STARR Temple of Sisters of Inanna

05/31/2026

05/27/2026

🕊️ The First Apostles Were Women

“The first apostles were women. That is not a feminist slogan; it is a historical fact.”
— N.T. Wright, Lecture on the Resurrection, 2008

For centuries, the Church has often treated women’s witness as something to be tolerated rather than trusted. Yet the Gospel begins with Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and Salome standing in the places where many had fled — at the cross, at the tomb, and at the dawn of resurrection. These were disciples in every meaningful sense of the word. They followed Jesus, learned from him, supported his ministry, and remained when others could not.

The wound this quote exposes is not only historical — it’s spiritual. Many of us inherited a version of faith that centered men by default, leaving the rest of the story dimmed or distorted. But Jesus never taught that. The Gospels don’t hide these women; they highlight them.

When Mary Magdalene heard her name spoken by the risen Christ, she became the first preacher of Easter. Joanna and the others carried the same message — not as exceptions, but as trusted witnesses. Revelation did not wait for permission. Jesus entrusted the most world‑changing truth to those society dismissed. That is not rebellion — it is redemption.

“Go and tell my brothers, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
– John 20:17 (NIV)

In that moment, the hierarchy cracked open. Love spoke through voices long ignored, and history began again.

What if the resurrection is still asking us to believe the voices we were taught to overlook?

🤟 Royce

05/27/2026

05/27/2026

🔥 When Power Forgets Its Place

There’s a strange heaviness that settles over the soul when we watch people choose leaders who mistake domination for strength. It’s the same heaviness many of you felt in churches where certainty was prized over compassion, where charisma was mistaken for calling, where fear was preached as faith. Something in us knows—deep in the body—that when power stops listening, it stops loving. And when it stops loving, it begins to harm.

Scripture names this dynamic with unsettling clarity: “If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.” (Proverbs 29:12).
It’s not just the ruler who bends. It’s the whole system that warps around them. The atmosphere thickens. The truth grows thin. People begin to mirror the leader they follow, even when that leader is leading them away from themselves.

And into this moment, the quote from the image speaks like a warning bell and a mercy:

“I’m a Christian, but I know that the most dangerous form of government is theocracy. Because the only thing worse than a tyrant is a tyrant who thinks they’re on a mission from God.” — James Talarico

James Talarico is a Texas educator and public servant known for his thoughtful, justice‑centered approach to faith and politics. His work often challenges Christians to resist fear‑based power and reclaim a public witness rooted in humility and truth.

So I wonder softly:
What happens to a people when they forget that God never asked us to worship our leaders?

🤟 Royce