Author: Kanisha L. Adkins

Kanisha L. Adkins is a gifted writer who draws on her professional training to address issues of faith, law, politics, social justice, mental health and personal accountability and empowerment. She is a licensed attorney with over 25 years of experience in conflict management and resolution. In addition to a Juris Doctor, she holds Master’s of Divinity and Master’s of Social Work degrees and is an ordained Baptist minister with over 22 years of offering her gifts of preaching, teaching, counseling and administration, as well as conference and small group facilitation and instruction.

A Presidential Appointment or A PROVIDENTIAL Appointment

Have you ever wondered whether God cares about who wins a Grammy, an Oscar or a Super Bowl? When the winners make their “Thank You” speeches, many times they thank God but does Providence have anything to do with their victories? What about politics? Does Providence care about who wins an election or who receives a political appointment? Does God have a preference for who becomes a mayor, governor, president or a judge? Is God a Democrat or a Republican? Of course, I’m being somewhat silly with that last question. But the events of the last few days really have me wondering about the place of, and maybe even the preference of, Providence in politics.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia

Just a few days ago, on February 13, 2016, United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away, unexpectedly and to the shock of everyone who is involved in or keeps up with politics. Immediately and literally within hours of the news of his passing, politicians started speculating about his replacement. But the uproar wasn’t about who would be his replacement. The uproar was about who should do the replacing.

President Obama has appointed two Justices to the SCOTUS: Justice Sonia Sotomayor who replaced Justice David Souter and Justice Elena Kagan who replaced Justice John Paul Stevens. Justice Sotomayor has been unofficially placed in the “more liberal” category in her court opinions while Justice Kagan has been unofficially placed in the “moderate to liberal” category in her court opinions.

Justice Scalia was one of the most conservative Justices on the court. President Obama’s next appointment has the potential to tip the court to the “moderate to liberal” side. And this is why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and those who think like him want to block President Obama from doing his job to appoint the next Justice to SCOTUS. But the Republicans aren’t the only ones who have been looking for strategies about SCOTUS judicial appointments. Even politicians on the Democratic side have tried, in the not too distant past, to stack the deck in their favor.

U. S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is one of the “most” liberal Justices on SCOTUS. At 82 years old, (83 on March 15, 2016), she is also the oldest, active member of SCOTUS and, not that it’s related to her age, she has had some health challenges. In 1999, Justice Ginsburg was diagnosed and successfully treated for colon cancer. In 2009, she was diagnosed and successfully treated for pancreatic cancer. And in 2014, she underwent a cardiac procedure. For all of these reasons (age and health), many people hinted at the possibility, and some have just outright declared, that Justice Ginsburg might be on the verge of retiring or perhaps that she needed to retire. Her health issues aside, some Democrats even advocated and urged that she should retire while President Obama is still in office so that he can appoint another liberal-minded Justice. Justice Ginsburg, however, has emphatically said that she has no plans to retire.

Seal of the Supreme Court of the United States

Proverbs 21:1 says: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” And the psalmist wrote (in Psalms 31:15), “My times are in your hands…” While politicians on both the Democratic and Republican side are busy plotting strategies and scheming on who should retire and who should and shouldn’t appoint the next Justice, the hand of Providence has been busy moving and proving, in the words of the old Sunday School song, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.” With all of her health challenges, Justice Ginsburg is still here! And Justice Scalia, who appeared to be relatively healthy, is no more!

When a person who has no apparent health issues passes, the spiritual side of us prompts us to say, “It was his time.” And when a person who has challenge after challenge, rises up from each challenge, the spiritual side of us is prompted to say, “It’s not her time yet.” But when the one who passes and the one who lives will have such a tremendous impact on who will be the next one to sit on the SCOTUS bench, it leaves me with a few questions:

No disrespect or offense intended but could Justice Scalia’s passing be considered an “act of God”? And for that matter, can Justice Ginsburg’s life beyond her health challenges be considered an “act of God”? Is this the permissive will or the perfect will of Providence? Does the fact that Justice Scalia has passed away and the fact that Justice Ginsburg is still alive, active and productive mean that Providence has a preference how the scales of justice are tipped and about the laws that humanity is to abide by? Last question: If God is active in ALL aspects of life, does that mean that the next appointment to SCOTUS isn’t necessarily a presidential appointment but a PROVIDENTIAL appointment?

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P.O. Box 28483 Henrico, VA 23228 – phone 202-854-1963 – email: info@kanishaladkins.com

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THE DOORS OF THE CHURCH…ARE CLOSED??

Let’s just jump right in. Many people reading this blog are tired of or know someone who is tired of church! This is not to be confused with being tired of God. God and church are two different things. People love God. In fact, if it wasn’t for their love of God, they would have given up on “church” a long time ago. Still, they’re tired of church. And this is not to be confused with The Church: that invisible and universal, timeless and eternal “body of Christ”, group of believers who have professed Christ as God’s son and their Savior and Lord. People are not tired of The Church with a big C, they’re tired of church with a little c.

I’m not making this up. And I’m not speaking solely out of my own personal frustrations. I have hard facts, first-hand knowledge, that people are tired of church. These hard facts are conversations with people who have said point blank, “I’m tired of church” or “I’m all churched out!”

You need more facts? Here they are: Look around your church over the course of the next month or so and you’ll notice some people are missing. The Baby Boomers (ages 51 to 69, give or take a year or two) and Generation X (ages 35 to 50, give or take a year or two) who have been raised in the church, who have been faithful in talent, time and tithe are taking sabbaticals from being overworked, uninspired and unmotivated (not to mention being under and unappreciated). These long time church members who usually show up every time the doors of the church open are going on hiatus from that Sunday morning same old, same old. They’re finding reasons and excuses to not show up on Sunday morning.

These Old Faithfuls, as I’ll call them, have grown tired of routine and scripted Sunday morning worship and weekly activities and they’re slowing stepping away. Sometimes it’s not apparent because they’re still showing up but just not as frequently as before. They’re still showing up, but they’re not as active or as vocal as before. And little by little, one service at a time, one hymn at a time, one collection plate at a time, “Old Faithful” is inching towards the door and they’re just one pew away from being one of The Dones.

The Dones is a phrase coined by the research of Josh Packard, a sociologist at the University of Northern Colorado. The Dones are those people who are done with church. The Dones have not (I repeat, HAVE NOT) abandoned their faith, or their belief in God or God’s son, Jesus, but they’re ‘done’ with church as usual. The Dones may attend a service every now and then. After all, community and connection are still important to them. But don’t look for them every week singing a rousing chorus of “give me that old time religion.” It may have been good for their dear mother or father, and it may have been good for the Hebrew children, and Paul and Silas, but don’t get it twisted…it’s NOT good enough for The Dones. They’re done with that!

And as Old Faithful inches closer and closer to becoming part of The Dones and giving less and less time inside the four walls of the church, along with Old Faithful goes a big portion of the church’s talent and tithe because Millennials (ages 18 to 34, give or take a year or two) aren’t waiting in line to be pew members. They aren’t interested in being “seat-fillers”, like people who are hired to attend television, theatre and movie award shows so that the house looks packed. Millennials (and those whom I’ll call millennial-minded) want to be involved and active. They love good music, preaching and teaching but they’d rather spend half of the day doing service and outreach projects and not half of the day being benchwarmers. To borrow from the words of Thom Schultz of the Group Publishing and Lifetree Café, like The Dones, The Millennials don’t want to “plop, pray and pay. They want to play. They want to participate.”

And then there is Generation Z also known as “Generation V” (for virtual), the “Internet Generation”, or the “Google Generation”. These are the ‘tweens and teens who are still dependent on adults to provide for their every need. These are the children who often sit through church services and activities that are geared towards adults and they either end up falling asleep or playing with electronic games. And before the Google Generation becomes part of the Millennials and they decide that it’s more beneficial to get a job and work rather than worship on Sundays, church as usual has got to change.

Corporate worship is important and I (for the most part) enjoy it. But attending church services and activities shouldn’t be the highlight of our existence as Christians. And attending church services and activities shouldn’t be the requirement that people have to meet in order to prove that they are “living right”.

Years ago a friend of mine asked the question: “why are we [the same people who’ve been coming to bible study for 20 years] still coming to bible study and still talking about the same thing? At some point we should be going out and putting into action what we’ve learned!” I think she has a valid point. Church should be a place where we enter to worship and depart to serve.

The gospel writer Matthew said that after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples went to Galilee, just as Jesus had instructed them. And “when they saw him, they worshiped him;… Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:17-20)

This is the Great Commission! It’s short and it’s sweet. It tells us that when people see Jesus, they will worship! And after we have worshiped, we are instructed to GO! GO into the world! GO and baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! GO and teach people everything that Jesus taught.

The world has changed! And yet, some of our churches are doing the same things they’ve done for the last 20, 50, 75 and even 100 years. We can no longer continue to do church as usual. We can’t afford it! It’s time for us to stop doing church and it’s time for us to start being the CHURCH! Worship extends beyond the one, two or three hours that we spend in church on the Sabbath. In fact, the magnitude, the demonstration and the evidence of our worship should be what we do after the benediction…on our jobs, in our homes, in our communities. Instead of putting so much emphasis on “coming to church”, perhaps it’s time for us to give the benediction, close the doors of the church and GO!

…And by the way…relax…Jesus promised that He’d be with us.

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Sources: *https://baptistnews.com/culture/item/29535-new-term-recognizes-christians-who-are-simply-done-with-church

**http://www.churchleaders.com/outreach-missions/outreach-missions-articles/177144-thom-schultz-rise-of-the-done-with-church-population.html

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P.O. Box 28483 Henrico, VA 23228 – phone 202-854-1963 – email: info@kanishaladkins.com

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Reposted from an earlier blogpost Surviving Workplace Betrayal Step One: PAY ATTENTION!

The holidays are over and it’s time to get back to work. Happy New Year! Well, it may be a new year, but some of the problems that you left on the job in December 2015 will be waiting for you when you return in January 2016! And not every problem involves incomplete paperwork or a project deadline. Many (and in some instances, MOST) problems involve people!

It’s true! Every day, while going through daily work routines, people are finding themselves in the position of having to deal with backstabbing and betrayal by the very person whom they thought they could trust. It doesn’t matter whether you work in a hair salon, a courtroom, a hospital or a hotel. It doesn’t matter whether you’re paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year at a Fortune 500 corporation or whether you volunteer to serve in a ministry at your local church. Betrayal and backstabbing on the job are real!

Even Jesus had to deal with on-the-job betrayal. I know we don’t usually think of Jesus as having a job and co-workers but maybe we should! Jesus and the twelve disciples worked together to feed the hungry, heal the sick, raise the dead, make lepers clean and drive out demons. They spent sunny days and cloudy days together. Their time together was not simply for rest and relaxation. It was in an effort to accomplish specific tasks and goals. They worked under the pressure of deadlines and guidelines.

Jesus had a job! Jesus had co-workers! And Jesus had Judas, the co-worker who betrayed him! So, if God’s son Jesus, had to work with a backstabber, more than likely, at some point in life, whether it’s for an extended period of time or a brief period of time, you will have to work with “a Judas” too! But HOW do you work with a Judas?! I believe the first step to working with Judas is to first be able to identify a potential Judas.

When Jesus and the disciples sat down to share the Passover Meal also known as The Last Supper, Jesus identified Judas, “the one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.” (Matthew 26:23 NIV) Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him because he knew Judas. And Jesus knew Judas because he spent time with him and he paid attention.

Jesus and Judas worked together for almost three years. Judas was not some stranger that Jesus just bumped into on the street one day. They were in partnership together. While they worked together, Jesus paid attention to Judas’s character and temperament. He listened to the things Judas said and watched the things Judas did. Jesus could have spent those three years of his earthly ministry working with Judas and never suspected that Judas would betray him. But during those three years, Jesus had been paying attention to everything and everyone around him. Jesus paid attention and that is how he was able to identify Judas as someone who would betray him.

In the United States, people who work full-time generally work anywhere from 32 to 60 hours per week, and some work even more. That’s a significant amount of time to spend with people who are not your family members or part of your inner circle of friends. And not only do we spend a significant amount of time on the job with our co-workers, we spend “prime time” with our co-workers. In other words, we spend “quality time” with them.

You’ve been hired to show up for several hours a day, to do a particular job. And while you’re doing your job, do like Jesus. PAY ATTENTION! If you’re paying attention, you’ll discover that you know the co-worker who may have the potential to be a Judas. This doesn’t mean that you’ll know exactly when you’ll be betrayed. It also doesn’t mean that you should walk around in a state of paranoia, thinking that everyone is out to get you. What it means, though, is that by paying attention, you can discover that your Judas is closer to you than you think. People will tell you who they are by what they do and by what they don’t do, by what they say and by what they don’t say. Just Pay Attention!

shutterstock_61619635 — Photo by jcjgphotography/Shutterstock

Judas is not a stranger. Judas is not that person whom you’ve identified as a blatant, out-right enemy. No, Judas is a person who is close by, who appears to be in your corner. So pay attention to the different personalities and temperaments of the people with whom you work. It’s easy to notice the loud, talkative people. And it’s easy to notice the quiet, timid people. But there are so many other people in between these two. And more than likely, Judas is somewhere in the middle, trying to blend in. So pay attention!

Pay attention to everything. Do you have co-workers who only seem to want to speak their minds when it’s just the two of you but then they act as if they can’t talk when the powers that be are around? Or perhaps you have co-workers who say one thing but do a different thing. You’d be surprised what you can learn about a person if you would just pay attention.

Pay attention to what your co-workers do and how they do it. Pay attention to what your co-workers say and to whom they say it. Wake up and smell the coffee! When it comes to knowing your Judas, make sure you’re not falling asleep on the job. If there is a Judas on your job and if you are paying attention, just like Jesus, you’ll be able to identify Judas long before the betrayal.

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phone 202-854-1963 – email: kladkins3@gmail.com

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DO WE WANT SYMBOLS OR DO WE WANT A SAVIOR?

In late October 2015, Starbucks rolled out its annual “holiday” cup…a vibrant red cup to hold all of the short, tall, grande and venti hot beverages our hearts desire, our pockets can afford and our bellies can hold. Who would have thought a simple red cup would set off such a fire storm? But that’s exactly what happened when former television and radio evangelist, Joshua Feuerstein of Arizona, criticized Starbucks for removing “Christmas from their cups because they hate Jesus.” Feuerstein’s complaint is that there is no design on the cup to indicate that it is a “Christmas” cup AND that the lack of a “Christmas” design means that the Starbuck’s corporation hates Jesus. A Starbuck’s spokesperson responded to Feuerstein’s complaint, saying that Starbucks tries “to create a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity” and that the blank red cup “is to allow and encourage customers to tell their Christmas stories in their own way.”

It’s interesting that Feuerstein and those who support his cause object to a blank red cup as a sign of hatred of Jesus. But when it comes to the images Starbucks has used over the last several years on its cups during this season, not a peep was heard from Feuerstein and his supporters, alleging that those symbols were signs that Starbucks hated Jesus.

In 2014, Starbucks’ cups were all red but they used different shades of red to illustrate snowflakes and trees. In 2013, the cups were red and gold with a hint of white and included Christmas tree ornaments, snowflakes and stars. In 2012, “a winking snowman” was Starbucks’ choice for its holiday cup. In 2011, characters playing winter sports graced the cups. In 2010, the cups had characters singing carols with messages written on them, like “stories are gifts.” In 2009, the images on the cups were Christmas tree ornaments that contained messages like, “I wish every day was a holiday.” And in 2008, snowflakes and turtledoves decorated the cups.

Joshua Feuerstein and his supporters, object to a blank red cup as being “anti-Jesus” but no one said a mumbling word about snowmen, ornamented trees, caroling and snowflakes! What do snowflakes and winking snowmen have to do with Jesus?! What do any of the symbols that have come to be associated with this season have to do with Jesus?! Not a blessed thing!!

So how did these symbols become intertwined and mixed in with the birth of Jesus? Well, the story goes something like this:

*Roman pagans introduced the holiday of Saturnalia to the Christian church. Saturnalia, an ancient Roman festival in honor of the Roman god Saturn, was a week long period of lawlessness and depravity celebrated from December 17th through 25th. During this time the poorest and most despised citizens were forced to give gifts to the emperor. The story goes on to say that in the 4^th century, leaders in the church succeeded in converting to Christianity large numbers of these Roman pagans by promising them that they could continue to celebrate Saturnalia as Christians. There was nothing about Saturnalia that was even remotely related to Christianity before the church designated the end of the festival, December 25^th, as the birth of Jesus. The “pagan” Christians were allowed to continue their pagan practices and partying and giving gifts to one another was incorporated into the celebration of Jesus’s birth.

The Christmas tree became a part of the celebration of Jesus’ birth when the church was trying to recruit and convert pagans from the Asheira cult. The Ahseira cult worshiped trees in the forest and also brought them into their homes for worship. In order to persuade the Asheira cult to become part of the church, they were allowed to continue worshiping trees.*

Christians are supposed to be celebrating the birth of the Savior of the world. But instead, too many of us have forgotten about Jesus and instead, we have chosen to focus on a season of symbols… ornamented trees, decorated snowmen, colorful, flashing lights and gifts to everyone except the “birthday boy” – Jesus. None of these symbols has any connection to Jesus or his birth.

Do we need to get rid of these symbols? I think the answer is a personal one. Like many people, I love the colors of red, green, and gold during this season. I think it’s pretty! I enjoy the “old school” music of the season, like the Temptations’ “Give Love On Christmas Day”, The Jackson Five’s “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and Karen Carpenter’s “Merry Christmas Darling”. Putting up a tree and decorations have not been a priority for me in recent years but that has more to do with the task of taking them down and putting them away. The “little ones” in my family have grown up and we are waiting for the next generation of children. So exchanging gifts is not a big priority for us. But that doesn’t mean we don’t do it.

Like most people and most Christians, I do a lot of symbolic things during this season out of habit. But now that I know the origins of many of these symbols, I am not sure that I can or want to continue to use them. As much as I enjoy receiving and giving gifts, I have to remind myself that this is the time of year that the Christian church has adopted to recognize the birth of the Savior. I have to remind myself that Jesus is the reason for the season.

Could it be that Starbucks is pointing us, (Christians, that is,) in the right direction, by getting rid of the symbols of this season with a simple red cup? Could it be that removing the symbols from the cup serves as a reminder to Christians to get personally and intimately involved in the “holiness” of this day that we are supposed to be celebrating? What would our celebration look like if we didn’t have the symbols of this season to distract us from the Savior of the Season?

The symbols of this season – snowmen, decorations, lights and jingle bells — make us smile for a moment. But after the season is over and the symbols have been put in the attic, many people are drained — mind, body, soul and pocketbook. Thirty-something years after his birth, Jesus reminded his disciples and through the biblical text he reminds us today, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10, New International Version).

Do we want empty pockets or a full life? Do we want social gatherings or meaningful relationships? One last question, for Feuerstein and all of us– Do we want symbols or do we want a Savior?

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*Multiple internet sources were used for information on the origins of Christmas symbols.

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P.O. Box 28483 Henrico, VA 23228 – phone 202-854-1963 – email: info@kanishaladkins.com

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Depression During The Holidays Part Three: IT’S A MAN THING!

Women have been accused of being emotional. And at one point in the history of humanity, women were even referred to as ‘the weaker sex’. If either of these statements were true, then that would mean that men are not emotional and that they are ‘the stronger sex.’ Fortunately, most informed people know that these statements are not truth. Instead, the truth is that women are not more emotional or frail than men. God didn’t make one set of emotions for women and another set for men. Women and men share the same emotions. The difference is in how women and men display their emotions. Women are welcome to show their emotions and express their feelings. But our societies and cultures have conditioned us to believe that men are not supposed to show emotion or express feelings. Men have been taught to be the ‘strong, silent type’. But this silence, when it comes to feelings, is anything but a sign of strength. And when it comes to depression, men have been silent for too long.

Depression can strike anyone regardless of age, color, race, profession, job or gender. And even though depression has an anti-discrimination policy, more women than men are diagnosed each year. But mental health professionals are not quite sure whether depression truly is less common among men, or whether men are just less likely than women to be aware of, acknowledge and ask for help.

Proverbs 18:14 (NIV) says, “A man’s spirit can sustain him during his illness, but who can bear a crushed spirit?” Think about it! During those times when we are physically tired or sick, as long as our emotions are in good working order, we can psyche ourselves up to keep going physically…to take another step…to work another hour. But when we are sad, down in the dumps or overwhelmed, we find it difficult to motivate ourselves to do even the smallest physical task. Men in particular may not recognize this “crushed spirit” as depression, especially when the symptoms of depression are physical.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has conducted research on depression awareness and has discovered that many men are unaware that physical symptoms such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain can be associated with depression. Rather than saying they ‘feel sad’, men are more likely to say they feel fatigued, irritable, have lost interest in hobbies or are having problems with sleeping through the night. Men’s depression is often masked or ‘covered up’ by their use of alcohol or other drugs, and can even be covered up by the socially acceptable habit of working excessively long hours. Even if a man realizes he is depressed, he may be less likely to seek help because of concerns about how it might have a negative impact on his job, specifically with regard to job security, potential for promotion and even health insurance benefits. Men may also be hesitant to acknowledge depression because they fear family and friends will lose respect for them and label them as weak. https://uhs.berkeley.edu/home/healthtopics/depression.shtml

Encouragement and support from concerned family members and friends can make a world of difference for men who are or think they may be experiencing depression. Significant others play an important role in helping men recognize their symptoms and getting treatment. And the community of faith can help by doing as we have been instructed to do in Galatians 6:2 (NIV), “Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

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P.O. Box 28483 Henrico, VA 23228 – phone 202-854-1963 – email: info@kanishaladkins.com

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Depression During The Holidays Part Two: Learn the Language of Depression and Use Your Words

The Advent/Christmas season is one of my favorite times of the year. I love Christmas music, feel-good Christmas T.V. movies, decorations, especially the Tacky Lights Tours where I live and spending time with family and friends. It would be great to think that everyone looks forward to celebrating Christmas, Advent, Hanukkah, the Holiday Season, or whatever season you celebrate during the months of December and January. It would be great to think this, but this isn’t the case. Many people are experiencing hard financial times, some people are grieving the loss of loved ones, and some people are just overwhelmed by how commercial the season has become. Whatever the reason is that people find themselves dreading this time of year, the truth is that a lot of people are just not “feeling” the holidays and they are having a hard time finding just the right words to express those feelings.

Often, when we’re asked how we feel, our vocabulary is limited to a handful of words and expressions: fine, good, happy, upset, sad, angry, so-so, fair to middlin’. But sometimes these words aren’t enough to express what we’re really experiencing on the inside of our minds and our hearts. Finding the right words and using the rights words is important when it comes to being healthy. When we have a physical ailment, medical doctors ask us to describe what we’re feeling. Where does it hurt? What kind of pain is it? Is it a sharp, stabbing pain? Is it a dull ache? Is the pain isolated to one spot? Does the pain radiate into different parts of your body? Being able to name the pain is important. Mental pain is no less real than physical pain. Mental pain is no less significant than physical pain. And being able to describe that mental pain is an important part in the process of getting better.

The following is a list of descriptive words designed to help you better express how you feel on any given day. The words are divided into categories. Each category is headed by one of the usual words we often use to describe our feelings. Following the usual word are more descriptive, precise words that can be used, in addition to the usual word, to pinpoint exactly what you feel.

GOOD: Calm, peaceful, at ease, comfortable, please, encouraged, clever, surprised, content, quiet, certain, relaxed, serene, free and easy, bright, blessed, reassured.

HAPPY: Great, blessed, gay, joyous, lucky, fortunate, delighted, overjoyed, gleeful, thankful, important, festive, ecstatic, satisfied, glad cheerful, sunny, merry, elated, jubilant.

ALIVE: playful, courageous, energetic, liberated, optimistic, provocative, impulsive, free, frisky, animated, spirited, thrilled, wonderful.

OPEN: understanding, confident, reliable, easy, amazed, free sympathetic, interested, satisfied, receptive, accepting, kind.

LOVE: loving, considerate, affectionate, sensitive, tender, devoted, attracted, passionate, admiration, warm, touched, sympathy, close, loved, comforted, drawn toward.

INTERESTED: concerned, affected, fascinated, intrigued, absorbed, inquisitive, nosy, snoopy, engrossed, curious.

POSITIVE: eager, keen, earnest, intent, anxious, inspired, determined, excited, enthusiastic, bold, brave, daring, challenged, optimistic, re-enforced, confident, hopeful.

STRONG: impulsive, free, sure, certain, rebellious, unique, dynamic, tenacious, hardy, secure.

ANGRY: irritated, enraged, hostile, insulting, sore, annoyed, upset, hateful, unpleasant, offensive, bitter, aggressive, resentful, inflamed, provoked, incensed, infuriated, cross, worked up, boiling, fuming, indignant.

DEPRESSED: lousy, disappointed, discouraged, ashamed, powerless, diminished, guilty, dissatisfied, miserable, detestable, repugnant, despicable, disgusting, abominable, terrible, in despair, sulky, bad, a sense of loss.

CONFUSED: upset doubtful, uncertain, indecisive, perplexed, embarrassed, hesitant, shy, stupefied, disillusioned, unbelieving, skeptical, distrustful, misgiving, lost, unsure, uneasy, pessimistic, tense.

HELPLESS: incapable, alone, paralyzed, fatigued, useless, inferior, vulnerable, empty, forced, hesitant, despair, frustrated, distressed, woeful, pathetic, tragic, in a stew, dominated.

INDIFFERENT: insensitive, dull, nonchalant, neutral, reserved, weary, bored, preoccupied, cold, disinterested, lifeless.

AFRAID: fearful, terrified, suspicious, anxious, alarmed, panic, nervous, scared, worried, frightened, timid, shaky, restless, doubtful, threatened, cowardly, quaking, menaced, wary.

HURT: crushed, tormented, deprived, pained, tortured, dejected, rejected, injured, offended, afflicted, aching, victimized, heartbroken, agonized, appalled, humiliated, wronged, alienated.

SAD: tearful, sorrowful, pained, grief, anguish, desolate, desperate, pessimistic, unhappy, lonely, grieved, mournful, dismayed.

Luke 6:45 says, “…out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Some people, particularly Christians, may think that it’s wrong to “confess” negative feelings. They believe that they are speaking negative things into existence. But the psalmist knew the value of expressing what he felt, even if it was perceived as negative. He said, “I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word. I gave an account of my ways and you answered me.” The psalmist confessed that he was feeling low, as low as dirt! And after he confessed just how low he was feeling, he made a wonderful discovery. God heard him and God answered him!

Consider this: if you’re already experiencing negative feelings, perhaps saying these feelings and getting them out in the open is necessary so that you can replace those negative feelings with positive feelings. Saying what you feel is not a sin. Confession is good for the soul. So go ahead, if you’re really not feeling the holiday season because you’re going through a hard time, say what you feel. Use your words.

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P.O. Box 28483 Henrico, VA 23228 – phone 202-854-1963 – email: info@kanishaladkins.com

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SOMEWHERE BETWEEN JAIL AND HELL

Kim Davis, Clerk of the Court in Rowan County, Kentucky has refused to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples. Now she’s being sued, has been arrested and is sitting in jail for refusing to do her job. Davis doesn’t just see it as her job. She holds fast to her religious beliefs that “marriage is between one man and one woman” and that same sex marriage “is not of God.”[1] For Davis, issuing a marriage license to a same sex couple is a matter of “Heaven or hell.”[2]

U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning, who wrote the ruling ordering Davis to issue the licenses, said that Davis has likely violated the U.S. Constitution’s protection against the establishment of a religion by “openly adopting a policy that promotes her own religious convictions at the expenses of others.” Judge Bunning went on to say, “Davis remains free to practice her Apostolic Christian beliefs. She may continue to attend church twice a week, participate in Bible Study and minister to female inmates at the Rowan County Jail. She is even free to believe that marriage is a union between one man and one woman, as many Americans do…However, her religious convictions cannot excuse her from performing the duties that she took an oath to perform as Rowan County Clerk” and Gov. Steve Beshear of Kentucky has told defiant clerks, who are elected, to issue the licenses or resign.[3]

Issue the license or resign? Are those the only options? Perhaps there is at least one more option. One that is not so far to the left or to the right, but a happy medium. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires employers “to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of an employee or prospective employee, unless to do so would pose an undue hardship to the employer. A reasonable religious accommodation is any adjustment to the work environment that will allow the employee to practice his [or her] religion. Flexible scheduling, voluntary substitutions or swaps, job reassignments, and lateral transfers are examples of accommodating an employee’s religious beliefs.”[4]

A reasonable accommodation, perhaps removing issuance of marriage licenses from Davis’s duties and giving this duty to other deputy clerks, might be a viable solution. She gets to keep her job and NOT violate her religious beliefs. But employers aren’t required to offer reasonable accommodations. It’s the employee’s responsibility to request it. I’m not sure if this option has been discussed by Davis and her attorney. The fact that neither Davis nor her attorney requested a religious accommodation causes me to raise an eyebrow.

Perhaps Ms. Davis has as much vanity about her name appearing on marriage licenses as she has conscience against same sex marriage. After all, she’s been the clerk of the court for years. If her only concern is not violating HER religious beliefs and conscience, then all that is needed is an accommodation, just for her! But the fact that she does not even want the deputy clerks to sign the licenses sounds more like Ms. Davis wants her religious beliefs to be adopted by all. That’s not how an accommodation works. Religious accommodations are given to individual people not groups or entities. A religious accommodation is Ms. Davis’s happy medium between being in jail and being in hell.

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[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/us/kim-davis-same-sex-marriage.html?_r=0

[2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/09/02/facing-possible-contempt-charges-kentucky-clerk-kim-davis-calls-for-due-process/

[3] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/08/14/kentucky-office-refuses-to-issue-gay-marriage-license-despite-court-order/

[4] http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/wysk/religious_discrimination.cfmShare This:

KEEPING THE BABY AND THROWING OUT THE BATH WATER

Bill O’Reilly of FOX NEWS recently called the Black Lives Matter movement a hate group and vowed to take it down. O’Reilly’s argument that Black Lives Matter is a hate group is based on a single incident. This incident was a Black Lives Matter justice march (some say protest march, I say justice march) that occurred in Minnesota. O’Reilly uses this single soundbite, a single moment in time from a march in Minnesota, to support his claim that Black Lives Matter was responsible for a police being killed in Texas, some 1200 miles away from the Minnesota.

How can O’Reilly or anyone support a claim based on a single incident? I’m sure you have your own thoughts but here are a few of mine, all of which I’ll sum up in a word: IGNORANCE! Ignorance is defined as: lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned; lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact; uninformed; unaware. This most certainly describes O’Reilly’s level of knowledge when it comes to Black Lives Matter.

I am almost positive that O’Reilly does not know and has not taken the time to know the purpose and agenda of the Black Lives Matter movement. The agenda of Black Lives Matter is to have specific policies and procedures adopted and implemented by all law enforcement departments across the country. http://blacklivesmatter.com/ These policies include an end to policing for profit, limiting the use of force, the use of body cameras on all police officers, and appropriate training, such as in de-escalation, just to name a few.

No doubt, there are people who will use the phrase, Black Lives Matter, to validate illegal behavior, such as killing police officers. There are even well-meaning people who may misappropriate the movement’s objectives. But let’s be clear! Illegal and bad behavior under the banner of Black Lives Matter is a misappropriation of the goal of Black Lives Matter. And anyone who misappropriates the phrase to justify hurt and harm to other people is operating from the same place of ignorance as O’Reilly. Bottom line: O’Reilly displays a significant level of ignorance with regard to the purpose and agenda of Black Lives Matter. But the ignorance does not stop there.

First of all, Black Lives Matter is not a group. It is a philosophical movement made up of people of all races all over the United States, with the sole purpose of promoting, preserving and protecting Black lives from unjustified police brutality. O’Reilly is wrong to refer to Black Lives Matter as a group because a group, it is not!

Second, the United States Congress has not enacted legislation that defines the term hate group because, from a legislative standpoint, the focus is not on the group. The focus is on group activities. This is why Congress has defined the term hate crime, not hate group.

Third, a hate crime, also known as a bias crime, is defined as “a criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity or national origin.” “Police officers” are not a group based on “race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnic or national origin.” Therefore, police officers are not covered under the federal hate/bias crimes laws.

Fourth: The FBI, (Federal Bureau of Investigations), is charged with investigating federal crimes. However, even the FBI has acknowledged that, “Hate itself is not a crime—and the FBI is mindful of protecting freedom of speech (which is covered under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment) and other civil liberties.” https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/civilrights/hate_crimes/overview The phrase that was chanted by the justice marchers in Minnesota, “pig’s in a blanket, fry’em like bacon”, could be considered juvenile, in poor taste, not in line with the true spirit of Black Lives Matter and yes, even hateful! However, more than likely, the marchers’ right to say these words would be protected under the First Amendment’s Free Speech clause.

Finally, I’ll end with what the sacred text (in this instance, the Bible) has to say about hate. Depending on which version of the Bible you use, the word hate appears anywhere from 80 to 93 times. But rather than going into a lengthy discourse on the many Hebrew and Greek words used to describe hate and the various verses that use it, I’ll just focus on one verse. Romans 12:9 says: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good.” Based on Romans 12:9, it sounds to me that we have been authorized to hate evil things.

The Black Lives Matter movement believes that unfair and unnecessary police force, brutality and killings are evil. So from this perspective, the movement hates evil practices. But make no mistake about it, Black Lives Matter is not a group that hates other groups simply because of who they are. The movement hates the evil that people do. The movement is not trying to get rid of police officers. That would be throwing the baby out with the bath water. And that would create a totally new problem. Black Lives Matter is about solutions, not problems.

Have you ever heard the saying: “Love the sinner and hate the sin”? Now who among Christian folk, such as yourself, Bill O’Reilly or just good decent folk, in general, would dare to say “I don’t hate sin?” Not too many and hopefully not any. So perhaps you’re right, Bill. Black Lives Matter does hate something. It’s just not what you say!

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Sources:

New International Version Bible

Leading picture image: property of the author

All other picture images: taken from public domain

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HEADS UP! MILLENNIALS APPROACHING…PARENTAL GUIDANCE NEEDED!

A few days ago, on August 15, 2015, Julian Bond transitioned from time to eternity. To say that he lived a progressively full life is an understatement. While still in his 70’s, Mr. Bond retired from a 20 year teaching career as a history professor at the University of Virginia, “Mr. Jefferson’s University”, having also taught at several other universities. More than a decade earlier he served as president of the Atlanta chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People before becoming the chairman of the national NAACP, at the age of 58. At the age of 31, he became the first president of the newly established Southern Poverty Law Center. At 28, he became the first African American to be nominated as a major-party candidate for Vice President of the United States of America. At 25, he was elected to the Georgia House of Representative where he served for 10 years and afterwards, to the Georgia Senate for 11 years. And at 20, while still a college student, he became a founding member of SNCC (pronounced SNIC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. SNCC, a prominent part of the 1960’s civil rights movement, was organized by and run by students and Mr. Bond served as SNCC’s Communications Director for several years. (http://www.naacp.org/preview/pages/julian-bond) Mr. Bond lived to see the age of 75, but when he became active in the movement for civil rights and social justice, he was, in many respects, still a child.

Now before you argue that college students are young adults and not children, consider this: As schools gear up for the fall semester, ask any parent who is taking their 20, 19, 18, 17 or (heaven forbid) 16 year old son or daughter to college and this parent will still refer to this son or daughter as their “baby”. That’s because the parent realizes that even at the age of 20 (and definitely younger), this young person is, in the scheme of life, still a child. And, in the scheme of life, they still need someone with more years of experience and, hopefully, more wisdom, to point them in the right direction. In other words, they need parental guidance.

This is not to say that children, youth and young adults can’t or don’t take the initiative to do wonderful and meaningful things. A prime example is Julian Bond and the young people in the 1960s who organized and led SNCC. Another example is the young people who, today in 2015, are leading the lines and the chants as ‘America’s Journey for Justice’ marches across the southern states on their way to the nation’s capital. And when these young people do these wonderful things, older people have a tendency to quote the bible verse: “And a little child will lead them.” (Isaiah 11:6) (Even people who never pick up a bible quote this verse!)

The problem is that when this scripture is used to applaud the wonderful things that young people do, it is being used completely out of context. This particular verse and the passage from which it is taken does not advocate for children to lead adults or even lead other children in doing good works to establish a better world. This verse describes what the world will look like after justice, love, peace, joy, happiness and all those other good things have already been established in the world. As adults, we need to stop saying, “and a child shall lead the way.” And I’ll be the first to say that I have probably quoted this verse out of context as well, and now, I repent!

Using this verse out of context (I believe) excuses adults from our responsibility of giving young people the instruction and guidance they need, even when they do great and wonderful things. Child development specialist have been saying for years that the part of the brain that is responsible for distinguishing between right and wrong and making moral decisions is not fully developed until around age 25 or 26. We adults seem to understand this when a 20 year old is in the news for some horrific act like killing someone or a 16 year old is in the news for stealing someone’s property. When bad things happen, adults often ask, “Where are the parents?”, because we believe that this was: 1) a child; and 2) a child who was still in need of parental guidance.

I am 100% in favor of encouraging and praising young people when they do well. And in addition to being proud and starry-eyed when young people take initiative, instead of chiming, “and a child shall lead the way”, we adults should remind ourselves to, “Direct [our] children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” (Psalm 22:6)

Children, youth and young adults need the wisdom and experience that older adults have to offer. They need parental-type mentors in their lives, not just for personal, individual decisions but also for communal/shared social issues. Ella Baker, in her late 50s, left the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to serve as an adviser to the young students of SNCC. Somewhere along the way, we, the Baby Boomer generation, have dropped the ball. I recently heard B. Courtney McBath of Calvary Revival Church in Norfolk, Virginia say, “When you’re too old to play, you ought to coach.” (http://www.lightsource.com/ministry/voice-of-revival/video-player/united-for-purpose-483268.html) This is, in fact, the complaint that young adults have with the Baby Boomer and older generations: that we have failed to coach them and instead have left them to fin for themselves and find their own way, particularly when it comes to issues related to social justice. Baby Boomers, we need to get our heads back in the game!

There is a saying that goes something like this: “We call the young because they are strong. We call the elders because they know the way.” This is a call for the elders, which, in this case, is probably anyone 40 years old and above. The young people, who are strong, who can still do the heavy lifting, like those in SNCC and in America’s Journey for Justice, still need the elders to show them the way. Baby Boomers? We dare not think we can pass the baton and then sit back and relax. Our teens, ‘tweens and young adults, even those in their 20s, need us. Heads up Baby Boomers! Millennials Approaching, Parental Guidance is needed.

Sources:

New International Version Bible

Images from public websites

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PUT YOUR FAITH WHERE THE FIGHT IS!

A few weeks ago, people of various races, genders and faiths began America’s Journey for Justice in Selma Alabama, marching across the southern states. The march is being led by the NAACP to highlight and to continue to address racial justice issues and is scheduled to end in Washington, D. C. in mid-September. When the justice marchers reach the nation’s capital, we who truly believe in ‘liberty and justice for all’, will fervently declare that our votes, our jobs, our schools and our lives matter!

…I have no doubt that change will come and justice will be, once and for all, also on the side of the oppressed, the marginalized and the disenfranchised. After all, I’ve heard that God is the God of the oppressed. And God wins, right?!…

But change has a tendency to come slowly. Someone once said, “The wheels of justice grind slowly”. The problem with these slow grinding wheels is that people are dying AND being killed very quickly. And that death is not just physical. The death is economic, financial, social, emotional, psychological, mental, and every other way that we can describe our existence in this world.

We can’t (or I can’t) turn on the T.V., log onto the internet or glance at a smartphone or tablet without seeing the name of yet another person, primarily African American and primarily male, whose life has been cut short. Every time we turn around we here of “trickery”, both legal and illegal tactics, at election polls to suppress voting rights, primarily the rights of people who are poor and disenfranchised. We are constantly hearing of poor people being forced out of their neighborhoods because of gentrification, with no place to go to make a decent home or an honest living. We are constantly hearing of failing inner city school systems. It looks pretty bleak!

But even in light of and in spite of what I see, I have hope. I have hope because I’m a woman of faith, I believe God wins and I believe that everyone on God’s side wins! I believe justice will come! But it won’t come fast. And it won’t come easy. And when that ‘delayed justice’ happens, what are we supposed to do? What happens when our cry for justice is lifted up to the governing powers and they stall like a deer caught in headlights? What are the consequences when we, the people, cry out and demand justice but justice is not given?

The answers, I believe, can be found in many places, two of which are the Bible and the Constitution of the United States of America. There are so many passages in the Bible that speak of justice and the responsibility of those who are genuinely on God’s side. The passages are too numerous to list but here are a few that address our responsibility for justice:

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.” (Proverbs 31:8-9); “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.” (Psalm 82:3); “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” (Isaiah 1:17); “… let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” (Amos 5:24); “… what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8); and last but not least, “Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Deuteronomy 16:20)

This last verse, “justice, and only justice, you shall follow” leads me to the United States Constitution, which says:

“…whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends [life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness], it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it [the government], and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness… when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them [the people] under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” (http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html)

In other words, when governing bodies and systems become unjust, the citizens, who, in good faith, put these governing bodies and systems into place, are empowered and mandated by the Constitution to make a change. AND when people are being oppressed by unjust governing bodies and systems, the people of God are empowered and mandated by the Bible to change unjust systems.

There it is! In black and white! In sacred and secular text! We, the people, have the right and the obligation to right wrongs, to bring justice to unjust systems on behalf of those who are pushed out to the edges of society. In spite of this dual dose of empowerment from sacred and secular text, our society has embraced a sense of complacency. I know that some people will quote the verse, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” I agree! Vengeance belongs to God. But God has commissioned us to seek justice. Justice and Vengeance are not the same thing!

When did we, the people of God (that is, those who claim to authentically follow God, who is holy, righteous and just) become so complacent in the pursuit of justice? When did we settle into the notion that we are only responsible for our personal salvation? Contrary to what we believe or what we want to believe, our relationship with God doesn’t stop with us. Even Jesus said to Peter, “When you are converted, strengthen the brothers,” (of course, this applies to sisters too.) (Luke 22:32).

And why are we, the people of God, so quiet when it comes to standing up for the rights of the oppressed? Where did we get the notion that the pursuit of justice is a quiet pursuit? Our dainty, white gloves pursuit of justice makes me think of a Pine-sol commercial. One lady, writhing on the floor in a “dirt snuggler” says she’s gently cleaning and polishing the floor. Another lady asks, “And why would you want to treat dirt gently?” This is my question with regard to our gentle pursuit of justice. Why would we want to treat unjust systems gently?

Jesus, himself, was quite the activist and was known to turn over a table or two in the pursuit of justice and righteousness. (Matthew 21:12) What’s that you say? You say you love God? You say Jesus is your savior, your leader, your example? You say you believe in justice? Well, take a page from Jesus. Justice requires action. Faith without works is dead. (James 2:17)

As the people of God, we have no excuse NOT to seek justice. It is our obligation! As the people of God were are to follow justice ONLY! It is not enough for us to quietly assemble in our houses of worship and teaching, send up prayers and praise, and then return home to our own little corner, to our own little chair. We have been ordained, mandated and empowered to seek justice for the oppressed. To use a boxing metaphor. We’ve been in our corners too long, people of God! It’s time to come out swinging!

Sources:

English Standard Version Bible

The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America

To become a justice marcher or to find out other ways that you can support America’s Journey for Justice, simply click this link. (http://www.naacp.org//ajfj)

Follow America’s Journey for Justice on Facebook (#JusticeSummer)

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