Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil

Many of you know that I LOVE my dog, Bella!! Although some people think she looks like a puppy, Bella is 15 ½ years old. So, sadly she has been slowing down lately.

But over the holidays, my two beautiful children, Omari and Mia, came home and “Wow!” did she RALLY! Bella was more energetic, alert, playful and started trotting at a faster pace. We already had an appointment scheduled with our veterinarian and he said it was like a Christmas miracle!

I don’t know what this upcoming year holds for Bella, but I do know that she’s aware of how much we love her. Our family has loved our dog and she has loved us back. I’m so grateful for the wonderful time we had together over the holidays! ❤️

I’m thrilled that my new book, Empowered to Repair: Becoming People who Mend Broken Systems and Repair Our Communities is almost here! Lord knows this has been a LONG time coming! So, now I’m ready to give you a sneak peek about what this book is about by sharing some snippets with you all.

Empowered to Repair is already available for preorder on Amazon, Baker Book House, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, and Hearts and Minds. I’d love you to help me get the word out, so please tag someone who you’d like to read this book with you! I really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

Tomorrow is January 6, and I've decided to reclaim that date from the violence that happened in our nation's Capitol three years ago.

This year, I'm joining with many Christians around the world who celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany by reflecting on the journey of the Magi in their trek to visit Jesus. Although I didn't grow up in a highly liturgical church tradition, I now know that the story of the Magi is NOT just a Christmas story. Instead, it is a call for us to take a journey toward seeing and knowing God. The Magi, better known as the wisemen, sought to find Jesus; and as people who want to be wise, we must still seek to see God today!

As a way of doing this, those of us at Quest Church are going to embark on a corporate fast from January 7th-27th. This is a way for anyone who wants to intentionally move toward God by giving up something (can be anything) to seek to see and know God more closely. So, as we start the new year, Happy Epiphany, y’all!

I saw The Color Purple yesterday, and I LOVED it! I especially appreciate the way this film was made by Black people and fully centered Black people. Almost every actor in the entire movie was Black. I saw the intentionality of this film to create a narrative of self-determination. It's a wonderful representation of Black beauty, power, and resilience!

I also left the theater with a newfound respect for producers like Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. They are using their resources and positions of power to center Black people, and by doing this, they're ensuring that we are authentically telling our own stories. YES!!

I highly recommend going to the theater asap and checking this movie out!

Thought this was worth reposting.

Today, we don't just mark New Year's Eve, but remember Watch Night-- historically rooted in African American religious traditions. Established in African American communities on December 31, 1862, Watch Night is a gathering to celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation becoming law. When the clock struck midnight on January 1, 1863, all slaves in the Confederate States were proclaimed free.

Since then, African Americans have celebrated the good news of freedom in local churches on New Year’s Eve. Like the slaves who first gathered while the Civil War raged on, we proclaim freedom for all captives in Jesus’ name, knowing that for millions, freedom is not a reality. Our celebration is a commitment to join modern-day slaves and undocumented workers in their struggle for justice.

On this day in 1862, Frederick Douglass said, "It is a day for poetry and song, a new song. These cloudless skies, this balmy air, this brilliant sunshine… are in harmony with the glorious morning of liberty about to dawn up on us."

Keep watch. Lift your voices. Sing a new song reconcilers. Newness of life comes with the dawn!

"I will light candles this Christmas.
Candles of joy, despite all the sadness.
Candles of hope where despair keeps watch.
Candles of courage where fear is ever present.
Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days.
Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens.
Candles of love to inspire all of my living.
Candles that will burn all the year long. "

Howard Thurman, Meditations Of The Heart (1953)

The book I'm reading during this Advent season is called "The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice: Black Lives, Healing, and US Social Transformation" by Fania E. Davis. As we wait for and celebrate the birth of Christ, who came to bring hope, peace, joy, and love into the world, may we remember that this includes restorative justice, healing, and wholeness for all people!

December 16th is Day of Reconciliation, a public holiday observed in South Africa. And while the history of this holiday is nuanced, much like many American holidays, I do believe that it is a remarkable thing that a country would attempt to address the divisiveness within the fabric of its systems. Originally, this holiday was used to celebrate the conquering of indigenous peoples, but in 1994 it was changed and renamed to celebrate the newly implemented democratic government and acknowledge the end of apartheid. I believe that it is through radical truth telling, like the renaming of public holidays, that we can move closer to healing our society. Let it be so in the USA and thank God for Reconciliation Day!

Today is Human Rights Day. In light of the genocides happening around the world, especially in places like Israel, Palestine, Ukraine, and the Congo, I believe we must all care about human life - period. We must affirm the value of all human life, regardless of a person’s race, ethnicity, gender, identity, religion, or nationality. As a person who truly believes that all people are created in the Image of God, I’m committed to affirming the human dignity of all people.

I am so excited to finally reveal the cover of my new book!

This has been a long time coming and I can hardly wait to share excerpts from this book when the new year begins! The title is “Empowered to Repair: Becoming People Who Mend Broken Systems and Heal Our Communities.” It will be out May 2024 and I'll share more info about how you can order soon.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear how the images on the cover speak to you. Thanks!

This past year, I have been waiting for the formation and release of my new book. As we enter into Advent, I have been reflecting on my relationship with waiting.

Anticipation and waiting can be difficult, especially for those of us that are action oriented. However, I have come to appreciate the sacred power of silence as a spiritual discipline.

What does advent mean to you? What do you wait for?

Many of us know Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat on the bus. But one thing that I have learned is that she was actually a huge mentor for young people in her community! Rosa Parks was known for bringing the younger generation into her apartment and empowering them to be a part of the Civil Rights Movement.

In so many ways, I honor Rosa Parks for this specific aspect of her work. I, too, am a person who is committed to investing in the generations coming behind me. I truly believe that we can keep movements going by not only participating in activism but also by empowering the generations of young people coming behind us to be actively involved in these causes. Here’s to Rosa Parks!

Art by Ezshwan Winding

I'm really looking forward to this!

JOIN US IN December! As we wrap up the fall season, we will consider what it means to take the reconciliation command of the cross seriously so that we can respond with hope, joy, and confidence to questions like: “What called you forth?” and “What’s going on?” and “How can we speak truth to power?”

Each month, our community and curriculum focuses on a topic that helps us explore the way of Jesus and the work of justice more deeply. We have a number of ways to engage throughout December, including: a seminar with Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil (professor, pastor, author), available via livestream or in person in San Francisco; curated readings from a variety of great authors; evening prayer by Kinship Commons; online discussion and office hours; and we will end the month by reflecting as a community at the Fireside Chat. Check out our latest blog post (https://faithjustice.net/courage-for-the-outward-journey-dec-2023/) to learn more about the December curriculum.

The Faith and Justice Network is available as a monthly or annual membership. Join our online community and get access each month to several virtual webinars, video resources, curated readings, spiritual practices, online forums, and more. Join us for a month, a season, or a year or more! Learn more at faithjustice.net/join.

Faith and Courage in Times of Crisis (Dec 3) - Center for Faith and Justice Join us on December 3 for conversation (5pm) and dinner (6pm)! Register In a world where so much is broken and … Faith and Courage in Times of Crisis (Dec 3) Read More »

Agreed!

One of the greatest gifts any parent could ever hope for, is that their children grow to be people you love and respect. Today is my son's 34th birthday, and I couldn't be more proud of the person he is! On our trip to see family and friends on the East Coast, so many people commented on how much they admired and appreciated my young adult children. I couldn't ask for more! Happy Birthday and blessings today and always, Omari! I celebrate you and thank God for the day you were born!! The world is a better place because you're in it! ❤️❤️

On this Thanksgiving Day, I'm truly grateful for the joy of being on the leadership team at Quest Church ! I love serving with these gifted and talented people, who are committed to co-creating a loving Christian community where everyone belongs. I hope you will also take time to give thanks for the people in your life who help you to experience the goodness of God! 💕

Today is the 9th anniversary of Tamir Rice’s death.

When I think of Tamir, my first reaction is that of a mother’s heart. I am also a Christian reconciliation leader and I care about the next generation of emerging leaders, who are dealing with these types of racial injustices.

So, today as we remember Tamir, may we lament his death and continue to call for a better world for the future generations of promising, young Black lives.

This artwork is by Robin Wellner.

Amen! was faithful from start to finish. I honor her life and legacy. 💕

“Blessed are the peacemakers…” Love and prayers for former First Lady, , and former President, .

I grew up in New Jersey but haven't been back to visit my family since Covid began. So, this year I'm going home to spend Thanksgiving with my siblings and I'm so excited!

This was my Mom's favorite holiday and I know she'll be smiling up in Heaven when all her children get together. Here's a few pictures of me with my brothers and sister.
We're not perfect and we can get on each other's nerves, but it will really be good to see each other.

I hope you'll find time to be with people you are thankful for too.

Today, only 63 years ago in 1960, Ruby Bridges became the first African American child to attend an all-white Elementary school. Ruby was just 6 years old!

Now, Ruby is 69 years old and continues her work as a civil rights activist. I write about her in my new book:

“It is disturbing that we are living at a time when book bans are at an all time high in the United States. Although individuals and coordinated group efforts on the ground led to book bans, state level legislation has amplified and encouraged greater overreach of the government into school libraries. The books being banned across the United States remain those by and about primarily people of color and q***r people.

I was shocked to learn that a book by a civil rights activist, Ruby Bridges, who at 6 years old became the first Black child to desegregate an all white Louisiana school was banned from schools. In response, Ruby Bridges, who is now 69 years said that a conversation about banning books is long overdue:

‘Let’s have it but it must include ALL books. If we are going to ban books for being too truthful then surely we must ban books that distort or omit the truth.’”

Amen to that!

Ruby’s book is called “I am Ruby Bridges” and is available for sale online.

[Image description: 1st image, a painted portrait of young Ruby. She looks upward, smiling. She is surrounded by blue. Art by Allison Adams
2nd Image: Photo of Ruby Bridges in 2021. She wears gold jewelry and black clothing, she rests her head on her arm. She softly smiles to the side of the camera.
3rd image: The cover of Ruby’s book. Text reads: I am Ruby Bridges, how one 6 year old girl’s march to school changed the world. Ruby holds a book to her chest which reads “US History”. ]

I am beyond grateful for the work (and rest) of author, Tricia Hersey! Tricia is the founder of The Nap Ministry and author to this new great book: “Rest is Resistance, A Manifesto.”

This book reminds us that our systems of white supremacist capitalism cannot have us. We deserve to be wholly human and we are free to imagine and implement a world that gives us all that we need.

Check out her amazing writing. I have been grateful for her wisdom in this season.

I am deeply grateful to be a part of a church where we can lean into the important but messy realities of seeking justice.

On Sunday, the 29th of October, we hosted a panel of Israeli and Palestinian leaders, whose families are being impacted by the horrible violence in the Middle East. Together, we dug into what it means to find a different way forward or a “creative 3rd option” towards peace.

Our conversation was honest, humanizing and revealed to us that people from different socio-political identities believe in justice and want to see the end of violence against other humans. Our panelists left us with a request that we pray and advocate for our United States government to stop funding the military — we cannot bomb our way out of this.

Our annual Reconciliation Submit was amazing!

This past weekend, we had 36 people from 12 churches and organizations dive DEEP into the logistics and the hard hard work of what it means to organize in their communities for the sake of reconciliation. I look forward to all that God is going to do as a result of our time together!

Let’s continue to pray for our attendees as they go back home and live out a life of justice.

This weekend, I will be hosting a summit at Quest Church for reconciliation leaders across the nation!

We will be focusing on community organizing and encouraging our leaders to bring "the church" to their communities. This next generation of emerging leaders is demanding to see more action from the church. So, the purpose of this reconciliation summit is to sharpen Christians to actively work to repair broken systems and structures through community organizing. Our goal is to empower leaders with new skills, so they can develop new partnerships and engage in working for racial justice, healing, and reconciliation in their local communities.

I am really excited about this weekend, and hope that you will pray for us as we gather.

When I was a child in kindergarten, my class sang a song that I still remember to this day. It’s called "Let There Be Peace On Earth." All these years later, I still remember it. I think of the precious kids I met in Palestine and holding them in my heart as the little girl in me sings the lyrics of this song and prays for peace.

“Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me
Let There Be Peace on Earth
The peace that was meant to be …”

This Sunday, at Quest Church, we will be hosting a conversation about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel. Our conversation will be led by Andy Larsen and includes the voices of Palestinian and Israeli people.

I am grateful to be a part of a church where these kinds of conversations are happening. As Christians, it is necessary that we care about our global community. How is your church responding?

Jesus wept at the death of his friend and follower, Lazarus.

During this time of injustice, when death is potent and present, we must remember that our tears are a holy reflection of a God who weeps with us and also brings life. Our worldly systems of power tell us that we should look away and just continue on. But our tears remind us that we care, and it is time to uproot the powers that bring death.

God be with us. Even when it hurts, keep us human.

I have been to Israel/Palestine and met good, Godly people on both sides of this horrible conflict. My heart breaks for all involved. Please join me in praying this prayer for peace in the Middle East:

"Oh Lord, bless all who are being killed with safety and with life.

Bless those who have lost their communities with the space and time to cry.

Bless indigenous peoples with the right to their own homes.

Bless those who are fighting for their humanity. May they see the fruit of their labor in this lifetime.

And bless the privileged with soft hearts so they hurt for those who are oppressed and work to heal our land."