The Activism I Was Raised On
Before we dive in, I want to share the kind of activism that shaped me.
I grew up immersed in what the Bible calls the prophetic. At their core, the biblical prophets were activists.
I used to think prophecy was about predicting the future, but through studying the Bible and theology, I realized it has two dimensions: fore-telling (predicting what's to come) and forth-telling (speaking truth to power).
The prophets were known for challenging injustice, calling out corruption, and offering both warnings and hope. But here's what fascinates me: the Church has historically leaned into the fore-telling — the promises of reward for the righteous and doom for the unrighteous — while often ignoring the forth-telling, the part that demands risk. After all, it's hard to speak truth to power when power is the hand that feeds you.
Whether their stories are fact or legend, I find deep inspiration in the prophets. Their courage, their conviction — these are things we can still learn from today. And that's what I want to explore in this series:
- What does it mean to be an activist?
- How do we embody it in a way that is true to who we are?
- How do we do this without burning out?
Where do we start?
Hasan Piker (an influential, left-wing political commentator on Twitch) speaks about how the system is designed to make you feel powerless — because the moment you believe you can't change anything, you stop trying.
Our role is to do our part.
At its heart, activism is conviction in action.
It's about standing for what you believe in, in whatever way you feel called to. And it doesn't have to be overwhelming.
The truth is, activism looks different for everyone and that's a beautiful thing.
A Final Thought
The world is messy at the moment. I know it's overwhelming and scary and it's okay to feel this way — your feelings are valid!
But, we're in this together, our individual work matters and it's important that we have faith in ourselves.
Activism is a complex topic but we're going to unpack it together over the next few weeks. I really think it's something we're all needing right now and I am so excited to share my thoughts with you.
As always, much love,
David
P.S. Send this to your friends, family and loved ones and get them to sign up so they can join in on the journey of my Activism Series!
P.P.S: My weekly Saturday email will still be sent tomorrow.
