Today is Nelson Mandela Day; it could hardly occur at a better time. What the world needs now is a whole lot of people praying for - and working for - peace. Those of us who claim the name of Jesus better be leading those efforts, if we want to live up to that name. …
Category: Justice
Advocacy at work
Well, that happened fast. I guess sometimes it all comes together. Lately I've used this space, as I often do, to write about the Christian duty to engage in justice advocacy to alleviate hunger, poverty and oppression. Then Bread for the World picked up a little of what I wrote and asked if they could …
Wanna feed 2 million people – or even 9 million – in less than 10 minutes?
If so, all you have to do is read a little and add your name to a letter. Sometimes advocacy is just that simple. Illinois residents (along with those of Alaska, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia) have an opportunity - I would even say a duty - to influence legislation …
Continue reading Wanna feed 2 million people – or even 9 million – in less than 10 minutes?
A true must-read
Given that: 1. As followers of God in the Way of Jesus, my congregation (Woodridge United Methodist Church) strives to love God and love our neighbors. Which, as Jesus put it, means everybody. 2. A vital piece of loving our neighbors - and of UMC membership vows - is striving to fight evil, injustice, and …
#BringBackOurGirls
Human trafficking. Dehumanization and abuse of women and girls. Intertwined roots in execrable theology. That, dear reader, is a hat trick of blog post subjects for me if ever there was one. I determined I would write a post on the 270 kidnapped Nigerian school girls and the global response, hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. I had the …
Honest talk about guns
This may come as a shock to many of you, but sometimes I don't know what to say. (Then again considering how infrequently I've posted here, perhaps that isn't so shocking.) Saturday is the one year anniversary of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and I don't know what to say. …
Mourning, and yet…
It has been rough week. It's been a week of mourning. It has been a week of mourning with Miriam, all the Cabanas family and friends, and our congregation over Ernie's sudden death. Just a few days ago Miriam and Ernie hugged me on their way out of church after our worship service, all smiles …
Record-breaking OL not done yet
Last Sunday, my congregation, Woodridge United Methodist Church, partnered with Bread for the World in taking an Offering of Letters. Rosie's story (see above video) was a key component of our presentation and perhaps part of the reason the OL produced 110 names on the petition to the President and 120 letters to our Senators. The …
‘Behind all those big words are human beings’
How about a bevy of links for your weekend? These are all what I deem "Well said!" -I probably say this a lot, but this is why we fight...for justice that is. The title for this post comes from this inspiring video. How are we doing on the current Millenium Development Goals? -Are you the …
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Remembering that ‘shot rang out in the Memphis sky’
I'm sure you don't need me to tell you this, but it was 45 years ago today (April 4) that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Yesterday, Fred Clark posted a long excerpt from Dr. King's April 3rd speech, often called the "I've been to the mountaintop" speech. It's fabulous oratory. Fred rightly pointed …
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All That I Can't Leave Unsaid 