E028 Rev. Michiko Bown-Kai Transgender Topics in Christian Context
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 28
Date: August 9, 2022
Participants: John Webster, Sammy Damaren, Cameron Earnshaw and Sheila Webster
Guest: Rev. Michiko Bown-Kai
Start times and Segment Segments:
[0:00:44] What’s On Your Mind: We start a new series called "Facet Activities", where we explore activities that foster wellness in different facets (or categories) of wellness. Today we discuss a couple activities that foster intellectual wellness: brainstorming and conversations.
[0:014:14] Expanding Minds Interview: [Spiritual Wellness] We interview Rev. Michiko Bown-Kai of the United Church of Canada. They discusses gender topics in the Christian context. Michiko enjoys the grey area in conversations about gender, because it teaches us to be curious and ask questions of each other. They discuss discrimination and how confronting challenges and navigating the world helps develop spirituality. Cameron enjoys instrument jams, seeing them as conversations.
[0:28:42] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Cameron enjoys instrument jams with other musicians, seeing them as conversations.
[0:34:39] Move That Body: Brad Mills enjoys canoeing, portaging and camping in nature, enjoying rivers, lakes and the beauty of the land.
[0:40:54] Running Popup: John realized he had the wrong image of how the planets circle the sun. He missed the true perspective, which makes him wonder whether he misses perspective in other areas.
[0:42:57] Flipside of the Coin: We came across and article about how to furnish your home sustainably. It has lots of great ideas.
Quotes and Take-Aways:
John – I don’t see intellectual wellness as knowledge-based or IQ. For me, what nourishes intellectual wellness is exercising your mind, or activating your mind.
Sammy – When you hear the term “know-it-all”, it’s someone who is constantly pushing their opinion on you. It’s so important to be able to listen and understand other people’s perspectives.
Michiko – I understand this desire, especially when it’s from a place of good intentions and respect, to think, “Yes, I want to figure out where exactly everything fits and makes sense, and what definitions to memorize”, but there is a lot of grey area, because so much of this is what we’re unlearning as society, what we’re each personally unpacking. So much of this is tied up with culture, even local context.
Michiko – What I’ve come to learn over time is that I love the grey area of these conversations, because it teaches us to be curious and ask questions. It creates space. When we stop making assumptions about others that we’ve been trained to make our whole life, and make space instead, then we get to see so much about people around us.
Michiko – Within society as it is trans people experience oppression. It’s a world that’s not made to affirm trans people. There are a lot of different forms of discrimination that are experienced by trans people. The experience of having to confront those challenges on a regular basis impacts you. It raises questions around suffering, authenticity, how to engage with the world in ways that are compassionate, but also ensure that you are safe and respected. All that work in navigating the world teaches you a lot of spiritual lessons.
Michiko – The process of figuring out who you are, choosing to live your life for yourself, authentically, even when you know there’s a cost attached to it, really helps to develop a sense of inner strength. That’s really key to spirituality.
Michiko – The message that I see in the bible is one of love and radical hospitality, which should be extended to all, including trans people of course.
Michiko – It’s about tracing this narrative throughout the bible – the old testament and new testament – about this idea that God’s work shows up in the most unexpected places and the most unexpected people. God continuously has a concern for justice for those who are downtrodden, oppressed and outcast in society. If we look at what trans people are experiencing today, I would certainly understand the way God does have that concern for justice for trans people.
Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by Sammy: I’m going to use a zip tie to fix my dishwasher.
Guest Information: Reverend Michiko Bown-Kai is a Minister of the United Church of Canada. They studied Social Justice and Peace Studies and Political Science at the University of Western Ontario before attending Emmanuel College for their Master of Divinity program. Over the past decade Rev. Bown-Kai has engaged in ministry in many forms: as a Sunday School coordinator, program coordination at The United Church’s General Council Office, a youth group leader, an intern minister at East End United Regional Ministry, and most recently as the minister at Saint Luke’s United Church. Rev. Bown-Kai is always excited to learn more about cultures, languages, and nature. You can often find them biking, highland dancing, or befriending as many dogs as possible
Rev. Michiko Bown-Kai’s website (with contact page): https://michikobownkai.wixsite.com/ministry
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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila and Julie