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February 18
David Barnhart
February 18, 2025
Augsburg, Germany, 2022. Own photo.
Today is the feast day of Simeon of Jerusalem, an early Christian leader and the successor of James the Just (also referred to as “James, the brother of Jesus”). Simeon is also referred to as “Simon of Clopas” and is also called a “brother of Jesus.”
Today also marks the death, in 1546, of Martin Luther, a key figure of the Protestant Reformation.
Today is the birthday of Audre Lorde, who described herself as a black, lesbian, feminist, socialist, mother, warrior, poet.” She was also an author, activist, and professor whose influence among social justice advocates is immeasurable.
Reflection
Some important quotations from Audre Lorde:
“If I didn't define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive.”
“For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us to temporarily beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change. Racism and homophobia are real conditions of all our lives in this place and time. I urge each one of us here to reach down into that deep place of knowledge inside herself and touch that terror and loathing of any difference that lives here. See whose face it wears. Then the personal as the political can begin to illuminate all our choices.”
“There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”
“Without community, there is no liberation.”
It’s Martin Luther’s day of passing, but I’ll probably post about him more on Reformation Day next fall. The world is full of quotations from male European theologians, so it’s good to share some words from Saint Audre Lorde today.
Prayer: Liberating Spirit, in this world full of domination and oppression, we often resort to using the master’s tools to dismantle the master’s house. Give us the creativity and inspiration to take apart the Powers and Principalities without using their tools and theri weapons. Amen.