Posts tagged Borders I Cross
Two Cookies
Two Cookies

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My kid was finally ready to go live at school as his true gender self. We were following the plan: new haircut, teachers and administrators on board. At the last minute he hung on the door of the minivan and didn't want to get out, so we said the verse together he had picked out for his transition (Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid, because God will be with you wherever you go”) and he got his courage up. We happened to walk into school with a BFF and dad, then climbed the steps together to the 5th grade hall, where the guidance counselor was hanging out in the classroom as planned, and the teacher gave me the signal.

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Solo en inglés.

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BPFNAPride, LGBTQIA, Trans Rights, Borders I Cross
Vamos Todos al Banquete
Vamos Todos al Banquete

"Let us go now to the banquet, to the feast of the universe. The table’s set and a place is waiting. I will rise in the early morning; the community’s waiting for me. With a spring in my step I’m walking with my friends and my family. God invites all the poor and hungry to the banquet of justice and good; where the harvest will not be hoarded so that no one will lack for food. May we build a place among us where all people are equal in love; For God has called us to work together and to share everything we have."

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BPFNABorders I Cross, Immigration, Asylum Seekers, Sanctuary, Border Justice
Crossing Borders In Times of Suffering
Crossing Borders In Times of Suffering

In my work as a Chaplain and Pastoral Educator, I often encounter people in the halls of the hospital looking lost and bewildered. A hospital can feel like a strange and even hostile land to those whose lives have been interrupted with unexpected crisis. It is a self-contained community with a particular language, culture, and set of social norms that can be difficult to navigate for outsiders. Within this world there are structures that can be even more alienating for those who live on the margins of society. As chaplains, we are called to cross the borders that cause persons to feel unseen and unheard in this world of healthcare.

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BPFNABorders I Cross, Chaplain, Loss, Death and Dying
....The Gospel Call to Cross Borders..El llamado evangélico a cruzar las fronteras....
....The Gospel Call to Cross Borders..El llamado evangélico a cruzar las fronteras....

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During my childhood and adolescence I never imagined I could cross a border. This does not mean that I never dreamed of crossing borders. On the contrary, I spent many hours reading the Encyclopedia and the Atlas; learning the names of the nations of the world, the colors of their flags; leaning about their location and their capitals. I enjoyed dreaming that, someday, I will visit as many countries as it was possible.

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En mi niñez y temprana juventud, nunca se me ocurrió que podría cruzar una frontera. Esto no quiere decir que nunca soñé con hacerlo. Por el contrario, pasaba horas leyendo la enciclopedia y el atlas; aprendiendo los nombres de las naciones del mundo y el color de sus banderas; aprendiendo su localización y sus capitales. 

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BPFNABorders I Cross, Puerto Rico, American Baptist Churches, Partners
The Borders I Cross
The Borders I Cross

I am subbing in an English class at one of the local high schools. A tenth grade boy on the front row is eyeing me suspiciously. Getting eyed suspiciously is nothing new for me, but this guy’s not letting up. His glare is unremitting, almost unblinking. He slouches in his chair as if to get a better view of all 6’2” of me, chews pensively on the eraser of his pencil and stares up as I pace and talk and gesticulate about the importance of verbs. He is definitely skeptical, though I doubt he has heard a word I’ve said about verbs.

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BPFNABorders I Cross, LGBTQIA