Alka's Angle

Some of you may be aware of the ban on rap music at the Progress Bar, that has since been removed, that started or rather increased conversations around the issues of ‘racism’ in the Boystown/Lakeview area. An internal email that accidentally leaked into the community said, “Our goal is to promote a positive, happy, energetic, upbeat and most importantly... a fun vibe.”

 It is June! It is PRIDE month! It is already the middle of June -- and we can see signs of preparation all around us. This is also the month when most United Methodist Annual Conferences have their Annual sessions -- we had our session June 2-4, 2019. Paula Roderick is our member of Annual Conference, so she was there. She will be giving a report of her experience soon. Here are a few more things that I want to share with you:

Some of you followed the recent gathering in Minneapolis of people who drafted and supported the Simple Plan. The meeting was called to center the voices of POC+Q+T persons, but allies were welcome and their presence was appreciated. The gathering was to bring together all the POC+Q+T voices to see how we wanted to move forward in this denomination that has clearly lost its focus and vision and even place in many committed Wesleyan people.

 I have a house guest this week. J is from DC and friend of Jones (our former student intern). J is here in Chicago for 3 weeks to work with a canvassing office. When J arrived yesterday, we talked about the work she and her team will be doing. I am grateful for her and all those who are spending their time walking the streets of Chicago and asking people their opinion about the recent attack on women’s rights on their bodies.

We talked about the story of Phillip and the Eunuch from the book of Acts, where the Eunuch is reading from the Bible. After they have a conversation and, I am hoping, a dialog about the scripture, they find water in the desert and there is baptism.