My grandma attended the same church for over 40 years. She was faithful and dedicated, volunteering, contributing, and always ready to listen. I don’t know how many pastors she saw through the years, but I do know she liked some better than others. Though she never unpacked sermons the way I like to, a comment […]
My Need to Belong
by on June 5, 2019 Leave a Comment
The wounds I learned to operate from early on in life were the ones that screamed, “You don’t belong. You’re not enough.” It sounds ridiculous. I come from a stable middle class white American family; I should have always known where I fit. Yet I don’t remember a time when I didn’t feel like I’d […]
The Beauty of Biracial Belonging
by on June 3, 2019 Leave a Comment
By Maggie H. Johnson The crackle of the fast food intercom was prominent as the woman asked to take our order. She had a heavy Asian accent, but spoke fluent English. I sat quietly in the back seat as my friend ordered a car-full of food for the rest of us. After a few moments, […]
Grief Draws Us to Belonging
by on June 2, 2019 Leave a Comment
As we rounded the corner, I saw the hearse. It was parked in front of the doors of First-Centenary United Methodist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee and the finality took my breath away. This past Saturday, we shared in Rachel Held Evans’ funeral. I drove up from Atlanta with my dear friend Tina Francis-Mutungu and the miles […]
The Places I Saw the Face of God
by on May 26, 2019 Leave a Comment
I grew up in a family where we were measured by performance. In elementary school, we were given quarters for our A’s. We were given dessert if we finished all of our food on our plate. We were given shelves for all our trophies. I did not have a shelf. Sports was something I did not […]
