I MAKE MY STAND: A PERSONAL MANIFESTO AND CALL TO ACTION - Introduction

Over the next couple weeks, I will publish a series of blog posts on this theme:  "I Make My Stand."  This first post provides some personal background and explains what I intend to do in this series.  If you are reading this post, I hope that you will feel invited to read the series and that you will find in these reflections inspiration for articulating and acting on your own "stand" in helping create a better world.

Events brought me to a dramatic turn in my life direction in 1980.  For several years prior, my search for an authentic Christian faith had led me to the Reformed Church in America, a conservative but historic and mainline denomination.  The short-sightedness of my fundamentalist upbringing gave way as I discovered and reveled in being part of a faith community that traced its ethnic heritage and theological roots back almost five centuries and connected fearlessly to the rich, 2000-year trajectory of the Christian church. For the first time in my life I was also interacting with a group of folks who were not shackled by a narrow and strict fundamentalist vision.

A “shaking of the foundations” took place in my experience of what it meant to be a Christian as I began to grasp that grace (in contrast to the “cheap grace” I had learned growing up) is all about unconditional love.  I was also coming to understand that the Biblical story points us to a God who is concerned not only with personal salvation, but perhaps more importantly with community, and that God expresses a particular allegiance to those on the margins of society.  This God makes a stand on the side of the Hebrew slaves over against the despotic economy of the Egyptian Pharaohs.  The Jewish prophets give voice to this God's deep commitment to justice for the poor and oppressed (e.g. Amos 5:24).  And in the Christian scriptures, Jesus makes his first appearance on the public stage declaring that his mission is to bring “glad tidings to the poor, liberty to the captives, sight for the blind, and freedom for the oppressed” (Luke 4: 16-21).

It was in this context of personal growth and change that I would hear the words of then candidate for President, Ronald Reagan.  And the more I heard him speak - of cutting programs for the poor, shifting the tax burden from the wealthy and corporations to the backs of the average citizen, rolling back the Voting Rights Act, and on and on – the greater the dissonance that grew between his proposed platform and the new-found values shaping my own sense of life and purpose.  It was during this time that I came to the decision that I could no longer stand by as part of the “silent majority,” but that I had to make a stand and let my voice be heard.

Fast forward to the present moment in time – 2017 and the present administration of #45 here in the United States.  Although the dissonance has sounded and I have responded in varying degrees over the last 30+ years, the dissonance has now reached a pitch of earth-shattering (in some respects, literally) proportions.  In her most recent book, No Is Not Enough: Resisting Trump's Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need, activist and author of The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein, summarizes well in my view the situation we currently face.  She writes:

           

                        “The main pillars of Trump's political and economic project are: the

                        deconstruction of the regulatory state; a full-bore attack on the welfare

                        state and social services (rationalized in part through bellicose racial

                        fear-mongering and attacks on women for exercising their rights); the

                        unleashing of a domestic fossil fuel frenzy (which requires the sweeping

                        aside of climate science and the gagging of large parts of the government

                        bureaucracy); and a civilizational war against immigrants and radical

                        Islamic terrorism (with ever-expanding domestic and foreign theaters).”

As I listen to the news (and the bizarre tweets emanating almost daily from somewhere in the White House) I am struck by the fact that my values and vision for my country and for our world stand in diametric opposition to every piece of this administration's project.   Even though the U.S. president may be one of the most vulgar, in-your-face and - because of the power he wields -  most dangerous examples of the problem, I do not think that the problem is him.  Rather he is simply one of the most grotesque but one of a growing number of manifestations of a global system that favors corporations and the wealthiest at the expense of the average citizen, other life forms, and the health and very existence of life on our planet Earth.  And so, I am compelled to MAKE MY STAND -  to say that I DISAGREE, that I RESIST this project.  In these next blog posts, I seek to give voice to a radically different vision for my country and our world.  And I commit to put my hand to the plow, my foot to the road, and my shoulder to the wheel, working and fighting to make this vision a reality.

LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL?

In my recent post, “Reflections on the Occasion of Fidel Castro's Passing”^*, I wrote about the qualities I value in the Cuban revolution: free and improved education, free world-class healthcare, world-class achievements in agriculture and dairy production, and significant gains in equality among the citizens. In response, a good friend who had previously raised questions critical of Castro and the revolution responded: “I simply think that liberty, universally, is worth more than anything you mentioned.”

That got me thinking! I live in a country that claims “liberty and justice for all.” But as I reflect, it seems to me there is a contradiction in this phrase. It implies that one can enjoy both liberty and justice fully and equally. However I would suggest that each of these values in fact limits the other.

By liberty, do we mean absolute liberty? If so, then this would mean, according to a definition given on google, “having the power or scope to act as one pleases.” A slightly more sophisticated – and revealing – statement defines liberty as “a condition in which a man’s (sic) will regarding his own person and property is unopposed by any other will.”¹ But is it possible to have this kind of liberty universally, if by universal we mean that such liberty is enjoyed by all persons?

I suggest that the latter definition is more revealing because it points to the conundrum that exists when we are dealing with universal liberty and justice. If one is the only living being on a desert island, perhaps one can do whatever one pleases. However, to paraphrase John Donne, in fact “no human person is an island.” Human life begins in family and is lived out within community and society. If all then are to enjoy liberty, it is a liberty that is not absolute but that must necessarily be limited – limited by the fact that it cannot impose upon or transgress the liberties of others. In fact our founding fathers recognized this limitation. Thomas Jefferson asserted that “Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others.”²

Now, if liberty is about individual experience, justice in this context is about the experience of community. It is about the inter-connection between individuals with their liberties, ensuring all persons an equal (although not an absolute) level of liberty (and at the same time an equal level of limitation to their liberty). If it applies to “all,” this means that for there to be justice no one may rightfully exercise a level of personal liberty that is greater than that of everyone else in the community/society. And similarly, no one – regardless of whatever attribute we may choose – may be deemed to qualify for a lesser degree of personal liberty than anyone else in the community. Common synonyms for justice include “fairness,” “equity,” “even-handedness,” “impartiality.”

So how do we balance liberty and justice? If as a nation we give preference to personal liberty, fairness is threatened. On the other hand, the broader our commitment to justice, the greater the limitations on personal liberty. To return to the question of Cuba, this it seems to me is the difference between the United States and Cuba. The United States, despite our claim of “liberty and justice” has always given greater credence to liberty. In actual fact that has meant greater liberty for some (based on race, gender, class, sexual preference, etc.) and less for others; i.e. the diminishment of justice. By contrast post-revolutionary Cuba has given priority to justice. This has however required limiting personal freedom.

So where does this reflection take us? I would like to suggest that instead of liberty and justice, there is a different set of measures that do a better and more effective job in helping us envision and strive for the ideal society. Furthermore I believe that these measures - by giving us a different language and focus – will in fact help us create the proper balance between liberty and justice. What I propose is that the ideal society be characterized by “quality of life” and “the common good.” In my next post I will explore this proposal more deeply.

* See my December 18, 2016 post.

1 See the online article “What is Liberty Exactly?

2 Ibid. Emphases added.

EVE OF THE U.S. 2016 ELECTIONS

So it has been several months since my last post. At that time after reviewing what I see as the state of the world today – with the gutting of democracies and the unabashed efforts of the super wealthy 1% to create a global plutocracy - I proposed a critical calling for our time. This calling led to three questions: (1) What are the actions and strategies that can effectively counter this global reality? (2) What approaches will enable those of us (the 99%), who are by far the majority, to fatally wound, to undermine, to bring an end to the direction of this plutocratic movement envisioned and controlled by the super-wealthy 1%? And, a final question: (3) What are the structures and practices that need to be put in place to build a world of true justice, equity, and peace? At the time I said that I would explore these questions in my subsequent postings. So here we go!!

I must confess, it has taken me this long to do a first follow-up . . . because it is not entirely clear to me what the answer to these questions might be. Over the last few months, events in our world – in my world – have made it even more difficult to envision how best to proceed. At the time of my last post there was a movement under way in Brazil – my heart country – to remove the duly elected President. It was clear that the grounds for removing her were fabrications representing economic and corporate interests as well as the interests of members of the congress and senate who wanted to put an end to the investigation of corruption charges against them. At the time I could not have imagined that this parliamentary coup could actually succeed, but succeed it did. And in the following weeks - and now months, despite almost daily street demonstrations and currently a growing occupy movement, and despite challenges from professional and student groups and social movements in Brazil as well as outcries from the international community (except the notable absence of the U.S. government), the propogators of the “golpe parlamentar” (parliamentary coup) continue to move forward in blatant disregard to the outrage. Their interests and sense of power are such that they really don't seem to fear or care about their country or the people.

Meanwhile here in the US – my birth country – we've watched as the two-party farce, with the support of a sensation-seeking media, have produced two candidates for the presidency each the least liked by their respective party. On one side of the political theatre a racist, xenophobic, misogynist, foul-mouthed, narcissistic, tax-evading supposed billionaire with possible traitorous ties to Russia. Shortly after the election – win or lose – he is due in court to face child rape and rackateering charges. His opponent on the other side is a woman who maintains secretive close ties to corporate and banking elites and supports the continued projection and probable increased use of US military power globally. Hanging over her head are accusations of poor judgement and possible criminal charges related to use of personal emails in her role as Secretary of State. Furthermore it has come out that her party manipulated the primary campaign process to ensure her victory over a more progressive and likely the most popular candidate in the race.^* And as has been the case for decades, both parties controlled the electoral process in such a manner as to guarantee that no alternatives to the two-party hegemony are able to gain any significant foothold. Here, as in Brazil, the powers-that-be demonstrate a total disregard for any real interests of the citizenry.**

These are just two examples, not to mention the on-going wars and pillage in the Middle East, the forced migration of peoples on a scale not seen since WWII, the often violent opposition to outsiders in so many places in our world today, and the blatant violence of police against protestors and against communities of color including the current police violence against protestors on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota. The list goes on and on. So -- what to do?

We live in desperate times! Those of us who dream of a world of justice, equality and peace face a challenge. Who are we called to be? What stands are we called to take? What will it take to effectively counter and subvert the present reality? What will it take to bend the course of history in a new direction? Clarifying our own values and vision and deepening our understanding of the current powers and structures are two keystones in the archway of an effective path forward.

* Excellent insightful reflection by philosopher Cornel West on the state of Democracy in the 2016 elections here in the United States: Spiritual Blackout in America.
** http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/julian_assange_and_john_pilger_discuss_the_20161105 

Our Critical Calling

I started this blog three and a half years ago with two primary purposes. One was to articulate – for myself and for others – where I stand in terms of faith. I grew up in a conservative Christian evangelical-fundamentalist context which in some ways continues to inform my spiritual life. But I have also departed radically from those upbringings to a much more open, nuanced, modern (and more ancient) theology and spirituality. In a short series of posts I described it as “A Strange Mix” (see posts dated 12/2/2012 and 12/30/2012).

A second purpose was to explore more deeply – and again to attempt to express for myself and for those who would read my blog – my view that the journey inward (see the post dated 10/12/2012) of self-understanding and spirit is intimately and dialectically bound up with the journey outward (see the post dated 10/15/2012) of life choices and actions aimed at creating a world of greater justice, equality, and peace. Both of these journeys, in my view, are grounded in the belief that God makes a preferential option for those on the margins of society and that this option defines our human calling and true faith.

Two years ago life offered me an opportunity that reflects both of these purposes: I was invited to join the team at Hope CommUnity Center in Apopka, Florida. With a history of over forty years rooted in faith, Hope's mission is to be a place of empowerment with the immigrant and working poor populations of central Florida. This is a mission that parallels my own vision and mission in life. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing organization.

Photo source: Popular Resistance newsletter

 This being said, events in the U.S. and globally over the last number of years have – each day it seems –

highlighted to an ever greater extent the need for concerted action for justice in our world. Around the world we've seen, in startling strides, the demise of people's democracy. The decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to legitimate unlimited contributions by corporations and the wealthy to political candidates and campaigns is a final blow to the average citizen having any real voice in elections. In the current election cycle the power of the two political parties here in the U.S. - two shades of the same political color really – to control the process of selecting candidates and to eliminate third party or outlier challenges has become starker than ever. We saw the rise of the Occupy movement, a voice for what has been recognized as the 99% - the vast majority of us barred from voice and influence in matters of the public domain. As long as the movement offered a minor and nonconstructive presence it was essentially ignored but once it began to gain voice and visibility, as is always the case, government and the police state engaged to ensure that there was ultimately no serious threat to the interests of business and the monied crowd.

Recent events in Brazil – my heart country – reflect in a similar way a startling disregard for the will of the people and the legitimacy of democracy. What is being called a “parliamentary” or “institutional” coup is being implemented by a wealthy and pro-corporate minority to remove the elected president and to undo gains made for the poor and average middle class during fourteen years under the elected governments of the Ignacio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rouseff, both of the Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers Party). Promulgated in the name of fighting corruption, the coup is in fact a blatant effort aimed at ending the criminal investigation of those who have seized power.^*

The U.S. government has been strangely silent about the overthrowing of the government of the fifth largest nation in the world and a critical player in the Western Hemisphere. On the other hand perhaps it is not so strange since U.S. business is interested in and stands to gain a foothold in the lucrative oil and gas holdings of Brazil under the new illegitimate government. Other recent examples would include coups in Honduras, Libya (including the murder of the Libyan president) and the Ukraine – and even as I write, efforts to undo the elected government in Venezuela^¥ -- all supported if not having direct involvement by the U.S. government.^±

A key feature of the world we live in and the primary driving force undermining true democracy is the presence and influence wielded by those I refer to as the “monied crowd.” More accurately, it is the monied few. In a 2014 briefing paper, “Working for the Few,” Oxfam reported that the 85 wealthiest individuals in the world have as much money as the poorest half of the entire world's population – 3.5 million persons!

In the past few years here in the United States some of these ultra-super-wealthy have become open and explicit about the agenda they are funding and promoting. It is an agenda to do away with all government and legal support for workers, for the poor, for students, for the retired, for the middle class. Witness the decades of strategic support by the Koch brothers, the 5^th and 6^th wealthiest persons in the world, to eliminate the right of workers in the United States to unionize.^ᵵ It was even more revealing to me to learn recently that the Koch brothers provided training and financial support to three of four groups leading efforts to remove the elected president of Brazil.^ᴥ I begin to see that the aims of this monied crowd are driven by a global vision. They are not satisfied to dominate what happens in the United States or any other individual country. In fact, it seems to me that they have no real national interests. Their goal is to dominate the world, to create a very different world from the one we have today, a world that functions entirely according to their interests and demands. Their aim is a global plutocracy, creating a world ruled by the super rich,^ⱡ with the rest of us as serfs, serving their every beck and call.

What are the strategies and actions that can effectively counter this global reality. What approaches will enable those of us who are by far the majority, to fatally wound, to undermine, to bring an end to the direction of this hegemonic plutocratic movement envisioned and controlled by the super-wealthy 1%? And the balancing question is: What are the structures and practices that need to be put in place to create a world of true justice, equity and peace?

And so the questions that have become central to me over the last couple of years really, and even more so as I witness more recent events, are: What are the strategies and actions that can effectively counter this global reality. What approaches will enable those of us who are by far the majority, to fatally wound, to undermine, to bring an end to the direction of this hegemonic plutocratic movement envisioned and controlled by the super-wealthy 1%? And the balancing question is: What are the structures and practices that need to be put in place to create a world of true justice, equity and peace?

These are the issues I propose to explore in subsequent postings. I value and look forward to additional creative thoughts and ideas being expressed by those who read my blog and choose to respond. For those of us who are part of the 99%, it seems to me that this is our critical calling for this time.

*See also “New Leak: Brazil Coup Plotters Sought Protection from Corruption Probe” http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/New-Leak-Brazil-Politicians-Sought-Corruption-Probe-Shield-20160530-0011.html

¥http://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Media-War-Against-Venezuela-Kicks-into-High-Gear-20160528-0011.html

±See http://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/SilencingPilger-20160527-0015.html. See also http://www.telesurtv.net/english/analysis/6-Coups-Against-Latin-Americas-Left-Since-2000-20160511-0021.html

 

ᵵSee the YouTube documentary, “Koch Brothers Exposed.” Linguist, philosopher and social critic Noam Chomsky describes this as “class war.”

ᴥhttp://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/15521

ⱡ See Michael Brenner's article Plutocracy in America. See also the Popular Resistance newsletter article “US Democracy Crisis Creates Illegitimate Political System.”

“Si Me Matan . . .” ~~ “If They Kill Me . . .”

                  In my recent pilgrimage to the country of El Salvador I witnessed and 

             personally experienced the mystery in these words.  In the face of the violence

  

                 and injustice of this world, hope stands defiant.  Life overcomes death!

I had the privilege recently, along with a group of 26 co-workers and friends to be present for the beatification of Archbishop Oscar Romero. This celebration took place in the little nation of El Salvador in Central America, the country where the Archbishop was born and lived his life and witness. During a time of unspeakable violence in the late 1970s – violence perpetrated by the Salvadoran government, a government and violence supported by U.S. tax dollars – Archbishop Romero became an outspoken defender of those being victimized and killed, average citizens and especially the poor. Like Jesus, and like prophets of all ages, because of his clear message challenging the powers of his time, on March 24, 1980 he was shot and killed while celebrating Mass.

His accusers claimed that he was a subversive, a communist. But the words he spoke were from the Bible: “do not kill,” “love your neighbor,” “do justice.” And those who knew him personally will tell you even today that those are the words he lived by. Although Archbishop, rather than live in the Archbishop's residence he chose to live in a sparse room at a small hospital where cancer patients were cared for. He loved visiting, encouraging and praying with the patients there. In addition to celebrating Mass at the Cathedral, he was also known to visit smaller parishes around the city and in the country each week. He enjoyed meeting and visiting with the people, hearing their stories, sharing their struggles as well as their joys. His biographers recall that he was a disciplined man, strict with himself, a man who although bookish and shy was bold in his commitments and personal integrity. He was also known to be a man of prayer.

In one of his last homilies he spoke directly to the military: “In the name of God, I ask you, I implore you, I command you – stop the repression!” Having received numerous death threats himself, on one occasion he reflected: “Si me matan, resucitaré en el pueblo salvadoreño.” “If they kill me, I will rise again in the Salvadoran people.” And the command was given, a sharp-shooter was sent, and he was killed with a single bullet to the heart.

Now 35 years after his death he has been named “a martyr killed in odium fidei”(because of hatred of the faith) and Pope Francis has proclaimed his beatification, the first step to becoming a saint. And so it was for the celebration of this historic moment, that our group decided to go to El Salvador.

Looking back, I'm not sure what I expected to encounter on this pilgrimage. My wife and I (along with others in our group) had been invited to stay in the homes of families in the capital city of San Salvador. And so, in part, I anticipated the warmth of the typical Latin American welcome and hospitality. I was also looking forward to enjoying delicious pupusas (one of the best known national plates of El Salvador) and other authentic Salvadoran foods. We would visit the cathedral where the Archbishop celebrated Mass and where his crypt is located today.

Image of Bishop Romero in the lower level of the
Cathedral, where his crypt is located.  The day we
visited, this musician sang songs honoring the
Bishop's legacy of standing with the poor.

We would also visit the University of Central America, where in 1989 six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter were massacred by members of an elite battalion of the Salvadoran military (a battalion, incidentally, trained in the United States). These places, which I had visited one other time some years ago, I knew would carry with them the weight, pain and visual horror (there are pictures and clothing still blood-stained from those who were killed) of the deaths. They would be a reminder of the more than 75,000 Salvadorans murdered and disappeared during this time of violence as well. But I also imagined the crowds gathered in the Plaza Divino Salvador del Mundo (Divine Savior of the World Plaza), celebrating – intense tropical heat not withstanding – this long-awaited moment of acknowledgement and recognition of a man already considered a saint in El Salvador and beyond.

However, regardless of what I may have anticipated, it could not come near to the reflection and emotions of being there. What I experienced in El Salvador was less about death, and more about LIFE – Resurrection Life! Members of San Antonio de Soyapango, the parish that hosted us, and the families who received us were exuberant in their welcome and gracious hospitality. And folks we met everywhere were overflowing with gratitude and appreciation. People would come up to us on the street to express how moved they were that we had come such a distance, from another place, to honor their hero. They seemed almost surprised to learn that the life and testimony of their Salvadoran Archbishop had reached so far. But there was also recognition of this reality in the signs and t-shirts proclaiming “San Romero de America” (Saint Romero of the Americas).

Officially we were there to celebrate the beatification of a martyr. But the message everywhere was that Monseñor Romero is not dead. At every turn one was reminded of the Archbishop's famous words: “If they kill me, I will rise again in the Salvadoran people.” And it was clearly evident that he lives on. Through the years of war that followed his death, when one did not dare let his name pass one's lips out loud in El Salvador, his message and spirit were nevertheless kept alive within and among the people. In the words of his homilies, copies of which he left in the parishes where he preached, his call to live the Gospel, to follow Jesus “the only true leader,” the promise and hope that his life and death proclaimed, lived on. Those who had to flee El Salvador for their own safety during the war recounted and kept alive in other places – in communities here in the United States - their personal memories of the gentle caring and fearless truth-telling of their Salvadoran Archbishop. Leading up to the day of beatification, t-shirts, posters and road-side signs proclaimed the deep mystery and witness: “Romero Vive!” (Romero Lives!).

And being in El Salvador, I witnessed and personally experienced the mystery in these words! Standing in stark, stubborn defiance to the gruesome violence of the war years and challenging the gang violence of the present day, the Salvadoran people we met expressed a sense of hope and life that gets under the skin, that tests the boundaries of the rational. It is not a naive or reality-denying kind of hope. There is grimness and sadness to be seen in weary eyes and faces etched with a haunting sense of pain and loss. Almost everyone in this country has lost someone in the war or in the current violence. At the same time though there is also an honest hope and a gutsy, rooted belief that the Divine has touched this land. As one theologian put it: “With Monseñor Romero, God has passed through El Salvador” (Ignacio Ellacuria).

And in struggling to put words to what I experienced in El Salvador, it is to this Mystery that I attempt to bear witness. Revisiting the story of Bishop Romero, sensing the real presence of his spirit in places where he lived and died his own prophetic witness, and – and, yes, being with the Salvadoran people (!) I met God!! I met once again the God of the Jewish Prophets and the God of Jesus, whose call is to the radical challenge of siding with the poor, with victims, with the powerless and the marginalized. It is a call for me as a white brother to find an acceptable and authentic way to put my voice and body on the line in the movement of Black Lives Matter! It is a call to denounce and vote out of office those who from positions of power and economic gain would block healthcare for poor families and children. It is a call to take the personal risk of placing myself physically and politically between immigrant families and those who would with xenophobic or racist motives seek to enforce unjust and anti-immigrant laws; a call to stand in the way of the injustice and to demand justice for immigrant children separated from their parents by deportations and for immigrant youth deported back to the violent communities from which they fled for their lives. It is a call to question and act on the side of creating alternatives to a global system that benefits from the violence and madness of war, that creates wealth for a few at the expense of impoverishing an ever-growing majority. It is a call to challenge this system that threatens the very existence of life on this planet in the name of short term gain and out-of-control materialism. It is a call to envision and engage in concrete strategies for creating a new world order characterized by justice which leads to peace, that promotes equality among all people, that ensures a healthy abundant life for every person, and that supports the long-term viability of this home that we share with all other species and that we call Earth.

Santo Romero Vive!! Saint Romero Lives!!

"NEVER WILL I FORGET" SAYS THE LORD

In a week when a majority of the House of Representatives of the United States

• voted to cut $40 million from the food stamp program, that provides meals for men, women, children, and elderly who go hungry in this country every day;
• and in this same week when they voted in favor of de-funding “Obamacare” which will provide medical insurance for 44 million in this country (16% of the population) who currently have no medical coverage and for an additional 38 million who are under-insured –

the words of the Jewish writer Amos carry the same prophetic power and warning today as they did when first written nearly 3,000 years ago. In a time when Israel emphasized military security and economic affluence for the few, the prophet proclaims “This is what the Lord God says”:

“Hear this, you who trample the needy

and destroy the poor of the land . . .

You who will buy the lowly for silver

and the poor for a pair of sandals;

“The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob,

'Never will I forget a thing they have done.

'They shall fall, never to rise again.'”¹

"Finding Jesus in the poor"
(Source: http://livingthelectionary.blogspot.com
/2013/09/pentecost-18-c-amos-84-7.html)

The Jewish and Christian scriptures express over and over again that God has a particular and special interest and care for the poor. Repeatedly we see how God defends and stands up for those who have the least status in our world – the poor, victims, foreigners, the powerless, the marginalized.

And in a deep sense, who I am called to be and who I believe we are all called to be are a people who stand with our sisters and brothers, especially those who are so often left to stand alone.

Is it really too much to ask – that all be fed, that all be housed, that all have the healthcare they need? That perhaps those who have so much now may have less, so that all (not only in the United States but everywhere in the world) might enjoy the a reasonable life with dignity?  The secret is that PEOPLE, not money and power, need to be our priority and focus.

Journey Inward. Journey Outward. May our inner life inform our daily actions. May our deeply held values and priorities – even if they run counter-current to much in our world – proclaim in deeds the hope and possibility of a different kind of world.²

SHALOM!

1  Chapter 8 of Amos, the lectionary reading for today the 25^th Sunday of Ordinary Time in the Christian liturgical calendar.
2   For a wonderful little prayer based on Amos 8:4-7, see http://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/08/prayer-amos-8-4-7.html