Stories - PushBlack Spirit (Page 24)

Stories

A collection of 671 posts

Could She Kill Her Own Son To Save Earth?

Could She Kill Her Own Son To Save Earth?

“The two children struggled with each other in her womb…The LORD told her, ‘The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals.” - Genesis 25:22-23. She birthed the original twins - one brought war, and one brought creation. Who would win?

These Black Church Traditions Have Endured Through The Ages

These Black Church Traditions Have Endured Through The Ages

Barack Obama said this about the Black church: “Nothing is more powerful than the black church experience. A good choir and a good sermon in the black church, it's pretty hard not to be moved and be transported.” Here are some of the traditions we love about the Black church experience.

We Hear About "Evil" All The Time, But What Does It Truly Mean?

We Hear About "Evil" All The Time, But What Does It Truly Mean?

Haile Selassie said, “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” But what exactly is evil?

Watch Carefully For These Signs Of ‘Spiritual Abuse’

Watch Carefully For These Signs Of ‘Spiritual Abuse’

Proverbs 18:14 urges us to pay attention to our spirits. “The human spirit can endure a long illness, but who can survive a crushed spirit?” But what happens when our spirits get crushed in church or when we are practicing our faith?

She Felt So Alone – But God Sent Her Community

She Felt So Alone – But God Sent Her Community

“What does it mean to be black and Catholic? It means that I … bring myself, my black self, all that I am, all that I have, all that I’m worth, all I hope to become.” – Sister Thea Bowman. She wanted to feel as if she belonged. She prayed for a community and God didn’t disappoint.

Via <a href=https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/image?phrase=black+man+yoga>iStockPhoto</a>

How To Refill Your Emotional Tank When You're On Empty

“The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn. The mindfulness movement has been dominated by white faces, gimmicky goods, and high price tags. But here are easy and cost-effective ideas to heal and care for ourselves.

Saying “No” Is Both Spiritual And An Act Of Resistance

Saying “No” Is Both Spiritual And An Act Of Resistance

“I must undertake to love myself and to respect myself as though my very life depends upon self-love and self-respect.” – June Jordan. If we can’t set boundaries with loved ones, we are not practicing divine love. Saying “no” makes room for a future “yes!”

We Need To Stop Believing These Lies About Dolls And Vodou

We Need To Stop Believing These Lies About Dolls And Vodou

High Priest Robi Gilmore shared, “I went to one little … ‘New Orleans Voodoo ceremony’ … What the hell is this? All these white people with sparklers … running around in a circle with shawls on, turnin’ around like Stevie Nicks.”

What The Bible Reveals About Racial Injustice Against Black People

What The Bible Reveals About Racial Injustice Against Black People

Rev. Lenny Duncan says, "Jesus is Trayvon Martin, armed only with a bag of Skittles and an iced tea against an entire world that would rather hang him from a tree than love him. Until we see this, we are lost." But what does the Bible actually say about racial injustice?

Cleanse All Negative Energy Holding You Back – Including At Home!

Cleanse All Negative Energy Holding You Back – Including At Home!

“Without confession, there is no cleansing.” – Lailah Gifty Akita. It can be hard admitting we’re in a spiritual funk – even harder when the funk is caused by our own home! But cleansing negative energy is possible. You just need to know what to bring into your space, and what to kick to the curb.

Letting Go Is Hard, But Necessary For Our Spiritual Growth

Letting Go Is Hard, But Necessary For Our Spiritual Growth

“Love liberates. It doesn't just hold – that's ego. Love liberates. It doesn't bind. Love says, 'I love you. … I love you. Go.” – Maya Angelou. How do we learn to let go when we’re taught to hold on tight? Remember, not letting go can be dangerous – an embrace can turn into a suffocating chokehold.

Why Do Some People Think Black People Can Fly?

Why Do Some People Think Black People Can Fly?

“If you wanna fly, you got to give up the [stuff] that weighs you down.” – Toni Morrison. We see traces of a particular tale about our people in movies, books, art, music, and bedtime stories. But where did the notion that Black people could literally “fly away” actually come from?

We Have To Understand This About The Bible And White Supremacy

We Have To Understand This About The Bible And White Supremacy

“Europeans not only colonized most of the world, they began to colonize information about the world and its people.” – John Henrik Clarke. That information includes the Bible – and there are quite a few ways we’ve been lied to about its contents because of colonization!

Black Adornment Practices Are More Than Fun – They're Sacred

Black Adornment Practices Are More Than Fun – They're Sacred

“The will to adorn is the second most notable characteristic in Negro expression.” – Zora Neal Hurston. Our people have always made something out of nothing, and that includes our “adornment” practices. But how are our clothes and jewelry tied to our faith?

Like Many Black Women, Her True Power Is The Love That Grew Alongside Her Sorrow

Like Many Black Women, Her True Power Is The Love That Grew Alongside Her Sorrow

“Who can listen to a story of loneliness and despair without taking the risk of experiencing similar pains in [their] own heart and even losing [their] precious peace of mind?” – Henri Nouwen. This African Orisha knows the answer. What can she teach us about sorrow and love?

How White Supremacy’s Hatred Of Black Liberation Made Vodou Taboo

How White Supremacy’s Hatred Of Black Liberation Made Vodou Taboo

“Culture is an indispensable weapon in the freedom struggle. We must take hold of it and forge the future with the past.” – Malcolm X. But what happens when our culture is contaminated by those seeking to take our freedom? How can we protect ourselves spiritually?

To Manifest Your Vision, You Have To Set Audacious Goals

To Manifest Your Vision, You Have To Set Audacious Goals

“Manifesting is a lot like making a cake. The things needed are supplied by you, the mixing is done by your mind and the baking is done in the oven of the universe.” – Stephen Richards. Do you need help with goal-setting? Octavia Butler has you covered!

Was It Right To Forgive White People In These Cases?

Was It Right To Forgive White People In These Cases?

“Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, or else forgiving another.” – Jean Paul Richter. Whenever white terrorists attack us, we’re urged to forgive them. But there’s a complex history at work here. Is forgiveness really the right thing to do?

She Understood That Faith Alone Was Not Enough To Face Injustice

She Understood That Faith Alone Was Not Enough To Face Injustice

Fannie Lou Hamer asked, “Is this America, the land of the free … where we have to sleep with our telephones off of the hooks because our lives be threatened daily, because we want to live as decent human beings?” The answer was more than yes or no – and it impacts our faith.

She Knew ALL – And They Came In Swarms To See Her

She Knew ALL – And They Came In Swarms To See Her

“I'm going to Newport News just to see Aunt Caroline Dye … She's a fortune-telling woman, oh, Lord, and she don't tell no lie.” – Memphis Jug Band. Aunt Caroline knew ALL – and they came in swarms to see her. What was it about her that made her stand out from the rest?

Why Were We Taught That Jesus Was White?

Why Were We Taught That Jesus Was White?

“[The] white man has taught you and me to worship a white Jesus, and to shout and sing and pray to … the white man's God.” – Malcolm X. Does it matter what color Jesus was? And if not, why have white people insisted for centuries, despite all available evidence, that Jesus was white?

Can Our Souls Die While Our Bodies Are Still Alive?

Can Our Souls Die While Our Bodies Are Still Alive?

During times of danger, Matthew 10:28-31 comforts us: “Don’t fear those who aim to kill just the body but are unable to touch the soul. God knows everything about you … do not fear.” Our souls can live while our bodies die – but can our souls die while our bodies live?

How Can We Stay Spiritually Connected During Trying Times?

How Can We Stay Spiritually Connected During Trying Times?

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:13. Our hearts are heavy with the recent mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde. How do we connect with the sacred when everything feels hopeless right now? A soft reminder: the sacred is in ALL that we do.

The Benefits Of This Spiritual Practice Bless More Than Our Hearts

The Benefits Of This Spiritual Practice Bless More Than Our Hearts

Iyanla Vanzant said: “In my deepest, darkest moments, what really got me through was a prayer. What I've discovered is that intimate connection … with my creator will always get me through …. my help is just a prayer away.” What happens to us during the intimate connection that is prayer?

Regardless Of How You Practice Spirituality, Know This Crucial Thing

Regardless Of How You Practice Spirituality, Know This Crucial Thing

Dr. James Cone didn’t mince words: “How can one believe in God in the face of such horrendous suffering as slavery, segregation, and the lynching tree? Doubt … keeps faith from being sure of itself. But doubt does not have the final word.” So who really does have the final word?