The Sanctuary of the Seeking

05/07/2024

Hearing the doubling down of Shaunie's husband on Tamron Hall makes me feel like I better actually re-present my findings lol

01/29/2024

I am glad that we are having this conversation in wider popular discourse. One of the findings of shows how early exposure to religious violence and harm mirrors symptom presentations akin to other forms of adverse childhood experiences, particularly when religious violence and harm gets enmeshed in family systems and in educational formation.

However, the lack of research that is intrinsically looking at the phenomenon of religious harm in ethnic minoritized communities blocks the ability for many to conceptualize acts of religious violence and connect it to trauma responses and mental distress later in life. While I struggle with the notion of pathologizing this phenomenon through the DSM/mental health industrial complex, I do think that intervention work regarding religious harm and violence should begin and churches need to consider interventions to stop theological and religiously-based violence.

Some mental health experts are advocating for religious trauma to be considered an official disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

03/31/2021

The biblical creation story has been used to invalidate and demonize transgender people for many years. For many, the account of the Creation represents a binary logic of relationships and gendered experience. However through nature and experience, we see that this is not the case. So, how do we deal with the text? Dr. Anathea Portier-Young taught me in seminary that when we look at the biblical text, we should think of literary devices that might be employed that would enrich the reading of the text.
“...male and female, [God] created them” employs a literary device called a merism. Merism is a device that represent a range of experiences, ie high and low, near and far. Therefore
the scripture does not represent a gender essentialist binary but a continuum of gender expression. So no matter where you find yourself in gender experience or expression, God shaped you and called you Good.

03/15/2021

“At the end of ten days the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. Then he summoned Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest, and said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea before him: If you will only remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I am sorry for the disaster that I have brought upon you” (Jeremiah 42:7-10).

Visceral reactions and hot takes aside, we really need to free ourselves from the notion that God doesn’t offer regret or makes mistakes when it comes to reaction. When preachers fail to provide context or proof text to continue a dynamic of power and control, we can miss examples of remorse and repentance from God.

We must normalize atoning for harm, even if we believe that we have power over them. Children need to know that it is okay to recognize harm and choose to handle conflict differently in the future. We’ve done so much in the name of “sparing the rod” that we have traumatized and harmed generations of people who cannot separate love without violence or guilt. I doubt that God wants any part of that narrative moving forward.

03/15/2021

In moments like these, it is disheartening to see many people bypass, gaslight, or even justify abusive behaviors simply because of tradition. Violence is so tightly woven in our imagination that we have ordained abusive behaviors as Godly parenting. For those who have been triggered by this news cycle, I see you. I hear you. For those who are confused or questioning the controversy and need a safe space to wrestle, feel free to reach out to me or other mental health professionals. Just because it has always been done doesn’t mean it has to continue. Greater works just doesn’t mean the flashy things we do in the name of our faith but the healing and transformation that we have in our families, churches, and community.

01/19/2021

TW: Discussion of Evangelism in attached tweet pic

08/25/2020

Thank you 😊 and keep your eyes out

08/21/2020

A word from !! The most violent spaces are the one incapable of seeing the insidious ways that violence can show up

08/21/2020

Never let someone hold you hostage in a situation that’s death dealing and call it salvific -
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08/20/2020

Repost from
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TW: church abuse, racism, homophobia, sexual misconduct language, abuse.
We want to use a disclaimer. In some of these slides, your theological understanding can make some of these things biblical to you. Nonetheless, every example can cause trauma even if your lived experience differs. Please view our highlights before commenting! We love you all and are thankful you’re here.
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08/17/2020

Can you imagine what would happen if we demystified our spiritual practitioners? Often when we are hurting, we look outside of ourselves to help us make sense of what’s going on around us. As a spiritualist and therapist, the temptation is to put our humanity on a shelf to be all things. We are human which means we have spots of tenderness and growing edges that must be tended to as well. We must not fall into the temptation that we are above reproach, retreat, and accountability. Those who are invested in the ethic of healing know that we must see ourselves as wounded healers. We all have pains and traumas that impact how we see the world and our faith. Being a healer doesn’t mean that you’ve stopped the work of healing. It means sharing the resources and tools that you are using to free others and ascend together.

08/15/2020

In my spiritual journey, I have constantly had to negotiate sacred space and the feelings of safety. We often overemphasize houses of worship as the only type of sacred space where we can experience the Divine. Sacred spaces are far more expansive than what institutional religion can lead you to believe. Consider the spaces where you feel Spirit the strongest. Is it in your shower? At Brunch with friends? In the kitchen? In nature? Wherever feels sacred is home to you. Where is your sacred space?