I’m participating in a book study with some friends using “Subversive Witness” by Dominique Dubois Gilliard, “Scripture’s Call to Leverage Privilege. He talks about how privilege is “stackable” – there can be layers. As a white American woman I have many privileges. That doesn’t make me a bad person-it makes me someone who needs to be responsible to “leverage” that privilege in ways that will help bring change to the injustices around me. I am just starting the journey of learning what this means and how, as a Christian, I am supposed to live. It’s about faith, not politics, but politics affects policies, so it can’t be avoided really. This book makes being a Christian make sense – I’ve always wondered why there is so much talk about the “afterlife” and how to “get people saved” – then what…you just wait for death so you can go to heaven? NO! There is so much more….there is a call to discipleship and doing justice and actively loving mercy and walking humbly with God and using your privilege to advocate for change….probably rambling here….work in process…opinions?

I used an acrostic to list some of my privileges below:

(need to research statistics on some of these – how many people don’t have access to clean water, medical care, infant/maternal mortality, feeling safe at.home, indoor plumbing and so many more of the privileges I possess…)

A. Access to medical care, medical insurance and a hospital if I need one

B. Birthed three babies, all three lived.  

C. Clean water piped right to my home where I turn on a faucet to get it    (didn’t always have that!)

D. Dog-able to love, feed, care for and enjoy the luxury of a dog

E. Electricity wired to my house and the ability to pay the bill

F. Freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly and the right to petition the government, the right to vote

G. Awareness that God has been good to me throughout my life, even the bad times – He has never left me or forsaken me even when I couldn’t see Him

H. Homeowner of a safe, modern, pleasant home living with my husband (not having to have a bunch of rotating roommates to afford a place to live)

I. Indoor plumbing (didn’t always have that!)

J. Job-had a job in a wonderful diverse community working with people I respected, doing something that mattered, and having a boss who was an advocate, not an obstacle

K. Three kids who all live within a 2 hour drive of where we live

L. Law enforcement do not stop or profile me due to my race

M. Married almost 44 years to someone who still loves me

N. No more cancer (7 years)- was able to obtain diagnosis and treatment for aggressive cancer, have insurance through my job to help pay for it, a clinical trial that kicked it’s butt and amazing people (husband, kids, friends, church community) that helped me get through it

O. Organic food (if I want it) to purchase in my community or grown on my own land and the money to buy it

P. Indoor plumbing (didn’t always have it!)

Q. Quality furnace that works and that I can afford to pay the bill to run it

R. Refrigerator in my house, retired

S. Safe in my home and community

T. Travel-two working vehicles and legal license and insurance for them, can travel by other means as well if there is $

U. Natural born United States citizen

V. Vaccinated and registered to vote

W. World Wide Web, a computer, internet access at home and on my phone

X. Many Examples of living faith observed from friends/pastors/people in my life and communities over the years

Y. Yearly physical – a doctor to go see in my community and insurance to help pay for it

Z. Zoning that let me buy a house in the community I wanted