Travis J. Simons

February 7th, 1973 was the day these two love birds tied the knot.

I absolutely loved the way my parents loved each other.

It was in the names they called one another. My mom called my daddy “Willie”… sometimes “Simon”… and when she was feeling especially soft, “Sweety.” My daddy called her “Tricia”… “Tricia Ann”… or simply “Baby.”

You just knew these two were made for each other.

She was the one who knew what he meant without him having to say a word. I watched them serve one another. Pray for one another. Cover one another. Encourage one another.

And yes… they could get on each other’s last nerve.

But even in the tension, there was tenderness. Even in disagreement, there was devotion. They didn’t avoid conflict, they worked through it.

There was never a doubt that they loved one another. Not because they said it often, but because they showed it daily.

There is no doubt that love was their language.
There is no doubt that commitment was their character.
There is no doubt that faith was their foundation.

Your love for each other left an eternal impression on us.

Happy Anniversary 🤍

This is disheartening.
And yes, I will say his name.

Donald Trump shared imagery that is not harmless, not accidental, and not funny.
It is the recycling of an old and dangerous lie.

Let me be clear.
This is not about deifying the Obamas.
They are not divine.
They are human.

And that is precisely the point.

I remember reading a book in divinity school that asked a chilling question
“The Negro: A Beast or Made in the Image of God?”

That question did not live on dusty shelves.
It lived in laws.
In lynchings.
In propaganda.
In caricature.

What we are witnessing here is a systemic caricature
a theological assault disguised as political mockery
an attempt to reduce Black humanity by reaching for animal imagery
because racism cannot survive without distortion.

This is not merely offensive.
It is doctrinally wrong.

The doctrine of Imago Dei declares that every human being bears God’s image
not because of office
not because of agreement
not because of likability
but because God said so.

When you mock the image of God in another
you do not humiliate them
you reveal how little reverence you have for God Himself.

Racism always needs pictures.
Because it cannot stand on truth.

And to the church
this is not the moment for silence dressed up as balance.
This is not “both sides.”

This is about whether we still believe
that every human being reflects something sacred
even when we disagree
even when we are uncomfortable
even when it costs us followers.

We are not defending politicians.
We are defending human dignity.

And we will continue to tell the truth
because the image of God is not negotiable
and never has been.

And yet we fight on.

Pretty much! 👌🏾