Read The Red Words

Read the Red Words exists to place the words attributed to Jesus back into public view, read plainly and without argument, commentary, or coercion. It is for Christians unsettled by how scripture is used in their name and for non-Christians who have only encountered the Bible as a weapon. Belief is not required.

How this is used

Read the Red Words can be practiced by believers, non-believers, and anyone in between. Belief is not required. What matters is what you do in the moment.Think of this as a form of method acting grounded in radical kindness. You are not arguing theology, correcting doctrine, or trying to convince anyone of anything. You are stepping into the role of someone who takes the words attributed to Jesus seriously and behaves accordingly, especially when it is inconvenient.For non-Christians: many people have only encountered scripture when it was used to shame, threaten, or exclude. This is not an attempt to convert you. This practice exists to demonstrate, in real time, that the red words consistently point toward humility, restraint, care for others, and radical kindness. You do not need to believe them to read them or embody them for a moment.For Christians: this may feel familiar. You already know these words. This is an invitation to practice them plainly, without performance, without superiority, and without using them as weapons.Radical kindness is the point. The work is deliberate, repeatable, and grounded in presence. Read the words. Sit with them. Act accordingly. Move on when it is time.

About Coordination:

This website is not an organizing hub for religion. There is no recruitment to Christianity, no conversion efforts, and no expectation of belief. That is not the work.
There’s also no sign-up, no hierarchy, and no central coordination. That’s intentional. Read the words. Practice radical kindness. Do it where you are.
If you want to invite someone to participate in this practice—to sit with the words, to embody them in public, to show restraint, generosity, and care—you’re welcome to do that. Recruit to the cause of radical kindness if you feel called. Just don’t recruit to a faith. Belief is not required. Action is the point.
I’m doing this locally because that’s where I live. Others will do it where they are. The work doesn’t require credit, attribution, or visibility. Anonymity is a feature, not a flaw. The point isn’t who started it. The point is what’s practiced.
No rallies. No arguments. No insults. No conversion. Just people, choosing radical kindness, in real places, on purpose.

In Practice:

This practice is rooted in embodiment, not argument. You are not here to convince, correct, debate, or win. You are here to step into a posture for a period of time and hold it, regardless of how others behave.
For some, this looks like consciously choosing to embody Christ’s way of moving through the world in a specific moment (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 13:14). For others, it looks like temporarily playing a role whose values already matter deeply to the people watching.Belief is not required. Alignment is.
This means your focus is not on reaction, but on presence. You arrive slowly. You set up deliberately. You take your seat. You do not rush because others are loud, impatient, or hostile. You do not let their urgency dictate your pace. Preparation, steadiness, and restraint are part of the contrast (1 John 2:6).
If you choose to read scripture, read it as it is written. Let it speak for itself. Do not argue about it. Do not interpret it for others unless asked. You are not responsible for how it is received. You are responsible only for how you conduct yourself (Matt. 7:1; John 12:47).
Some people participate through study. Reading ahead allows you to understand the shape of a passage and recognize when it turns toward mercy, welcome, or care. Knowing the structure of the text makes it possible to act deliberately rather than impulsively. Study is a valid lane if it serves you. A cheat sheet is being developed to make participation possible without deep familiarity with the text.
If at any point you feel unsafe, leave. This is not a test of endurance. There is no virtue in staying past your capacity. Leaving quietly is not failure. It is discernment (Prov. 22:3).
On Escalation and Responsibility
This practice does not assume danger, but it does acknowledge reality.
When people are confronted with a mirror of hypocrisy, discomfort is common. Anger can follow. Even when you remain calm, others may escalate (Prov. 29:22). That escalation is not your fault, and it is not evidence that the practice is wrong.
Your responsibility ends with your own behavior.
You do not owe anyone your presence if they become aggressive. You do not need to justify leaving. You do not need to absorb hostility to prove sincerity. Calmly disengaging is not weakness; it is wisdom (Matt. 10:14; Prov. 4:26).
If voices rise, if behavior shifts, or if the situation no longer aligns with radical kindness, you are free to gather your things and go. The contrast has already been made.
On Offering Food
Offering food is optional. When done, it should be done without conditions.
Food is offered freely, without expectation of gratitude, agreement, or courtesy (Luke 6:30). You may choose to offer it first to those you most disagree with, without commentary, as a way of practicing what the text calls for rather than what instinct demands (Matt. 25:40).
Timing matters. Reading the source material ahead of time allows you to know when a passage turns toward hospitality or care. That awareness gives you time to stand, gather your basket, and act deliberately rather than impulsively.
Do not offer what you are not willing to release. If someone takes more than you expected, reacts poorly, or even knocks the basket from your hands, you do not correct them. You pick up what remains, return to your seat, and continue (Prov. 20:3).
If offering food would make you anxious, resentful, or reactive, do not do it. There are many valid ways to participate. Radical kindness only works when it is genuinely free.Radical Kindness in the Face of Adversity
Radical kindness does not depend on cooperation. It is chosen in advance and maintained even when mocked, interrupted, or met with hostility (Luke 6:27–28).
This includes being prepared for loss. Objects are not protected here. Pride is not defended. If something is taken, damaged, or destroyed, the practice does not escalate. You sit down. You breathe. You remain grounded (Matt. 5:39–40).
This is not passivity. It is restraint. It is a refusal to let cruelty set the terms of your behavior (Rom. 12:21).If Someone Takes Your Bible
If someone takes your Bible, let it go.
Scripture is meant to be shared, not guarded (Matt. 10:8). You can always get another Bible. There are millions of them. If someone takes yours, assume they needed it more than you did in that moment (Luke 6:29).
Do not chase them. Do not argue. Do not demand it back. Sit down and continue in whatever way remains available to you.
The point is not the book in your hands.
The point is what you are willing to let pass through them (2 Cor. 4:7).Other Ways to Participate
Not everyone will be comfortable reading publicly or engaging directly. That is understood.
Some people participate by playing recorded scripture through a small speaker. Others participate simply by wearing a shirt and committing to their best behavior in public spaces. Presence itself can be practice.
There is no hierarchy here. There is no correct performance. There is only intention and restraint.
This practice is not about disruption. It is about contrast.
It is not about winning. It is about refusing to become what you oppose.
Choose the lane you can walk with integrity. Decide in advance what you are willing to give, what you are willing to lose, and what you will not defend.
Then sit down.