Decaf or high-test?

‘Whom are you looking for?’ If you want to find your Lord, to have a Jesus encounter, here a few ideas: feed someone who is hungry. Clothe someone who is naked. Offer kindness to a stranger, hospitality to a foreigner. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that whatever we do for the least among us, we do for Christ. That is where we can encounter the risen Lord- with those who are in prison, those who suffer injustice, those who are sick and those who are hungry. By living a life of generous, compassionate love, we meet Jesus the Stranger over and over and over again.

—Our priest at church this morning really hit on the meaning of Easter- and, more generally, on the meaning of faith for me. I’ve always been one to say that nothing in life ever happens inexplicably. I don’t believe in ghosts or divine miracles, and I certainly don’t believe that it is possible for a human to rise from the dead. And yet, the Episcopal Church has welcomed me and I’ve kept true to my faith because I believe that when a group of people come together to ask what it all means and commit to living with generosity and compassion, some really amazing things can happen. Not because of divine miracles, but because humans can be inspired by stories to get their hands dirty helping others. (via persnickitea)

As we move forward in the struggle to be regarded as fully human in the eyes of the law and within society, it’s important to remember that milestones like marriage and the repeal of DADT are certainly victories, but they are not end goals. When the queer liberation movement rose up in the 1960s and 70s, the goal wasn’t equal protection through matrimony, it was ownership of our bodies and the right to exist and feel safe in public spaces. We’re still fighting for that. Rights are only rights if everyone has access to them. Being queer is being anti-racist, being queer is being anti-classist. Acknowledging the struggles of people who aren’t white, who aren’t cis, who aren’t economically privileged, who don’t have access to the victories that have already been won isn’t being divisive, it’s being inclusive. And that’s what equality means.

—Gay Rights Are Not Queer Liberation

(via freedomequalitywholeness)

I don’t need some study to tell me who’s gay and who isn’t; that’s what scarves are for.

—Stephen Colbert

(Source: conconscorner)

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

—Leo Buscaglia

(Source: thingsandschemes)