by Sarah Francois | Feb 19, 2022 | Uncategorized
Dear Reader,
Let’s talk about race. In honor of Black History Month, I feel like I have to take a moment to discuss this uncomfortable topic.
As many resources exist on liberation theology, diversity, critical race theory for Christians, the reluctance to engage is still very large. Not surprisingly. White supremacy is still a Christian colonialism concept. The Klu Klux Klan is historically a Christian organization. It is 2022 and we are afraid to look at our history, which, in turn, means we are somehow doomed to repeat it.
It’s not just about race. Discrimination based on race causes educational disparities, financial disparities, food deserts, puts people medically at risk, and causes a lot of harm.
If we are the body of Christ, Christ’s arms need to be reaching, Christ’s hands need to be healing and overall we need to be addressing structural inequality as Christians.
What about using that church basement for after-school tutoring or a GED class? Or a Narcotics Anonymous Meeting? NARCAN training? Finance classes? These are simple things that do some harm reduction in terms of addressing inequality. You can help one child get up to speed before high school, preventing them from dropping out. You can help one mother get off drugs and become a brilliant addition to the Parent-teacher association. You can help save a life with NARCAN. You can teach black youth and adults how to use what little resources they have effectively.
But I don’t know how to do anything? I guarantee you someone next to you does. Maybe you have the funds to power the next after-school program. Maybe you have the mom-group that can be its part-time tutors.
It pains me when we think, it’s hopeless, we can’t really do anything.
So What if I can’t? I serve a God who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all I could ask or even think. All I have to do is pitch in.
by Sarah Francois | Feb 18, 2022 | Uncategorized
I’m just taking advantage of Black History Month to recommend a book. I really did not want to read this book. As a Black woman, living and making my life in this world, I was quite frankly tired of the discussions around race. But this book provided so much really important factual information— some of which I had never heard before — that it bears recognition.
It is also written incredibly well. I bought both the audiobook and the actual book. Sometimes I just want to listen and sometimes I just want the physical experience of turning the pages of a book.
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by Sarah Francois | Feb 10, 2019 | Uncategorized
Hi y’all I started my second semester of law school a month ago. I received the grades from the semester and was overjoyed about what team me and God could do. Then I started doing a lot. Black law student Moot court, judicial interviews, live streaming as a gamer, taking Japanese language learning classes , and working parttime at my old job again. I was so focused on running the race of law school and stuntin’ on folks that I dropped out church staff, and quite frankly out of church. It started with one Sunday and then before I knew it I had told myself that God could meet me where I was At… in the campus library.
Somehow getting good grades increased my anxiety instead of reassuring me and calming me down. Then I found out that I got none of the summer internships I had interviewed for. none. Zero. I failed miserably at moot court. Barely being able to get words out of my mouth despite having rehearsed and practiced and agonized over it.
And i thought about a sermon my pastor preached at our church staff night gathering about digging another well. I don’t even remember which dude in the Old Testament it was about. But I do remember that this guy had to build more than two wells. The first one was taken from him. The second one people wanted to fight him for it and he just gave it to them and went somewhere else and dug another one. I need to dig another well in the face of all this opposition.
I cannot tell you how frustrating being me in law school is. Being black, being a woman, being a rape survivor, being a Christian, being in recovery… being all the me’s that I am. But not once have I ever thought I didn’t belong here. When people want to give me microagressions, and try to psych me out, it makes me upset but not deterred. I know God sent me here. That is a fundamental fact of my life. The spirit of the Lord annoited me for this particular task and this particular purpose… to set captives free. However, The first captive that needs to be free is me.
That was the message I got when I had a flashback to a traumatic memory right before my first round of moot court. That if I don’t have a strong relationship with God, I will fear man. And I do fear man. All the time. The life experiences I have make me never ever want to leave the house. I’ve considered it thoughtfully. I could work and go to school and have groceries delivered. It is possible to never have to physically leave. But that’s not God’s will for me. If I’m going to break people out of chains, the first prisoner that needs to be loosed is me.
