From January 2017 to December 2023, “The Word Is Resistance” was a weekly podcast from SURJ-Faith by white anti-racist Christians based on the Christian lectionary, offering an anti-racist Word for other white Christians — though all are welcome to check it out.
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About the Podcast
What do our sacred texts have to teach us about living, surviving, even thriving, in the context of empire, tyranny, violence, repression – the times in which we are living today? What do they have to teach us, as white folks, about our role in resistance, in showing up, in liberation? They teach us this:
Our traditions were made for these times. They come from these times. We have resources in our texts, our practices, to help us right now. We can reclaim our stories and re-tell them to nourish our resistance against white supremacy and our work for collective liberation.
A weekly offering from 2017 – 2023, the team of over 20 different white Christian contributors explored the Christian lectionary for tools of resistance, with a weekly call to action that connected sacred texts to sacred moments of resistance.
More Resources
Podcast Resources:
- TWIR Episode Database: totally searchable/sortable guide to all our episodes.
- Our “Top Ten” lists: the most listened-to podcasts for each year.
Previous “The Word is Resistance” Episodes and Transcripts
8.13.17. Transcript here.
Episode 22: Jesus and the Performance of Wokeness
8.20.17. Transcript here.
Episode 23: Identity and Authority
8.27.17. Transcript here.
Episode 24: We Are All Going to Die
9.3.17. Transcript here.
Episode 25: The Persistence of Our Resistance
9.10.17. Transcript here.
Episode 26: Healing the Diseased Imagination
9.17.17. Transcript here.
Episode 27: The Meat Pots of White Supremacy
9.24.17. Transcript here.
Episode 28: The Supposedly Wicked Tenants
10.8.17. Transcript here.
Episode 29: Freedom and the Golden Calf
10.15.17. Transcript here.
Episode 30: Say Unto Caesar: Whiteness Is Not God
10.22.17. Transcript here.
Episode 31: Join the Conversation
10.29.17. Transcript here.
Episode 32: Deacons to a Movement
11.5.17. Transcript here.
Episode 33: The Song of the Divine Feminine
11.12.17. Transcript here.
Episode 34: Called In to Fight
11.19.17. Transcript here.
Episode 35: Special Episode: Thanksgiving? Thankstaking?
11.26.17. Transcript here.
Episode 36: Fear and Trembling
12.3.17. Transcript here.
Episode 37: Making Bethlehem Real
12.17.17. Transcript here.
Episode 38: Special Episode: Revolutionary Lullabies
12.24.17. Transcript here.
Episode 39: Joy at Christmas
12.31.17. Transcript here.
Episode 40: In the Beginning Was Water
1.7.18. Transcript here.
1.14.18. Transcript here.
Special Episode: The Snatch Back
1.8.18 SURJ-Faith webinar recording with Soulforce. No transcript available.
Episode 42: Follow the Star
1.21.18. Transcript here.
Episode 43: Healing as Civil Disobedience
2.4.18. Transcript here.
Episode 44: Special Lent Episode: That Same Spirit
2.18.18. Conversation with contributors to Resipiscence. No transcript available.
Episode 45: Special Lent Episode: Whose Temple
3.4.18. Conversation with contributors to Resipiscence. No transcript available.
Episode 46: Special Lent Episode: It's Personal
3.11.18. Conversation with contributors to Resipiscence. No transcript available.
Episode 47: Special Lent Episode: The Coming Day
3.18.18. Conversation with contributors to Resipiscence. No transcript available.
Episode 48: Special Lent Episode: The Most Devious and Damaging Lie
3.25.18. Conversation with contributors to Resipiscence. No transcript available.
Episode 49: Special Lent Episode: Holy Week: We Are Tired of Grieving
3.29.18. Conversation with contributors to Resipiscence. No transcript available.
Episode 50: Easter: Mary Magdalene's Grief
4.1.18. Transcript here. Episode 52: Thomas: Observer Trainings, Security Culture, and Abolitionist Politics
4.8.18. Transcript here. (Episode 52 and 51 posted on Soundcloud out of order due to technical issues)
Episode 51: Bodies Matter
4.15.18. Transcript here.
Episode 53: Whose Are You?
4.22.18. Transcript here.
Episode 54: They Already Knew They Were Sacred
4.29.18. Transcript here.
Episode 55: Showing Up When No One Is Watching
5.6.18. Transcript here.
Episode 56: Southland in the Springtime
5.13.18. Transcript here.
Episode 57: Pentecost and the Skill of Transcendence
5.20.18. Transcript here.
Episode 58: Burning Lips: Meeting Isaiah after Pentecost
5.27.18. Transcript here.
Episode 59: Wising Up to Power
6.10.18. Transcript here.
Episode 60: Throwing Stones
6.24.18. Transcript here.
7.1.18. Transcript here.
Episode 62: Shake Off The Dust
7.8.18. Transcript here.
Episode 63: Two Dances in the Lectionary
7.15.18. Transcript here.
Episode 64: Get in the Boat
7.22.18. Transcript here.
Episode 65: Abundance Shows Up
7.29.18. Transcript here.
Episode 66: The Ratio of Miracles to Labor
8.5.18. Transcript here.
Episode 67: What Sustains Us?
8.12.18. Transcript here.
Episode 68: No More White Nationalist Bread
8.19.18. Transcript here.
Episode 69: On Being the Armor of God
8.26.18. Transcript here.
Episode 70: Don't Skip the Strike!
9.2.18. Transcript here.
Episode 71: What Will You Do?
9.9.18. Transcript here.
Episode 72: What Does It Cost Us to Believe?
9.16.18. Transcript here. First of two podcasts for 9/16; this episode is based on John 20.
Episode 73: Femme Wisdom
9.16.18. Transcript here. Second of two podcasts for 9/16; this episode is based on lectionary text Prov 1.
Episode 74: What Is Our Resistance For?
9.30.18. Transcript here.
Episode 75: Atonement: Reckoning With the History of columbus Day
10.7.18. Transcript here.
Episode 76: God is Not a Supreme Court Justice
10.14.18. Transcript here.
Episode 77: Whiteness Does Us Wrong
10.21.18. Transcript here.
Episode 78: We Are Here
11.4.18. Transcript here.
Episode 79: Shifting From Resentment to Calling
11.18.18. Transcript here.
Episode 80: Taking Jesus Off the Throne
11.25.18. Transcript here.
12.2.18. Transcript here.
Episode 82: Calling In To Community (not calling out in the wilderness)
12.9.18. Transcript here.
Episode 83: Magnify the Children
12.23.18. Transcript here.
Episode 84: Christmas Special: Shepherds' Jubilee
12.25.18. Transcript here.
Episode 85: A Theology of Safe Passage (Epiphany)
1.6.19. Transcript here.
Episode 86: Renouncing White Supremacy
1.13.19. Transcript here.
Episode 87: Inviting In Our Gifts
1.20.19. Transcript here.
Episode 88: Imagine, ALL the People
1.27.19. Transcript here.
Episode 89: Psalm 71 and Calling 9-1-1
2.3.19. Transcript here.
Episode 90: Catching Our People
2.10.19. Transcript here. Episode 91: Of Courage and Curses
2.17.19. Transcript here.
Episode 92: Creative Non-Violence and Turning the Other Cheek
2.24.19. Transcript here.
Episode 93: Transfiguration Not Disfiguration
3.3.19. Transcript here.
Episode 94: Ash Wednesday Special: On Stardust and Muck
3.6.19. Transcript here.
Episode 95: The Pillars of Imperialism
3.10.19. Transcript here.
Episode 96: Abraham, #AdmissionsGate, and Redeeming Our Ancestors
3.17.19. Transcript here.
Episode 97: The Axe or the Pitchfork?
3.24.19. Transcript here.
Episode 98: Paul and Reparations
3.31.19. Transcript here.
Episode 99: Judas the Executive Director
4.7.19. Transcript here.
Episode 100: Grief and Praise (Palm Sunday)
4.14.19. Transcript here.
4.19.19. Transcript here.
Episode 102: Easter: Our Work Is Not Done
4.21.19. Transcript here.
Episode 103: The Week After: Trust, Doubt, and Whiteness as Bad Faith
4.28.19. Transcript here.
Episode 104: Do You Love me?
5.5.19. Transcript here.
Episode 105: What Wondrous Love Is This?
5.12.19. Transcript here.
Episode 106: We Did Not Replace Anyone
5.19.19. Transcript here.
Episode 107: Come Thou Fount: What's Water Got to Do With Fighting White Supremacy?
5.26.19. Transcript here.
Episode 108: Pentecost: Where Is the Bricklayers' Union?
6.9.19. Transcript here.
Episode 109: Getting Liberated From Legion
6.23.19. Transcript here.
Episode 110: Be Changed Into Fire
6.30.19. Transcript here.
Episode 111: Everything Must Change
7.7.19. Transcript here.
Episode 112: Do. Not. Prophesy. Here.
7.14.19. Transcript here.
Episode 113: The Teacher Teaches of Despair
8.4.19. Transcript here.
Episode 114: The Promise of Things Not Seen
8.11.19. Transcript here.
Episode 115: Becoming Fire
8.18.19. Transcript here.
Episode 116: The Potter's House
9.8.19. Transcript here.
Episode 117: Seek Until We Find It
9.15.19. Transcript here.
Episode 118: No, Really
9.22.19. Transcript here.
Episode 119: Speak, Lazarus, Speak
9.29.19. Transcript here.
Episode 120: The Signs of the Seasons
10.27.19. Transcript here.
11.3.19. Transcript here.
Episode 122: Don't Miss the Ark for the Waves
12.1.19. Transcript here.
Episode 123: Freedom Waters and the Wrath of Rome
12.8.19. Transcript here.
Episode 124: Is This Really the Work?
12.15.19. Transcript here.
Episode 125: Symbols That Unsettle
12.22.19. Transcript here.
Episode 126: The Resistance of the Magi
12.29.19. Transcript here.
Episode 127: Is This Your King?
1.5.2020. Transcript here.
Episode 128: Baptized In Belovedness
1.12.20. Transcript here.
Episode 129: Super Sermon Sunday
2.2.20. Transcript here.
Episode 130: Not As Spiritual As We Assume
2.9.20. Transcript here.
Episode 131: Transformation, Not Compliance
2.16.20. Transcript here.
Episode 132: The Power of the Ancestors is Love
2.23.20. Transcript here.
Episode 133: Ash Wednesday 2020
2.26.20. Transcript here.
Episode 134: The Temptation of Whiteness
3.1.20. Transcript here.
Episode 135: Born Anew
3.8.20. Transcript here.
Episode 136: Discomfort In The Wilderness
3.15.20. Transcript here.
Episode 137: Can These Bones Live? On Divine Love for Bodies
3.29.20. Transcript here.
Episode 138: Maundy Thursday is Canceled
4.9.20. Transcript here.
Episode 139: In the Time of Trial (Good Friday)
4.10.20. Transcript here.
Episode 140: Easter Hope on an Uncertain Road
4.12.20. Transcript here.
4.19.20. Transcript here.
Episode 142: Hands Wide Open
4.26.20. Transcript here.
Episode 143: The Gate of Abundant Life
5.3.20. Transcript here.
Episode 144: Making Way for Truth and Life
5.10.20. Transcript here.
Episode 145: Freeing Our Dreams of Freedom
5.17.20. Transcript here.
Episode 146: Remembering the Meaning of "We"
5.24.20. Transcript here.
Episode 147: The New Wine of Intimacy
5.31.20. Transcript here.
Episode 148: Speak It Then Do It
6.7.20. Transcript here.
Episode 149: We Are Unstoppable! Another World Is Possible!
6.14.20. Transcript here.
Episode 150: Stories White People Would Rather Ignore
6.21.20. Transcript here.
Episode 151: God's Peace Is Not White Calm
6.28.20. Transcript here.
Episode 152: Origin Stories
7.12.20. Transcript here.
Episode 153: Push Back On the Master Narrative
7.19.20. Transcript here.
Episode 154: Freedom or Erasure? On Editor's Choices
7.26.20. Transcript here.
Episode 155: Limping Into Freedomland
8.2.20. Transcript here.
Episode 156: This Little Light of Ours
8.9.20. Transcript here.
Episode 157: Before Reconciliation, There's Grief
8.16.20. Transcript here.
Episode 158: Be A Redwood
8.30.20. Transcript here.
Episode 159: Get Ready to Move
9.6.20. Transcript here.
Episode 160: Freedom Songs
9.13.20. Transcript here.
9.20.20. Transcript here.
Episode 162: Moving Towards the Promised Land
9.27.20. Transcript here.
Episode 163: The White Supremacy Covenant Sucks
10.4.20. Transcript here.
Episode 164: Proper Attire and Imprecations
10.11.20. Transcript here.
Episode 165: Freedom and Intimacy
10.18.20. Transcript here.
Episode 166: Some Of Us Did Not Die
10.25.20. Transcript here.
Episode 167: River Crossing
11.1.20. Transcript here.
Episode 168: Voice of the Past Calling Us Forward
11.8.20. Transcript here.
Episode 169: Stir-Up Sunday
11.22.20. Transcript here.
Episode 170: #AbolitionAdvent: Tear Open the Heavens
11.29.20. Transcript here.
Episode 171: #AbolitionAdvent: Demolition Time
12.6.20. Transcript here.
Episode 172: #AbolitionAdvent: In the Midst of Ruin, the Longing
12.13.20. Transcript here.
Episode 173: #AbolitionAdvent: Turning the World Around, Starting With Ourselves
12.20.20. Transcript here.
Episode 174: I'm With You. I Need You.
12.25.20. Transcript here.
Episode 175: The Antidote To Terror Is Community
1.10.21. Transcript here.
Episode 176: Love For President
1.17.21. Transcript here.
Episode 177: Claiming the Good News: Together, We Can End White Nationalism
1.24.21. Transcript here.
Episode 178: The Urgency of Healing
2.7.21. Transcript here.
Episode 179: Signposts in the Wilderness: Lent Self-Reflection(Ash Wednesday)
2.17.21. Transcript here.
Episode 180: Signposts in the Wilderness: Wisdom In the Wilderness
2.21.21. Transcript here.
Unless otherwise stated, scripture quotations for the podcast are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Revised Common Lectionary, Copyright © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Used by permission.
With immense thanks to all our teachers, and to Zahara Zahav for the brilliant name for this series.
“We Are Building Up a New Word,” tune public domain, lyrics by Dr. Vincent Harding, used with permission of the Freeney-Harding family. Sung at NoEnemies movement choir practice, Denver, CO, December 7, 2014.