All I Want for Christmas...A Womanist Social Justice Litany

It would be great if we all could experience an end to social         injustices during the Advent Season. Imagine what the world would look like, feel like and how healing it would be, if even briefly we could press the pause button and truly experience what it means to have peace on earth. As a womanist preacher, one who is concerned with social injustices locally and globally, I find it even more important to amplify my voice and speak truth to power during this time of the year as we anticipate the arrival of the Christ child. 

         I am able to accomplish this holy burden of speaking truth to power with two other talented and brilliant womanist preachers - Rev. Dr. Irie Session and Rev. Kamilah Hall Sharp, weekly through the worshiping community that we cultivated and co-lead each Saturday night. 

        The Gathering Worshiping Community is committed to social justice. Our priorities are racial equity, LGBTQ equality and dismantling PMS (patriarchy, misogyny and sexism). We offer a safe space where we create worship experiences that address social justice issues through womanist preaching and action.

        In this season of Advent, our worship experiences have included some holiday songs that are classics in nearly every community. It is in that spirit that we created this social justice litany to reimagine the classic song, “All I Want for Christmas Is…” from an intentional perspective of addressing and bringing attention to the woes that are a part of the real-lived experiences of our friends, neighbors, and family members. It is the 1960s restyled version of that familiar song of a child who only wants her two front teeth for Christmas. Well, today in 2017, so many children and adults have basic wants and needs that are far greater - basics that should be a given for every community, yet sadly isn't realized.  

We created and shared this social justice litany with our       worshiping community on December 16. We recited this together and left space for each person to speak aloud their own wish. Responses ranged from an end to sex trafficking, to peace, to clean water, to justice for every woman who has been sexually harassed and/or assaulted.

As you share this with your faith community, please be sure to credit The Gathering Worshiping Community, www.thegatheringexperience.com.

In community,
Womanist Preachers Rev. Dr. Irie Session, Rev. Kamilah Hall Sharp and Rev. Yvette Blair-Lavallais

All I Want for Christmas is…
A Social Justice Litany created by Womanist Preachers at The Gathering in Dallas
©December 2017 yvette r. blair

All I want for Christmas is to see poverty eradicated throughout the world.

All I want for Christmas is an end to undistributed wealth and resources.

All I want for Christmas is access to affordable healthcare for ALL people without regard to pre-existing conditions.

All I want for Christmas is an end to homelessness because every neighbor will have a warm home to live in. 

All I want for Christmas is to see women in positions of power and decision-making in our government, corporations, educational institutions and churches.

All I want for Christmas is …….(your personal response)

All I want for Christmas is a presidential administration that places the care and concern of ALL people as the priority for this country.

All I want for Christmas is an end to sexual harassment, an end to gender bias and sexual orientation, an end to racial discrimination and an end to the infrastructures of institutionalized racism.

All I want for Christmas is to experience liberty and justice for ALL.