Jamie Arpin-Ricci's Blog, page 7

My Coming Out Story – Part 2

There are few phrases in the popular vernacular that have as much packed into their meaning as “coming out”. Harvey Milk, the famed American politician to hold the distinction of being the first openly gay man elected to public office in California, declared these words in his call for LGBTQ+ people to “come out”:

“Burst down those closet doors once and for all, and stand up and start to fight.”

As much as I might want it to be the case now, my own coming out was not nearly so bold. In fact,...

My Coming Out Story – Part 1

Sometimes it seemed as though I was destined to live in two worlds at the same time. Born in a small border town in Minnesota to Canadian parents, I lived my life as a citizen of two countries. While my father is an English speaking Italian-Canadian, my mother comes from old French Canadian stock, growing up to English and French spoken around me every day. Even my spiritual life seemed to constantly straddle borders- I attended an evangelical church, went to a Mennonite school, participated...

My Education In Justice

Over the last several years I have made a commitment to educate myself about the realities of injustice that exist in the world. Not only did this require an intentional focus on what I consumed, but also an intentional focus on the authors/creators of the material. The following is an incomplete list of some of those important works:

NON-FICTION

“Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America” by Ibram X. Kendi

“Some Americans cling desperately to the myth tha...

A Better Equality At Christ’s Table

When I talk to other Christians about LGBTQ+ inclusion & affirmation in the church, a common concern that often comes up is this:

“If we are going to have this conversation, we need to be careful that we not alienate those who hold a ‘traditional view’. You want us to be mindful of how LGBTQ+ people feel alienated, so shouldn’t we be equally committed to not alienating the other side?”

This is a fair question and we want to have this conversation affirming the dignity of all those involved. H...

Forgiveness – Meer Christianity – Part 2

Divine Desire – Meer Christianity – Part 1

“The Last Verdict” now an Audio Book

I am thrilled to announce that “The Last Verdict” is now available as an audio book on both Audible and iTunes. Produced and narrated by a veteran voice actor, this stunning audio book will blow you away.

A murdered daughter.
A son condemned.
This is the story of the ones left behind…      Alice Goodman lost her daughter to a brutal murder. She’s fought tirelessly for two decades to see justice served, and the day has finally arrived. After 20 years of anguish and struggle, the much-delayed...

On Forgiveness

Crushing Our Assumptions & Living Intentionally

Anyone who regularly plays mobile games on their phones (such as Candy Crush) knows that they can get really addictive. It should be no surprise that they are designed this way. A few of the tactics are as follows:

Regular (though ultimately meaningless) positive reinforcements The illusion of progress (despite the fact that there is no end) They create just enough anticipation to keep you eager with enough pay off to keep you engaged.

In the end, they just consume your time (and money, fo...

Power, Privilege & Peterson

Without question, the thing that dominated the Christian corner of the internet this week was the controversial interview with retired pastor and best-selling author Eugene Peterson. In the now infamous exchange, Peterson was asked what his views were of same-sex relationships and would he perform a same-sex wedding. His answers, while explicitly clear strongly suggested that he had shifted his view from a more “traditional” view to an affirming position. (Click through the interview to read...