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Hello, loved ones!
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Welcome to Resurrection Sunday... YAY!
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It's um actually the first Sunday in a long time
that I've gone to church.
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Filmmaker, queer activist Emilio Rojas invited us
to come to church with him this morning,
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which was a really powerful, interesting experience,
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and what's cool is that I met Emilio
at the Bayard Rustin Symposium
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last Sunday... last Saturday,
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where I gave a keynote.
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And part of the activity
that we did in our keynote ritual
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was based on this poem that I'm about to
share with you by Audre Lorde.
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It's called "When The Saints Come Marching In".
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Plentiful sacrifice
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and believers in redemption
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are all that is needed
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so any day now
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I expect some new religion
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to rise up like tear gas
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from the streets of New York
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erupting like the rank pavement smell
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released by the garbage trucks' baptismal drizzle
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the high priests have been ready
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and waiting
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with their incense pans full of fire
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I do not know the rituals,
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the exaltations
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nor what name of the god
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the survivors will worship
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I only know
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she will be terrible
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and very busy
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and very old.
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So I love this poem.
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I love the idea of what we can see
as the new religion
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coming up from the grimiest place.
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The baptismal drizzle of the garbage trucks
on the pavement of New York City.
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And how we can imagine
a terrible, busy, old, female god,
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whose high priests are ready and waiting.
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So the assignment for this week
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is to think about that.
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What are the faith-transforming baptismal drizzles
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experiences of funk
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that you are present to
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at this time in your life,
at this moment in your community.
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What is the dirtiness
that is actually prompting you
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to think about what you believe,
to remember what you believe,
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to feel empowered to create
your own definition of divinity,
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or a remembered definition.
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Let me know!
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I would love to hear from you,
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and if you would like to talk more
or have your own poem oracle,
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the poem oracles we did at the Bayard Rustin
Symposium were off the hook,
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and if you would like your own poem oracle,
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check me out at:
summerofourlorde.wordpress.com
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And have a beautiful week... AH!!!
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Before I go!
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In a couple of days it will be Audre Lorde's
--would have been--
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Audre Lorde's 80th birthday.
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And over on the Feminist Wire
we're having a forum...
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Audre every day,
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wonderful pieces from former students,
and chosen disciples of Audre Lorde,
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poetry, essays, beautiful photographs,
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that we'll be sharing.
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So, come on over to School Of Our Lorde at
summerofourlorde.wordpress.com
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and also check out the Feminist Wire this week for the Audre Lorde tribute.
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Sending much love!
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Happy Resurrection Sunday!
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MWAH!