A Reflection on Rethinking Incarceration
Did you know that 2 million people are incarcerated in the US and that we have the greatest incarceration rate I the world? (Prison Policy Iniative) Recently my family and visited Alcatraz and at the end of the tour they have this exhibit on Mass Incarceration....
Fall Foliage: Lessons from Creation
One of the hallmarks of New England is the fall foliage. People gather from all over the country to catch a glimpse of the vibrant leaves. For those of us that reside here, these changing colors may seem ordinary. Every year we watch them change, fall, and we are left...
Time spent, lessons learned
At the start of October I returned from a two month sabbatical. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to take this time. So for my first blog upon my return I wanted to share a little about what I did and what I learned. Rest . . . is what I hoped to find during my...
Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude
Fall is officially underway. The leaves are changing, the apples are ready to be picked, and wait a minute, Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner! With the holiday’s looming closer, and the holiday season starting earlier every year, it is important...
Housing Injustice: What is the Christian Duty?
On October 5th, BFJN will be holding our monthly uncomfortable conversation. This month, we have decided to shed light on the housing injustices we see in our nation, and in our backyard in Boston. My hope is that this blog will be an introduction to the issue at hand...
The Virtue of Gentleness: For Yourself, and the Planet
Gentleness is an important fruit of the spirit. It is the virtue of being kind, tender, or mild-mannered. It is important to be gentle with other people and yourself, but did you know that gentleness also applies to the planet? In her book entitled “Go Gently:...
Uncomfortable Conversation Recap: Living With Disabilities
On September 14th, BFJN held an uncomfortable conversation on the topic of living with disabilities. My parents, David and Tracy Barclay, were our special guests. They spoke about their experience parenting a son with disabilities in an effort to share how to care for...
Prayer and Sabbath: How Do They Relate to Justice?
As written in Micah 6:8, we have a responsibility to do justice. But how does one live out such a high calling? It is evident that there is so much hurt in the world around us. It can seem like the problems are too big to fix ourselves. Doing justice can be a daunting...
Fast Fashion and its Detrimental Environmental Impact
There are countless dimensions of the environmental movement. This makes getting started and finding your place within it challenging. My way in was through fashion. While I don’t consider myself an overly fashionable person, I do value my clothing and looking nice....
Ethical Consumption: Three Rules to Live By
As evidenced in my previous blog, there is a climate crisis happening around us. And, from the plastic waste to the fumes emitted from our daily commute to work, we are responsible. Christians have a duty to care for the creation around us and pursue environmental...