Rev Adam Young

revadamcyoung.substack.com/p/black-hist...

“Faith can’t be lived on the private plane of the interior life. Faith is the very negation of retreat into oneself. Faith comes alive in the dynamism of the good news that reveals us as children of God, creates a community, a church, the visible sign of liberation in Christ.”-Gustavo Gutierrez

I think Christians in America often tend to emphasize confession and repentance of personal sins and neglect corporate sins. We tend to over-individualize the practice of faith and forget that we are part of a greater whole.

“God’s reign is not some far-off, distant place disconnected from the trials and tribulations here on earth. Rather, God’s reign is a present-day social, political, public, and personal reality evident among God’s people,” that is lived out on the margins with Christ. -Miguel De La Torre

“Christian ethics, as formulated within the margins of society, rejects the notion that God somehow wills God’s children to subsist under oppressive structures so that they can eventually live with everlasting riches… ‘The reign of God is at hand,’ Jesus was fond of saying…”

“Christian ethics should first struggle with the question of power and how to crucify power and the privilege that flows with it so that justice and love can instead reign.” Miguel De La Torre in his book Doing Christian Ethics from the Margins

Trump’s Actions Have Created a Constitutional Crisis, Scholars Say Law professors have long debated what the term means. But now many have concluded that the nation faces a reckoning as President Trump tests the boundaries of executive power.

We are in the midst of a constitutional crisis. Our identity as a nation is under question. We need to be clear that we are a democracy based on “the separation of powers, the freedom of speech, and equal justice under law.” www.nytimes.com/2025/02/10/u...

Spent the evening in small group at my church reading Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail." We analyzed his theological & philosophical argument, scriptural interpretation, emotional appeal & prophetic critique/vision. Got halfway thru & they wanted to continue the convo next week. Energizing!

UPDATE: Senator Deevers has pulled the bill in response to public backlash. It’s nice to know that our voices can still make a difference.

Oklahoma bill takes aim at resources available to students on IEPs Some Oklahoma parents and educators say a state Senate bill that takes aim at certain services students with Individualized Education Plans receive would have devastating effects not only on the st…

Republican leaders in Oklahoma are hellbent on attacking our education system. I just learned there is a bill being proposed in the State Senate that would eliminate IEPs (Individualized Education Plan). This would directly affect one of my sons and the boy I tutor at my church. tinyurl.com/f96wh345

Haha this is the best take yet

I am still in shock that the Mavs traded Luka. Following his story arc has been like watching Harry Potter grow up playing for Gryffindor. But now, just as they’re about to win the house cup he gets traded to Slytherin. It ruins the whole story and makes no sense.

…Thus the compassion of Jesus is to be understood not simply as a personal emotional reaction but as a public criticism in which he dares to act upon his concern against the entire numbness of his social context. Empires live by numbness.” From Brueggeman’s The Prophetic Imagination

…The norms of law (social control) are never accommodated to persons, but persons are accommodated to the norms. Otherwise the norms will collapse and with them the whole power arrangement...

…compassion announces that the hurt is to be taken seriously, that the hurt is not to be accepted as normal and natural but is an abnormal and unacceptable condition for humanness. Empires are never built or maintained on the basis of compassion...

I’ve been thinking some more about the power of Bishop Budde’s sermon. Walter Brueggeman’s words demonstrate how prophetically spot on her message was. “Jesus in his solidarity with the marginal ones is moved to compassion. Compassion constitutes a radical form of criticism…

To stay focused and not overwhelmed, the three main issues that I’m going to track are:

1) Education Justice
2) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies and programs (including immigration)
3) Macro-Economics (i.e. Tariffs)

What are you going to focus on so we can keep each other informed?

You’re welcome! A friend of mine shared it and I found it very helpful.

5/ Build community: Share the cognitive load. Different people track different issues. Network intelligence beats individual overload.

Remember: They want you scattered. Your focus is resistance.”

-From Sociologist Jennifer Walter

4/ Practice going slow: Wait 48hrs before reacting to new policies. The urgent clouds the important. Initial reporting often misses context

3/ Remember: Feeling overwhelmed is the point. When you recognize this, you regain some power. Take breaks. Process. This is a marathon.

2/ Use aggregators & experts: Find trusted analysts who do the heavy lifting of synthesis. Look for those explaining patterns, not just events.

1/ Set boundaries: Pick 2-3 key issues you deeply care about and focus your attention there. You can't track everything - that's by design. Impact comes from sustained focus, not scattered awareness.

3/Agenda-setting theory explains the strategy: Multiple major policies compete for attention simultaneously & fragments public discourse. Traditional media can't keep up w/the pace, leading to superficial coverage. The result? Weakened democratic oversight & reduced public engagement. What now?

2/ Media theorist McLuhan predicted this: When humans face information overload, they become passive and disengaged. The rapid-fire executive orders create a cognitive bottleneck, making it nearly impossible for citizens and media to thoroughly analyze any single policy.

1/ The flood of 200+ executive orders in Trump's first days exemplifies Naomi Klein's "shock doctrine" - using chaos and crisis to push through radical changes while people are too disoriented to effectively resist. This isn't just politics as usual-it's a strategic exploitation of cognitive limits.

I’ve seen this a couple times today. I think it’s helpful. Wise and important words from sociologist Jennifer Walter about what is happening in our country right now and what to do about it:

"As a sociologist, I need to tell you:
Your overwhelm is the goal...

If the Christ you worship doesn’t call for mercy, empathy, or compassion, then you have made an idol in your own image and we do not follow the same Jesus.

“You are a game changer, a life changer, a powerful person. If you step out in faith, outrageous things can happen.” -Dr. Daniels

“Can you write your purpose in 6 words or less? What is it that God has called YOU to do?” -Dr. Daniels