How the Spiritual Imagination Moves Us Towards Hope
There’s a lot of goodness in learning how to be present, how to sink deeply into this moment, how to let go of the regrets of the past and the anxieties of the future and live for this day. But…
Amy Julia Becker
Blog Posts by Amy Julia Becker
Good Samaritan – Welcome the Stranger
The United States’ immigration crisis is on the forefront of my mind after a recent visit to El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico. In this post (the first of a series) I want to share about the trip, who I…
Back to School for the Becker Family – Fall 2019
We celebrated going back to school last week with a dinner out at our local tavern. I used to ask the kids pretty regularly how they’ve grown in their bodies, minds and spirits, and that soon became an occasion for…
In The News: Refugee Admissions May Be Drastically Reduced or Eliminated
I learned this morning that the Trump Administration is considering drastically reducing and restricting the refugee admissions program, a program that has established our country over the past 40 years as a leader on the world stage in welcoming and…
Backstage Thoughts on Privilege: Q Ideas
I had a chance to share “backstage thoughts” at the Q conference. After I shared with the crowd, I spoke more about living life behind white picket fences and the ways that privilege can harm us. One of the things…
Inclusive Blessing – How to Express Gratitude and Lament
How do we acknowledge, confess, and lament the sorrows and crimes of our heritage while also honoring and expressing our gratitude our forebears? I heard Darlene Kascak, of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, welcome a crowd of people to a ceremony,…
Q Ideas 2019: The Harm of Privilege
My Talk at Q Ideas 2019: The Harm of Privilege It was a tremendous honor to speak about privilege in front of the audience at the Q Ideas conference last spring, where leaders from around the nation and globe gathered…
Penny’s First Day of School
I always thought middle school would be the time when life for a child with Down syndrome got hard. The infant and toddler years held their share of medical challenges. The pre-school and elementary school years included moving and learning…
Understanding The US Immigration Crisis: 14 Recommended Resources
I feel very disconnected from the immigration crisis at the US southern border. I live in Connecticut, far away from detention centers and checkpoints. So when I was invited to see what is happening at the border up close, I…
Defining Privilege Part Two: What Privilege Is
In my previous post, I discussed what privilege is not. In this post I will define what privilege is. What exactly do we mean when we use the word “privilege”? The phrase “check your privilege” can sound–at least to some…
