Here are five things worth paying attention to this week. Mix things up this week and start with #5.

1. If you appreciate science fiction but want to read the work of a black author, check out Octavia E. Butler. I just finished reading Dawn, which is book one of the Xenogenesis trilogy.

2. I recently had the privilege of hearing Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes speak at my alma mater. As we prepare for Lent, her reflections from 2017 are as poignant as ever.

3. Womanist theology has given voice to the perspective and role of black women and their reflection of the divine.

4. The next time you see the police stop someone, consider doing your part and legally observing the encounter.

5. Foreplay is holy. I said it, and so did the Village Auntie. Perhaps we can learn from her understanding of the divine and sex.

Ben Tapper has a master’s degree in public affairs and an M.Div. He is a chaplain at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis, co-founder of the Hear Me Project and blogs at Invisible Truths.