Blog

A Letter to You

Public Theologian Ekemini Uwan stated the following, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all of us need to grieve the life we once knew by shifting into radical acceptance of our present reality. There is no “normal” to return to and if we are honest, the pace of our former lives was abnormal.”

Not the Way Some See It

dedicated to the essential workers who didn’t ask to be front-liners without the care they need.

how do essential mental health workers make space in our privilege for those who need the physical connection? These are curiosities, doubts, feelings, spaces I am battling and thinking through.

(majority vs. the other)

The Eternity of Holy Saturday – An Apocalyptic Easter

I am celebrating the resurrection of a brown Jesus who ate with wine-drinkers and tax collectors, elevated women to power, healed the untouchables, called religious leaders to pass through the eye of a needle, and gave a murderer deathbed forgiveness and entrance into Heaven.

Resurrection seems like an impossible thing

Jesus is late, and in His failure to show up, death has taken what we know He could have healed if only He had been present.

A Pandemic Mystery (a short story, part 1)

I used to think I survived by magic and miracles the great shame of my 30’s, testing new waters at age 40. Sure, as the days become sunny in the spring, I was sure it was over. Well, I was wrong. Some say you can outlast your deep pain, but I’m writing you now so you know you need to deal with it if you can. Just do it. I cast my dye with a brown soul. I love him. And, you were born. Thank God, for you.

Who Bought All of the Pinto Beans?

I buy them weekly, maybe multiple times a week, for sure many times a month.

We cook dry pinto beans in the pressure cooker. They get refried. They are put into soups. They go into tacos.

Sometimes, nachos.

I go to my local market. I go to the dry food, bulk section. There are a selection of pinto beans.

coronavirus, lent, PLants, ptsdDanielle Rueb - CastillejoMarch 31, 2020pinto beans, hoarding, hoarder, ptsd, trauma, COVID-19, coronavirusComment

The Ring of Fire

I cannot carry the THE VIRUS, but I can help shoulder the burdens of my loved ones with the manna for today. I can sing. I can text. I can offer a kind word. I can ask for help. And in this process, we will find a way through the isolation and mess toward hope and love.

Women at War.

We are watching for the welfare of the elderly, the vulnerable, our neighbors, our enemies, the homeless, the marginalized, the undocumented, the ones with no voice, to say, we see, we will feed you, we will shout from the rooftops to protect you.

Skull Hill

I see in my mind’s unruly eye

Mob of humanity, sharks circling kill

Bodies, Church, Faith, hope, hopelessness, WomenDanielle Rueb - CastillejoMarch 20, 2020lent, easter, jesus, skull, golgatha, hill, dirt, acid, day 1, day 3, ressurection, ressurrection, loveComment

Pandemic Haikus

Teenager:

My bike is broken

I can only ride scooter

it isn’t much fun.

Bodies, Church, coronavirus, dogs, hope, hopelessness, WomenDanielle Rueb - CastillejoMarch 18, 2020haiku, poems, limericks, poetry, coronavirus, faith, bluebird, love, fear, teenager, parent, worryComment

Estela Knows the News: Coronavirus!

A lot of people are being quarantined. So, they cannot leave their houses. My mom showed me a video of people singing on their porches. They could not leave their houses because they are being quarantined. Nobody can visit any of the old folks homes, because they might give them the coronavirus.

Bodies, Faith, lent, Race, studentDanielle Rueb - CastillejoMarch 16, 2020coron, coronavirus, quarantine, race, asian, china, trump, estela, news, reporterComment

Pandemic and Love

by a 14 year old poet, musician, artist, with a good heart

Pandemic, pandemic, pandemic

COVID-19 taught me the meaning of,

Pandemic, pandemic, pandemic,

And its only cure is love

Bodies, coronavirus, Faith, hope, hopelessness, studentDanielle Rueb - CastillejoMarch 16, 2020pandemic, quarantine, 14 years, boy, son, cover 19, coronavirus, mexican, latino, student, home school, watch, signComment

An Essay by an 8 Year Old Boy

(by an 8 year old northwest boy)

Everybody in the world is all worried about the virus and there are huge lines for toilet paper and paper towels.

Bodies, coronavirus, wildDanielle Rueb - CastillejoMarch 16, 2020coronavirus, vinland, thankful, 8 year old boy, boy, essay, blog, family, sick, quarantineComment

A Series of Haiku's and Poetry for the Pandemic

(by the Labrador retriever on toilet paper)

These big, white, flaky rolls

make my people so anxious,

maybe I’ll eat one.

Bodies, dogs, Women, wild, lentDanielle Rueb - CastillejoMarch 16, 2020haiku, limerick, poet, poem, blog, coronavirus, toilet paper, quick, man, woman, children Comment

Lent: Plants, Bodies, and Jesus

Maybe talking to plants does help them thrive. I wouldn’t put it past God to be that creative. And maybe my physical self affects my spiritual self. Or better yet, maybe my “self” cannot be bifurcated. Maybe everything is spiritual, even the physical. If an immaterial thing, such as connecting with my plant can help it grow, what are the implications for the way I speak to other people? What about the way I speak to myself?

Church, church love, coronavirus, Faith, hope, lent, Jesus, Bodies, PLantsDanielle Rueb - CastillejoMarch 16, 2020lent, bodies, plants, coronavirus, jesus, blog, blood, idea, ikeaComment

El Coronavirus es Mas que Una Molestia y Un Desastre

Corremos de un lugar al otro sin ver el dolor, el gozo, y la humanidad reflejada en las caras de nuestras familias, y menos al extranjero.

Danielle Rueb - CastillejoMarch 15, 2020coronavirus, mas, molestia, desastre, Danielle s castillejo, the arise podcast, esperanza, iglesia, fe, sin esperanzaComment

The Lilacs Will Still Bloom

It feels emotional to think of them freshening up the vacant spaces of our yard, the home full with all four children this Spring. The Coronavirus has played into my mind, when I let it. An essay on a flower may seem superfluous, not the justice writing I normally do, but it’s a window into the complexity of what aspects of creation are markers for hope.

Holy Ground by Becky Allender

Holy ground, where are you now?

The place Jesus stood before the High Priest…

Do you still remember?

Where are you, dirt, which the soldier stood upon and leaped to strike his face when he refused to answer Caiaphas?
What did you feel?

El Coronavirus, Ansiedad, Aislación, y Trauma

El virus ahora, ha integrado en nuestras vidas, nuestras conversaciones, y está viviendo en nuestros pensamientos. Tal vez tienes o no tienes los síntomas físicos que califican en el mundo de los médicos para un diagnosis que tienes el coronavirus, de todos modos, estas infectado.

The Coronavirus, Anxiety, Isolation, and Trauma

The Coronavirus has by now, integrated its way into our daily lives, our conversations, and is residing in our second by second thoughts. Whether or not you are exhibiting the physical symptoms that would medically qualify for a diagnosis as sick with the Novel Coronavirus, you are infected.

We have always been infected.

Church, Faith, hope, hopelessness, ptsdDanielle Rueb - CastillejoMarch 11, 2020virus, coronavirus, trauma, anxiety, isolation, ptsd, flu, illness, eldersComment

dedicated to the essential workers who didn’t ask to be front-liners without the care they need.

Jesus is late, and in His failure to show up, death has taken what we know He could have healed if only He had been present.

I buy them weekly, maybe multiple times a week, for sure many times a month.

I cannot carry the THE VIRUS, but I can help shoulder the burdens of my loved ones with the manna for today. I can sing. I can text. I can offer a kind word. I can ask for help. And in this process, we will find a way through the isolation and mess toward hope and love.

We are watching for the welfare of the elderly, the vulnerable, our neighbors, our enemies, the homeless, the marginalized, the undocumented, the ones with no voice, to say, we see, we will feed you, we will shout from the rooftops to protect you.

I see in my mind’s unruly eye

Mob of humanity, sharks circling kill

Teenager:

My bike is broken

I can only ride scooter

it isn’t much fun.

by a 14 year old poet, musician, artist, with a good heart

Everybody in the world is all worried about the virus and there are huge lines for toilet paper and paper towels.

Corremos de un lugar al otro sin ver el dolor, el gozo, y la humanidad reflejada en las caras de nuestras familias, y menos al extranjero.

Where are you, dirt, which the soldier stood upon and leaped to strike his face when he refused to answer Caiaphas?

What did you feel?

El Coronavirus, Ansiedad, Aislación, y Trauma

The Coronavirus has by now, integrated its way into our daily lives, our conversations, and is residing in our second by second thoughts. Whether or not you are exhibiting the physical symptoms that would medically qualify for a diagnosis as sick with the Novel Coronavirus, you are infected.

We have always been infected.

Follow me on social

instagram | Facebook