Greetings dear ones,
I have been thinking about the stories that we tell ourselves. Most importantly the stories that people with authority tell concerning bodies. Which bodies are good bodies. Which bodies deserve empathy. Which body is a human. Which body warrants punishment. Which bodies deserve care and grace…body stories.
“If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” Audre Lorde
And as I contemplate the stories of bodies that we tell in this country, I am confronted over and over again how those stories are dehumanizing, flattening, distinctly ungodly, not righteous. And it would be one thing if these stories were just kept in the hearts of those who created them, but instead policies are created, buildings are constructed…what we believe bears out in what we do and what we teach. We are victims of bad stories. (And some of us pay the price more than others.) In January of this year, amid the crisis of airplane crashes and malfunctions, our current president said “I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first. The FAA’s website states they include hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability, and dwarfism.” Lies. Destructive lies. These words hurt to take in as a Black man with disabilities in this country. I could simply have numbed myself and ignored them, but I bring them here for a reason. These words echo the beliefs of many in this country and connecting flight disasters with disability is an insidious lie that we cannot ignore as we fight for and journey towards liberation. It is important to note that what has been constructed can be deconstructed. When lies become the foundations of our body stories, we must write new ones.
-Robert M. co-director enfleshed
Robert Monson
co-director
Robert (he/him) is a runner, musician, and a Black theologian committed to softness, contemplation, and liberation for all. As a recent seminary graduate (with distinction) and a current PhD student, Robert studied in-depth the intersection of Black Liberation Theology and womanist theology. Weaving together these two strands of liberation have been important work as well as other liberation based theologies. “How can we help facilitate community and provide answers to a hurting world that is reeling?” remains an important question in his work. While in school, Robert’s scholarly work was recognized and presented at various national conferences/outlets. Podcasting (two shows) and writing remain important aspects of his daily life as well as marathoning the latest Star Trek show(s).