The Courage to Try (Guest Speaker: Tori Williams Douglass)
Genesis 11:1-9, Matthew 17:14-20
Tori Williams Douglass is an educator, speaker, and writer specializing in antiracism, social justice, and community resilience. Drawing from her personal journey of leaving purity culture and her work in nervous system-based social justice training, Tori offers insights into building inclusive, compassionate communities rooted in love and equity. She has helped raise over $100,000 in direct support for individuals in need across the U.S. and is passionate about equipping people of faith to confront bias and foster systemic change. Tori is also the host of a podcast exploring the intersections of faith, justice, and personal transformation.
Genesis 11:1-9 (NRSV):
1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” 5 The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth, and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
Matthew 17:14-20 (NRSV):
14 When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, 15 and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has epilepsy and suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured from that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Queries:
Who are People of Hope that I can reflect on?
How can we hold space for ourselves and one another during times of uncertainty or crisis?
What are some practices I can put in place to reach out to my community for support when I am tempted to give into despair?