Author Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and "allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to 'bad people'. Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotion such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.

Presbyterian Pastor Lawrence will be leading a 10 week ecumenical Bible study this fall on "Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi" by Amy-Jill Levine. Each week we will look in depth at a parable of Jesus with special emphasis on how Jewish people of Jesus' day would have heard those parables and their relationship to Jewish scripture and tradition. This study is a great way to read Jesus' parables with new eyes. Because each week focuses on a different parable, you don't need to attend every meeting to get something out of the discussion. We encourage each participant to read the chapter in advance of the discussion, but you can still participate and learn even if you haven't.