The Grey Parallel

The Grey Parallel is a place where we explore social justice issues, (such as racism, LGBT+ topics, ableism, etc.), while being consciously aware of the influence of faith.

[avant-sad]

I know Christian memes are ridiculous but this one is actually kind of relatable

[avant-sad]

I know Christian memes are ridiculous but this one is actually kind of relatable

[thegreyparallel]

Isaiah 5:1-7

Tbh kind of frustrated with how these verses are being brushed over this morning. They were read from the pulpit at my church, and the minister is talking about something else entirely but dang. We are missing out on something important here guys. The passage describes a vineyard that a beloved cares for and grows--but instead, the vineyard only brought forth bad fruit (v.1-2). So now the beloved, frustrated--because what more could he have done? He gave the vineyard everything it needed and more and STILL it produced only bad fruit (v.4)--he let the vineyard endure hardship. He stepped back and let nature attack it (v.5-6). And in case that doesn't sound very Godly in case that sounds scary--God says exactly what the "bad fruit" represents--what exactly he was expecting to be carried out and exactly what he saw happening instead--in the next verse. The Word says God looked for justice and found only oppression. Looked for righteousness, and found only outcries (v.7). These verses show--so explicitly--that God has no kindness towards those who he gave EVERY kindness to, and then turn around to hurt others. To those who have been given everything, and then are injust towards others. To those who have every comfort, and then oppress others. God holds no sympathy for them. How can we miss that? How can we brush over these verses and ignore the weight they have? God was never a God for those who were/are in power. He always warns about power in His Word countless times anyway. So how can we pretend these verses don't apply to us...? To the world we live in where there IS so much oppression that we let happen and there IS so much outcry over injustice that we turn a blind eye to because "oh they're just playing the race card" or "thats just the way it is." (I say "us" because I'm white and go to a majority-white-extremely-conservative-church. But...) But God has high expectations for us /because/ he has given us so much. This--these verses? They are a warning--not for the "godless." But for us who believe and are in power and stand by while oppression occurs. These verses are about /us./

[bertrnd]

[xfilesvibes]

Death Valley, California

[gaymotional]

The Bible on Gender Identity

“I can’t accept you for being transgender, the bible says it’s a sin.”

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Does it say that? Does it really?

[cl4yton-deactivated20180207]

Damn son even the bible isn’t transphobic, how about that

[worshipgifs]

God, forgive me if I asked you more than I thanked you.

[fyblackwomenart]

Black Lives Matter by abigailsouthworth

[fyblackwomenart]

: :

Please keep the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in your prayers : :

[yourbigsisnissi]

it just don’t make no damn sense

all this joy inside me

despite the difficulty, despite the struggle, despite the exhaustion

…

but God

[mascufemmecloset]

Dressed up for church, presenting as male. Church hasn’t been a safe space for me for a long time, but I’m going to a new church today that is very open and accepting… We’ll see how things go.

[black-pterodactyl-bat]

So I walked in the building and the first thing I thought was “This is beautiful.” The place reminds me of a certain church in Toronto that has a very special place in my heart. I’m excited to start going somewhere that is safe. I think I will be able to grow in this area of my life, without having to worry about my well-being every other week.

[thegreyparallel]

Vic’s musings #001

Remember that part in the Bible where Jesus says we must forsake everything and everyone else, to follow Him? That's how I feel tonight. Like I have to give everything up, sever ties with all the people who are supposedly friends and family. How do you live knowing that they will never accept the truth about you? And it's not just about being queer, it's about my mental health, it's about being black, it's about never ever EVER having someone or somewhere safe. I don't trust anyone, and the scariest thing is I don't trust myself. I guess I could use your prayers? I'm finding it harder and harder to stay.

[suzuki-left-hand-method-deactiv]

hey there LGBTQ kids who are also Christian/Jewish! If you feel like you’re disobeying God, questioning your faith, or feel wrong and dirty for loving who you love, there’s this fantastic site I found today called hoperemains that accurately and thoroughly combs through scripture and its (many) mistranslations, validates your orientation, and basically let’s you know that you’re not pissing off God. It’s thorough and after reading through every page on the entire site it’s super helpful. Go check it out!

[solidsnakesucker-deactivated202]

Gonna also add a link to this youtube series for Muslims : ) if you go on their website you can find other sources too and the imam in these videos goes through Qu’ranic scripture as well

[nakererurish]

Letters from Kids to God

[jaiwrestledabearonce]

Snaps to God for the stapler.

[hislittleflower-throughconcrete]

This is one of my favorite things on the internet.

[thegreyparallel]

Sunday Service Thoughts (SST) #004: Was told this morning by a stranger while about to walk into the sanctuary, “Better put that away!” in reference to my phone. Which, I had out, yes. But with which I was texting a close friend of mine who had spent the entire night and morning in the ER with her fiance.

While I understand why the woman said what she said, it made me question how quick we are to judge people with technology, especially when they are in the church. Technology can be used not only for when we need to connect with people and offer support for when they have had a rough night, but when technology is used for accessibility, too. And yet I feel we are so quick, or at least those in my church specifically, to think that it’s being used for distractions.

Why do we, as a church, tend to automatically assume that technology in the hands of youth is not being used responsibly? What makes us see a teenager texting their friend or taking a selfie and say, “They’re not being spiritual”?

[sullengirlalmighty-deactivated2]

Mary Magdalene is the madwoman - angry mad - in Christianity’s attic. She was hidden there because of an open and not fully appreciated secret, and its implications, at Christianity’s core: that the male disciples fled and the women did not.

Jane Schaberg, “The Ressurection of Mary Magdalene” (via slaughterofbruce)

[thegreyparallel]

This is gonna sound really stupid but I hate when people try to cheapen worship songs. Like contemporary Christian music already comes off as so fake and soulless already. We sang “pass me not o gentle savior” in chapel the other day and it just pissed me off because they took something that I identify with specifically as a black person, and then added a folksy/hipster upbeat tempo to it and fucking sang it in their sweet angelic white voices. That’s not what it’s about. It’s a groaning, it’s a plea, it’s something you sing desperately cause its your last hope, not some cute little tune you can hum as if you’re strolling through a fucking field….

[thegreyparallel]

Sunday Service Thoughts (SST) #003: Low self-esteem is an American societal epidemic. How much of that is because of harmful Christian encouragements to "hate the flesh"? To "die to ourselves"? Have we been prioritizing the wrong parts of Scripture? (What good does that kind of self- deprivation actually do, anyway? Why promote it? A man who has slaves will tell them negativities about themselves repeatedly so they will believe him and remain reliant on him and never go out of line. An abusive lover will degrade and gaslight their partner in order to do the same thing. Nowhere else in the world do we see this phenomenon of promoting such negative and horrible statements EXCEPT in cases like that of manipulation and abuse. So why the hell is this dialogue allowed and even encouraged within our church...?)

[thegreyparallel]

Sunday Service Thoughts (SST) #002: How do we reconcile the words “die to self” and “die to our flesh” with the need to care for ourselves? How do we love ourselves the way God loves us when its almost like the Biblical text calls us to “hate ourselves”?