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News from the Pews

Read personal stories of changing attitudes, transforming hearts, and congregation members being moved to action. Learn how churches and individuals have responded when faced with injustice. 

Finding Hope in 2018

As we sat in the fireside room at A Rocha’s property, Sir Ghillean Prance, a small group of volunteers and I (a stay-at-home mom) we felt a sense of awe that this man, who had been knighted by the queen for his work as a botanist, was so down to earth and hope-filled. One thing he said has stuck with me. When asked what gave him hope over his long career –he knew about and was working towards combating climate change already 20 years ago – his answer was: “Christ’s resurrection and human ingenuity”. 

The Holy Privilege of being Christ's Hands and Feet

On April 10, Aung Ko, Nang, Jet and Joli boarded a plane in Malaysia. Catching three flights, this young family would fly half way around the world to flee poverty and danger to find safety in the United States. With Jet just two years old and Joli only 8 months, it took some desperation and courage for these young parents to fly 17 hours to an unknown place called Michigan.

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Shifting Views on Israel-Palestine

The news from Israel and the Palestinian territories seldom sounds hopeful. More often than not, the more we learn about the many complex layers of the conflict, the more discouraged we can become about the prospects for the future. When I speak about the realities on the ground there, people frequently ask me: What does hope look like?

I Didn’t Know

As a black Christian with roots in the south and the Baptist church, I always knew that the Jewish people were important. Their struggle in the book of Exodus was likened to the struggle of slaves in the south – “Go Down Moses”, that great Negro Spiritual.

Know Your History, Beloved

I am from Madagascar.

Like the movie? Usually the response of anyone aged 25 and under.

I’ve never met anyone from Madagascar. From those 25 and over.

The island of Madagascar broke off from the continent of Africa eons ago, allowing the flora and fauna present to evolve to such a degree that the biodiversity you find on that glorious island you will find nowhere else in the world.

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The Gospel of Gentrification - Part 2

In my previous post about gentrification, I established a simple premise. Any development and revitalization of  a neighborhood that leads to the involuntary displacement of already existing people, history, and culture is inequitable, and antithetical to God’s desire for wholeness and flourishing for all of his creation.

The Gospel of Gentrification

"God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:27-28)

Public Sin and Christ's Cry

“...there is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”

-Abraham Kuyper

The Sacred Gift of Life

January is Sanctity of Human Life month. I believe this sanctity extends to far more than the pro-life movement. To me, this is not just a political issue, but one that affects our moral fiber because all life is sacred.

Dear Tanya: A National Tragedy Hits Home

Dear Tanya, 
In 2009, you became a number that I wasn't counting. 
Your sister, Vanessa, was counting.
The hours, days and the years of this silence.
I heard during the hearing. 
I heard your story. 
I heard your human-ness. 
You are not dead to her.
You are not a number.
I'm counting. We're counting.
With Love, 
Priya

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