Jamie Arpin-Ricci's Blog, page 4

A Misplaced Faith

When 91-year-old Phil Robinson was told that his body was riddled with cancer, leaving him only three weeks to live, he did what most of us would do: he gathered his family & friends to say goodbye, made arrangements, and prepared to die. At his age, he was prepared that life was in its final chapter and so, with sadness, he made his peace.

The only problem was, he didn’t have cancer. Due to reasons still unknown to him, the diagnosis had been a mistake: there was no cancer in his body and th...

The Impact of Oppression

The word “bully”, because of it’s popular association to children & playgrounds, often loses the gravity of the harm they cause. That is why I prefer the word “oppressor”. With that definition in mind, this quote from DeRay Mckesson is powerful. He reminds us that the intentions of the bully (oppressor) is:

“…to harm you and then convince you that no damage was done or that you deserved it. He aims to strip you of your power, to normalize the interaction so that you are simultaneously traumat...

Better Conversations Series

Some people have asked if I could make a single page that lists all the posts in my “Having Better Conversations” series. Happy to oblige!

All the posts can now be found here:

http://www.jamiearpinricci.com/better-conversations-series/

Enjoy & please share widely!

A Special Message for Kim Arpin-Ricci

Today is a day to celebrate. On this day 20 years ago, my amazing wife, Kim, came to Canada to be a part of Youth With A Mission (YWAM). She not only gave up her family to move to the other side of the planet, but she exchanged Aussie climes with Winnipeg winters.

In truth, though, the truest sacrifices have been her selfless service and care for others. Because I am a writer, I tend to have a more public face. Yet, almost nothing I have done over the last two decades would likely have even b...

NEWS! A New Year, A New Adventure

I am really thrilled to announce some news about an exciting change coming around the corner for me in the new year. I have been accepted in the part-time position of Co-Director of Community with Generous Space Ministries. Generous Space (GS) works to create Christ-centered space for people to come together, overcome fear, and engage in a vibrant faith at the intersection of faith and sexuality.

The best part is that I will be taking on this role from right here in Winnipeg. Not only will I...

Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships – An Interview with Karen Keen

I recently had the privilege to read an advance copy of Karen Keen‘s new book, “Scripture, Ethics, and the Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships”. The book was given to me for free in exchange for an honest review. While I agreed, I was skeptical that another book on the topic would have anything new to offer, especially one that was remarkably short (160 pages). So I was pleasantly surprised when I found the book an extremely helpful and unique approach to this important topic.

What stood ou...

Fear: Between Scylla and Charybdis

As long as humanity has been telling stories, the theme of facing risk on either side has been a theme. Expressions such as “between the devil and the deep blue sea”, and “between a rock and a hard place” have long shaped our narratives. They bring to mind impossible choices, referred to with names like “Catch-22” and “Morton’s Fork”.

Yet it has always been the story of Odysseus, guiding his ship between the deadly sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis, that has always caught my imagination. For...

A Story Of Stories

“The story is never whole from a single perspective.”
-DeRay McKesson

The Cost of True Solidarity

In the process of coming out as an affirming bisexual Christian, I have faced a lot of intensely difficult responses. There have been those who have directly and unequivocally questioned my integrity, my motives, and even the quality and substance of my faith and salvation. And while it is painful when that comes from any source, it is especially difficult when it comes from people we love and trust- friends and family.

Yet, it is not these people who I have found the most difficult, perhaps...

Better Conversations – Final

I hope that this series on how to have better conversations around difficult issues- namely LGBTQ+ people & faith. In our social media world, where click-bait headlines and polemic rants are the regular fodder, I recognize that a series that features practical tools for civil conversation might be a hard sell. I hope you will take the time and read the whole thing and put the lessons into practice.

As I mentioned in the introduction to this series, I had the opportunity to correspond with Eva...