivers of tears for the destruction of my people” (Lam. 3:46–48). When the news broke hours later, those ancient words felt…
By: Kari on October 16, 2025
As I reflect on the Israel–Gaza conflict, I see it as a complicated and wicked problem. It has so many layers that no one can truly identify where it began. We could focus on the current war unfolding since October 7, 2023. Still, the roots go much deeper, extending beyond colonialism and predating Christ, reaching…
By: Adam Cheney on October 16, 2025
Current Assumptions: When it comes to the topic of Israel/Palestine/Hamas/Gaza I only have one word that immediately comes to mind. It is a Scandinavian word we use often in Minnesota – oofda. This topic is so complex, so nuanced, and so deeply historically tangled it is very difficult to wrap my mind around. At the…
By: Shela Sullivan on October 15, 2025
What do you currently understand, and how have your assumptions and emotions been shaped? The Israel–Gaza conflict is deeply rooted in decades of displacement, occupation, and competing national aspirations. My understanding is shaped by historical records, current events, and diverse perspectives, but I do not hold personal beliefs or emotions. I very much feel for…
By: Debbie Owen on October 14, 2025
A Christian reflection on fear, displacement, and the hope of shalom in Israel and Gaza. 1. What do you currently understand, and how have your assumptions and emotions been shaped? I did not grow up in a part of the country—nor in a church environment—that had much to say or think about the twentieth-century nation…
By: Ryan Thorson on October 13, 2025
Walking down the Mount of Olives, overlooking the city of peace, my heart and mind tried to picture what Jesus would have seen riding in on a donkey—the crowds and palms, the temple mount rising above the city. He knew He was coming to be rejected, even as the people cried for a savior. Pulling…
By: Noel Liemam on October 9, 2025
Knowledge and Belief Before the Advance Meeting in Cape Town, I had a totally different perspective on the nature and legacy of colonialism, slavery, and religious empire. My thoughts about them are blurry and based on what I had learned before which was taken lightly as, just stories – no life to it. I envisioned…
By: Daren Jaime on October 9, 2025
Growing up, I don’t remember hearing the word Colonialism in school, although we were taught about the various occurrences in America and beyond. In my formative years, American colonialism was portrayed with words such as settlers, pioneers, and the like. The understanding I initially had centered around an exploration mission leading to the expansion…
By: Elysse Burns on October 9, 2025
My understanding of colonialism, slavery, and empire has been shaped by my education, my experiences in Africa, and my upbringing in the church. My earliest awareness of slavery came through the story of the Exodus. Though my family isn’t Jewish, one year we celebrated Passover. My mom went all out—matzah, bitter herbs, salt water—everything prepared…
By: Joel Zantingh on October 9, 2025
This post reflects on the current cultural grappling with our world’s Colonial past, and the shifting tide of a predominant Western cultural narrative that emphasizes the evils and calls for decolonization. I will explore five questions and then draw some conclusions. Current Knowledge and Belief My current view on the nature and legacy of colonialism,…
By: Chad Warren on October 9, 2025
Current Knowledge and Belief I approach colonialism, slavery, and religious empire with a mix of conviction and ongoing uncertainty. My theological formation and pastoral experience predispose me to view human dignity and the image of God as central. Human flourishing is undermined by humanity’s rejection of God in the Garden of Eden, which ushered in…
By: Kari on October 9, 2025
We parked on the main road and walked down a narrow sand alley to a small eight-by-eight-foot[1] shack. The patient called a man on his phone, his “master.” His medical treatment depended entirely on the owner’s financial situation. Some days, there was money for care; on others, no one ate. This is slavery. Today. Living…
By: Ryan Thorson on October 9, 2025
“I am a descendant of someone on the Mayflower.” The opening ice breaker line I shared during my time in Cape Town reveals how deeply my own story is entwined with colonialism. Add my Norwegian heritage—the legacy of Vikings—and I carry ancestry marked by conquest. While there are also abolitionists and freedom-seekers in my family…
By: Graham English on October 9, 2025
Introduction: When we speak about slavery and colonialism, the conversation is often loaded with emotion and moral superiority. Statues are toppled, reparations are debated, and historical records are contested. Contemporary discussions tend to highlight the European Atlantic slave trade and modern colonial empires as particularly destructive and uniquely Western in nature. However, Jeremy Black’s A…
By: Jeff Styer on October 7, 2025
To use Gen Z lingo, it’s been a hot minute since I was in grades K -12, but I do remember that starting in elementary school we began to learn about social studies. While the term colony was used, such as the Massachusetts Bay Colony, I do not recall the term colonialism being used. In…
By: Shela Sullivan on October 7, 2025
Current Knowledge and Belief Colonialism was a global system of control that changed how power, wealth, and culture were distributed around the world. It involved taking land, labor, and resources—often justified by racist beliefs and imperial goals. Nigel Biggar points out that colonialism did not start with a single decision, but was a planned effort…
By: Glyn Barrett on October 7, 2025
This reflection examines slavery and colonialism through five key questions, drawing on history, theology, and personal leadership to grapple with uncomfortable truths and consider how Christian leaders can respond with honesty, courage, and faith. Current Knowledge and Belief When the topic of slavery surfaces in public discourse, the default narrative tends to revolve around the…
