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Marlena Graves MDiv, PhD

@marlenagraves.bsky.social

3K followers 1.3K following 990 posts

Asst. Prof of Spiritual Formation-AOS: U.S. cultural history; religion, politics, and inequality in Am. history; Christian nationalism; public memory; political/public theology historical trauma. Seeking our flourishing Rochester, NY🇵🇷

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Marlena Graves MDiv, PhD @marlenagraves.bsky.social · Nov 15

Hoping to reunite with friends/make new ones here! I'm a Puerto Rican writer, speaker & professor with a focus on Christian spirituality & Christian nationalism. One of them is not like the other. My PhD is in Am. Culture/Social History-race, gender, immigration-trying to love *all* of my neighbors.

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Marlena Graves MDiv, PhD @marlenagraves.bsky.social · 14h

"But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?" In other words, who are you to render a final verdict on the life of your neighbor? To pigeonhole them? God is the judge. You are biased with skewed judgment. Love your neighbor and enemy. Seek their flourishing. Leave judgment up to God. James 4:10b

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The Onion @theonion.com · 17h

Nation’s Indigenous People Confirm They Don’t Need Special Holiday, Just Large Swaths Of Land Returned Immediately https://theonion.com/nation-s-indigenous-people-confirm-they-don-t-need-spec-1839033177/

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bleary @bleary.off-the-records.com · 21h

If anyone needs me I will be in the museum, lying down next to the bog bodies.

Did people really memorize phone numbers before cell phones, or is that just a movie thing?
2? Questions
I was watching some old shows from the 90s and noticed people would just dial numbers from memory - like they'd call their friends or family without looking anything up.
Made me wonder if that was actually normal back then? Did people genuinely have all their important numbers memorized, or did most folks keep a little address book or written list nearby?

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Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 21h

Respect to those who got here first.

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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 21h

In the United States. Not another country. Happening right now.

Nick Kristof @nickkristof.bsky.social · 1d

In Portland, an ambulance was summoned to the ICE office to treat an injured protester (not clear how he was injured). But when the patient was loaded inside, ICE officers refused to let the ambulance leave and threatened to shoot the ambulance driver: www.wweek.com/news/2025/10...

Documents Allege a Federal Agent at Portland ICE Threatened to Shoot an Ambulance Driver

Feds delayed medics who had come to pick up an injured protester. Then, according to confidential incident reports, the agents became aggressive.

www.wweek.com

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Marlena Graves MDiv, PhD @marlenagraves.bsky.social · 22h

True. But he only spent 6 weeks in prison and then went on a fourth voyage. Point stands. Spain knew he was horrible but the U.S. celebrates him?!

The Daily Beans Podcast @dailybeanspod.com · 22h

Marlena Graves MDiv, PhD @marlenagraves.bsky.social · 22h

Marlena Graves MDiv, PhD @marlenagraves.bsky.social · 1d

We will absolutely not move forward unless we change this. The U.S. simply cannot get better without rooting out this corruption.

The Problem:
open.substack.com/pub/christia...

The Problem:

We Haven't Even Pulled This Knife Out!

open.substack.com

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Fr. Steven Clark @frstevenclark.bsky.social · 1d

If you stick a knife in my back 9 inches and pull it out 6 inches, that’s not progress. If you pull it all the way out, that’s not progress. The progress comes from healing the wound that the blow made. They haven’t begun to pull the knife out. They won’t even admit the knife is there. — Malcolm X

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Marlena Graves MDiv, PhD @marlenagraves.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you for this, I am writing on it!

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 2d

a key thing about vought — and all of these guys — is that they have a totally top down and hierarchical vision of the world. they believe that the cultural changes they hate can be turned off by destroying the federal government because they can’t imagine that they emerged bottom-up in society

Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 2d

What he’s railing against is a profound shift in culture, status… He’s obsessed with the idea that America is controlled by a leftist “ruling elite” - but “elite” isn’t defined socio-economically or by political power, it means something like: Getting to define “real America” and who gets to belong.

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Miranda Yaver @mirandayaver.bsky.social · 2d

It’s a Watergate-level crime every damn day in this administration, and Congress is appallingly unwilling to exercise its Article I obligations to check executive branch power.

Reprehensible, inexcusable, and indescribably dangerous.

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Miss Ann Thrope 🇬🇧🇹🇹 @ltellenripley.bsky.social · 4d

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Marlena Graves MDiv, PhD @marlenagraves.bsky.social · 4d

Are you on a watchlist with MLK, People XIV, and Jesus? open.substack.com/pub/christia...

Are you on a watchlist?

It's pretty likely, it seems.

open.substack.com

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Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 5d

This administration is flooding the zone so furiously that people have largely lost track of the lethal attacks on boats in the Caribbean, the gov’t shutdown, the economy, failed release of the Epstein files & so much else. It’s a tactic of would-be strongmen.

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Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 5d

I can’t believe I have to say this, but historically, masked men who kidnap families in the middle of the night are usually not the good guys.

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Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 5d

On ICE raids and attacks in Chicago, local reporters have consistently shown up the national outlets attempting to report remotely.

Locals continue to break story after story even as the nationals are summarizing govt press releases. They've shown physical bravery in very dangerous circumstances.

COURIER @couriernewsroom.bsky.social · 6d

"With local news in a severe tailspin for decades, there was a real question about whether Chicago’s media would meet the moment. But they have indeed," writes @markjacob.bsky.social in Stop The Presses.

The press steps up as Trump targets Chicago

Local journalism is under siege, but still makes itself indispensable

www.stopthepresses.news

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JeffTrnka @jefftrnka.bsky.social · 7d

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John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 6d

Um, ICE just coldly shot an unarmed PRIEST in the head w a pepper ball when he (and everyone around him) clearly posed no threat.

For the crime of … complaining about government policy.

Core 1A speech.

With cameras rolling, they’re sniping priests for sport.

Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 6d

Here’s video of the incident

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Joey Cochran @jtcochran.bsky.social · 7d

When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!
(Isaiah 1:15 NIV11-GK)

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Marlena Graves MDiv, PhD @marlenagraves.bsky.social · 8d

Who Would Jesus Entertain/Eat Dinner With? And if we don't like the answers, what does that say about us, especially those of us who claim to follow Jesus? open.substack.com/pub/christia...

Who Would Jesus Entertain/Eat Dinner With?

How Do We Feel About That?

open.substack.com

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Katie Sawade Hall @bluesawadeshoes.bsky.social · 9d

When Paul says to Timothy, "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you" that might just be one of the loveliest statements in all of scripture." 🥹

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Marlena Graves MDiv, PhD @marlenagraves.bsky.social · 9d

My daughter is a first year college student and reported that she received the following police alerts: “Man in Winnie-The-Pooh panhandling aggressively” and “Person throwing wet laundry at building.” #collegelife 😂

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Marlena Graves MDiv, PhD @marlenagraves.bsky.social · 10d

“It is far more difficult to speak truth to power when you enjoy the trappings of power. When you are sipping the king’s wine, and enjoying the king’s food, you are much less likely to stand up to the king when you must do so.”

- Jared Alcantara

via Bible study small group tonight

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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 11d

History has many painful lessons.

A screenshot of an X post by Q. Anthony Ali (@NobleQAli
, 12h ago) featuring a black-and-white historical image of a person lying on the ground while others, including a woman kneeling and several standing figures, are around them in what appears to be a park or open area. Below this, a reply by Antonio Benetto (@Tony_Benetto
, 1d ago) to @drmistercody
states: "I don't believe US troops will fire on American citizens."

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