Howard Thurman bookends this conversation. He is a person I would have liked to have met or at least had the opportunity to be in his presence. He was a mystic, a theologian, a leader, and an activist who relentlessly pursued the Beloved Community. He was a teacher of many and taught nonviolence by Ghandi. If you would like to read more by and about Thurman, here are some titles:

Deep is the Hunger
Meditations of the Heart
Mysticism and Social Action
The Search for Common Ground
Jesus and the Disinherited

There are also many of his essays floating around the web. In the most loving ways, Thurman pushed against the status quo. There is no question in my mind on which side of current divisions and debates he would have stood. He is ultimately for love. I hope you are inspired to peruse his writings!

I also hope you are left with an image of God wearing a rainbow feather boa.