Facing the Limit of Words: Church at the Crossroads & Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac’s Call for an Embodied Response
By Ryan Pemberton
Much of my recent four-hour flight from Seattle to Chicago was spent reading Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac’s book, Christ in the Rubble: Faith, the Bible, and Genocide in Gaza—a book I’ve been meaning to read since its release,
...Read MoreSacred to Polluted. Promised and Partitioned. Settlement or Sanctuary.
By Dr. DeSean Dyson
Our stories matter. They help us carry what we’ve seen, heard, and known across generations. But every story—no matter how meaningful—is shaped by the limits of the storyteller’s lens.
That’s one of the central truths behind ReStory’s work. Most of us grow up learning only fragments of our country’s history,
...Read MoreSafety or Power? On the Ground in Washington DC
By Mary Joy Wytsma
The day the National Guard was mobilized to DC started like any other Monday. My neighbor watered the flowers on her porch. Teachers greeted each other at the school across the street, preparing for the new school year. Children raced about, soaking up the last days of summer.
...Read MoreA Journey Begins: Welcoming Our First Mosaic Cohort
After years of planning, we are delighted to launch our Mosaic Peacemaking Program this fall! Our initial Mosaic cohort includes 13 church leaders from eight churches across the United States, representing a variety of denominations, regions, and local contexts. These church leaders are united in their commitment to participate in a multi-year peacemaking journey with the goal of launching innovative peacemaking initiatives in their communities.
...Read MoreKids’ Art Advocacy: Rethinking the Who and How of Pursuing Justice
By Grace Jackson
Huge swaths of color painted across canvases. Roughly constructed sculptures. Illogically placed shapes. Chaotically assembled collages. There’s a reason why some of the most renowned modern art is mocked for appearing “childish.” Coloring outside of lines and deconstructing traditional assumptions of what art is can make us uncomfortable.
...Read More“My People Will Be Ready” | Reflections on Medgar Evers at 100
By DeSean Dyson
When I walked into the panel discussion commemorating Medgar Evers’ centennial at the Two Museums in Jackson, MS, I knew two things would happen. First, I’d learn something new about a man who has become an anchoring force in my life. Second, I’d leave inspired—because in his darkest hour,
...Read MoreWhy July 4 Doesn’t Feel Like Freedom for Everyone
By DeSean Dyson
The Fourth of July is, for many, a moment to gather in celebration of freedom, independence, and nationhood. But for countless Americans throughout history, this day has also carried a painful contradiction: the promise of liberty paired with the denial of their humanity and rights.
...Read MoreTelos Tuesdays | Settlements
Introduction
Palestinian communities across the West Bank are facing some of the most severe violence seen in decades. More than 40,000 have been displaced in the north from military campaigns targeting refugee communities. The community of Masafer Yatta is on the brink of extinction from repeated,
...Read MoreHoly Week in a Time of Genocide – a Reflection From a Palestinian Christian
By Layan Deeb
It is Holy Week, and I am a Christian Palestinian citizen of Israel. Easter comes this year amid war, as violence continues and grief deepens. The sorrow we remember in Christ’s crucifixion does not feel distant; it speaks clearly to the conditions of the world as it is: marked by injustice,
...Read MoreThe Cost of Hiding our History Will Always be Greater Than Telling it Honestly
By DeSean Dyson, Telos Director of ReStory US
In 2024, the Beinecke Library at Yale produced a documentary about a failed attempt to open an institution of higher education for Black residents in the community of New Haven, Connecticut in 1831. The documentary What Could Have Been (watch it here) does what honest history does: it replaces the quiet space of omission with a layered perspective of complexity and perpetual impact.
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