I Am Outraged

Yesterday as I was about to meet Corky for dinner I heard the horrible statistic: 1 out of 3 Native American or Alaskan Native women will be raped in her lifetime. Thse rapes are most often committed by outsiders, not Native men living on the reservations. And they are unbelievably brutal. The report from Amnesty International includes the following:

"Over the past decade, federal government studies have consistently shown that American Indian and Alaska Native women experience much higher levels of sexual violence than other women in the USA. Data gathered by the US Department of Justice indicates that Native American and Alaska Native women are more than 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than women in the USA in general. A US Department of Justice study on violence against women concluded that 34.1 per cent of American Indian and Alaska Native women – or more than one in three – will be raped during their lifetime; the comparable figure for the USA as a whole is less than one in five. Shocking though these statistics are, it is widely believed that they do not accurately portray the extent of sexual violence against Native American and Alaska Native women."

The NPR story interviewed women from three regions: Oklahoma, Alaska, South Dakota. The problems are multiplied by the lack of police and FBI attention given to the rapes.

The awful truth is that these women are "dehumanized" by both the rapists and by the system. And the end result is, as one social worker reported, rape has become a part of the despair for these women; it is almost expected.

This radio story followed a day in which I heard story after story about church squabbles over building programs, music, bulletin board placement.

Native women are being raped and brutalized at an astonishing rate and the church is fighting over bulletin boards.

God have mercy upon us.

Light For The Nations

We were privileged today to attend the inaugural service of a new church plant in Chattanooga, TN. "Light For the Nations" is pastored by Ana and Andres Miranda. The services are bilingual and non-traditional. The church meets on Sunday afternoons at 4:30 at the Friendship Community Church at 7 Tuxedo Ave., just off Brainerd.

Ana and Andres have four beautiful daughters, who are all involved in the church's ministry. Ana, as a marriage and family therapist, has special insight into the issues facing families who are trying to merge two cultures. Andres, editor of Spanish-language publications for the COG, comes with a rich heritage in Pentecostal ministry. His father was a pastor in Uraguay. Ironically, Andres' father passed away eleven years ago today.

Poet Nikki Giovanni's Speech at Virginia Tech

“We are Virginia Tech. We are sad today and we will be sad for quite awhile. WE are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning. We are Virginia Tech. We are strong enough to know when to cry and sad enough to know we must laugh again. We are Virginia Tech. We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did not deserve it but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, but neither do the invisible children walking the night to avoid being captured by a rogue army. Neither does the baby elephant watching his community be devastated for ivory; neither does the Appalachian infant in the killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy. We are Virginia Tech. The Hokier Nation embraces our own with open heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong and brave and innocent and unafraid. We are better than we think, not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imagination and the possibility we will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears, through all this sadness. We are the Hokies. We will prevail, we will prevail. We are Virginia Tech. "

I studied Giovanni in high school. I had one of those radical English teachers, Ms. Gulledge, who taught us about the Harlem Renaissance and later African-American poets, including Giovanni. The teachers who made the most impact on me, when I was "growing up" were those, like Giovanni, who were tough, inspiring and creative. So, in light of this week, this tragedy, and this senseless loss of so many human lives...I pay tribute to my teachers. To Ms. Gulledge, Ms. Wilson, Ms. Jennings, Ms. Wheeles, Mr. Souther: thank you for being tough enough to keep the classroom a creative environment, but one where we were safe and free to learn.

It Was 25 Years Ago Today

The day began as I thought it would...contractions; there followed what I thought was a normal Lamaze delivery; it ended with what felt like a nightmare. Hope was born and whisked out of the delivery room, with her heartrate dropping; a doctor whom Corky went to high school with managed to get the three-branched ventilator tubes through her little mouth, down her throat. The nurse came to the recovery room to tell me and Corky: she may not live.

These unexpected and terrifying words began what was an intense twenty-eight day journey of faith. And it was not just our faith, but we were sustained, and Hope was healed through the power of the prayers of our community of faith: family, friends in ministry and newly converted Romnichel (Gypsies) who were attending our church
On the eighth day, Jesus walked into the Neonatal Care Unity and removed the ventilator tubes, and Hope breathed on her own. Twenty days later, she left Moses Cone Hospital, completely healed.

And those who heard her sing today with the church choir ("The Comforter Has Come"!!) would never suspect there had been anything wrong with her lungs. She can sing just about anything but I love to hear her sing (especially with her sister Emma): "This is the air I breathe...Your Very Presence Living in me!" It is the breath of God, the Holy Spirit, who gave resurrection life to her nearly a quarter of a century ago.

Happy Birthday Hope!

Easter Blessings!

In spite of a week of high pollen and the resulting allergies and a plunge in temperature of about forty degrees, we were able to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and newness of life! Josh and Hope worked hard to make the church events and celebrations come off in great fashion. The choir sang great under the direction of our awesome director, Sharon Ballenger (I did my best in spite of a profusion of mucous!); Travis preached a great sermon on resurrection life illustrated (thanks to Josh, with video testimonies of those in the congregation who've been brought out of darkness into His marvelous light!

I tried a new Paula Deen lemon cake recipe, which tasted great but did NOT look like the picture. Even my mom the food stylist couldn't make it look like it! The recipe probably won't make it in the permanent file. We had honey glazed ham, mom's potato salad, pistachio/Watergate salad, seven-layer salad (peas, other veg, cheese, bacon, ranch dressing), various breads.

New dresses for all the girls. A tradition I hope I can always keep.

And speaking of newness of life: there's Lex! Proof of the Resurrection of Jesus. Hope was healed through Resurrection Life; Josh was resurrected out of a life of darkness, death and despair. And now Lex lives!

He is risen indeed!

The Fun Part of Being in My Late Forties

Though there are aches and pains (of both the physical and mental variety) associated with being my age....most of it is very, very good. I have one daughter "raised" and doing well in her new role as minister, wife, mother; one is completing her first year of college and making us proud; one is in high school, becoming a champion in the world of western barrel racing. Corky is loving his new field of ministry ("pure religion"). I'm extremely busy, but fulfilled in my role at the Seminary. And then there's LEX! What a sweetie! He sings with me in church, he waves bye-bye, he babbles out loud...and he cries sometimes but that's okay! I LOVE being a grandmother and look forward to seeing what this little boy is going to be like. I predict: strong opinions, creativity, talent and stubbornness! He'll fit right in!