Rev. Dr. Jason C. Whitehead is the Director of Consultation and Formation at Iliff School of Theology and teaches in the area of Pastoral Theology and Care. He is an ordained PC (USA) pastor and Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
 

Posts By This Author

The Thoughts and Prayers of Straight White Men

by Jason Whitehead 06-17-2016

In moments when I want to feel safe, there are no other safer words than “My thoughts and prayers are with you (and your family, friends, city, etc.).” I’ve said them to families when a loved one lies at the cusp of death; I’ve offered them without thought or follow through when tragedy strikes people close to me. It’s what I do when I feel helpless to do anything. It’s not that I intend malice with those words — I just want to get on with the life in front of me, and if you and your trauma and pain occupy too much space, that might cause me to change.

Returning Home: A Reflection on Power and Privilege upon Being in Charleston

by Jason Whitehead 07-23-2015
Image via Globe Turner/Shutterstock

Image via /Shutterstock

For the past thirty years my family has vacationed in Charleston, S.C. I spent eight years living, going to school, and working in Charleston; I met my wife there, got married there, and it is still a place we count as home when people ask.

The shootings at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston let loose a flood of memories long shoved into the recesses of my mind. One of these was when I was the youth director for a large white affluent congregation, and the youth groups at Mother Emanuel and my church performed a joint Youth Sunday service in the late 90s.

Driving from Asheville, N.C, to Charleston shortly after the shootings, my heart grew heavy as I wondered what to do when we arrived. Nothing I envisioned captured the heaviness I felt; the need to be useful. I decided to sleep on it.