They call me...
A "professional love note writer"
Darling,
Isn’t this just the most loveliest of things? Yesterday, someone in my writing group called me a professional love note writer and my heart just blossomed up with all the goodness available in the land.
What joy.
What bliss.
What glorious delight.
With that, I want to share some deeply inspiring words from President of the House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church - Julia Ayala Harris . She said, “This is not a moment of chaos. It is a moment of consequence.”
WHOOOZAAAAAAAA. YES! LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK! DAYUM!
Julia went on to say, “The tactics we are witnessing are not random. They are strategic: deliberate efforts to co-opt public institutions, erode the rule of law, and blur the boundaries between faith and state. These are hallmarks of what scholars call theocratic and state capture—the systematic merger of religious and political authority reshaping how power operates in our world.”
MMMMMM YES MA’AM! PREACHING AND SPEAKING ALL THE TRUTHS!
Y’all, this right here is why I am so blessed and grateful to have found the Episcopal church. All around we are preaching the word of justice and faith. Standing up in our cities and towns and around the Nation saying the words that need to be said. (See my sermon from this past Sunday)
Christian Nationalism is a method of control and manipulation that many of us cannot fathom understanding. And it can be conquered with love. Odd that I would use the word love with the word conquer. Just remember I am also the lady who uses the word grace with the word revolution. 😊
Christian Nationalism distorts what I know to be true about the gospel. It takes us out of the centering of our soul and polarizes our emotions until down is up and up is down and carrots and peas no longer go together and we can’t even talk to each other in a kind and compassionate way.
Episcopal Church Bishop Sean Rowe said it so well when he stated, “When we get it right, we Episcopalians are capable of resolute commitment to both justice and unity, and to extending grace to one another and to all of God’s people, even those who don’t agree with us.”
And that is my love message to y’all today.
Extend grace to yourself, in the end that glorious body of yours is all you have.
Extend grace to your friends, especially acknowledging they are on their own journey just like you.
Extend grace to your neighbor who just cut down the beautiful bushes that used to peek over the fence and now you are sad.
When we extend grace, we create waves of change that are as predicable as the tides. We witness change and build community. We become bridge builders of the heart and soul. We undo our cultural training to use the threat of violence to maintain peace.
Y’all, love gives us the gift of peace. This is an invocation and an invitation to radically repossess our autonomy. Through the divine love of the universe, me and you, you and I, each one of us can come together in this moment of consequence.
I love you. I love you for reading this. I love you for being curious. I love you for noticing the clouds in the sky. I love you finding truth. I love you for having faith. I love you for losing faith and finding it again. I love you for excavating your experiences to bring light to what lies within the beating of our hearts.
I love knowing that there is a person out there somewhere reading this next line.
Wisdom calls and understanding raises her voice.
Thank you for being with me during this moment of consequence.
I love your ever loving face.
xoxo,
Melissa
P.S. My podcast, The Thinnest Veil is back! Have you listened yet?
P.PS. This podcast interview with
ALSO GLORIOUS NEWS!!!! YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR SEASONAL SHENANIGANS!!! My new ritual series with myself and
Lughna! Here is the link to come play with us!