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Top Do Justice Articles of 2019

Thank you for joining us this year on Do Justice.  It is our hope and prayer that these articles blessed you and moved you to new action.  Enjoy this look at the top Do Justice articles written in 2019 (ranked by top pageviews).  

1. There are Three Crisis at the Border: Keeping it Straight - CRC Office of Social Justice

This past year there have been many crises at the Border.  We broke down three in this article. “As advocates, we must know how to speak clearly and effectively about each one.  Crisis One: Unaccompanied children are being held in mass detention facilities.  Crisis Two: Families are still being separated, and not being reunited.  Crisis three: It’s becoming impossible to claim asylum.”

2. Does Our Strength Lie in Isolation?  - Reggie Smith 

“I stumbled upon a history book of my denomination in 2016. I love history. I read the book to gain more knowledge about the family I joined in 1981.  But my world was shaken when the author wrote “our strength lies in isolation”’

3. Let’s Stop Accepting These 5 Lies - Kate Kooyman 

“We are people committed to the truth. In fact, we believe that truth brings freedom.  We are called to keep learning (or un-learning), and to keep our eyes open, to bear witness, and to advocate for justice on behalf of those suffering at the border. They are our brothers and sisters.”

4. White European Superiority Continues to Invade Our Theology - Rebecca Warren 

“Divides always raise questions about the nature of Christian community, and some in the church interpreted Reformed covenant theology as supporting segregation. Christian Reformed Churches in the Chicago area were divided over the issue of whether “Black covenant children” should be allowed to enroll in a predominantly white Christian school.”

5. Join with the Malian Church in Prayers for Peace - Mary Crickmore 

“The international news coverage of the attacks has been spotty, and the information that has been shared has sometimes missed the full picture, casting the violence as purely religious. There is so much more going on here— in the midst of all this, the Malian church is taking action. The Protestant and Catholic churches of Mali have joined to call for a day of prayer.”

6. Dear Church, Refuse to be in Denial - Melissa Stek 

“I write to you to admit that I am a recovering racist, working to overcome the lies ingrained in me by white supremacy and a racialized society. I share this to be transparent with you, to own up to and change the ways I’ve bought into the illusion of race and white supremacy, and to challenge you to do the same.”

7. Can Forgiveness Play a Role in Criminal Justice? - John Lamsma 

“I am truly amazed and impressed how two families were able to deal with a violent crime through forgiveness and the use of restorative justice principles at a very trying emotional time as well as in a very difficult legal environment.”

8. Living Surprisingly in Times of Division - Mike Hogeterp 

“So what does surprising-grateful-hopeful living look like? First, by learning to talk together about difficult things and by modeling civility in our public actions, Christians demonstrate mutual respect and healthy engagement in our culture – think of Romans 12 transformation, a Beatitudes testimony, and James 1 true religion here.”

9. Introducing Hope Zigterman - Hope Zigterman 

Hope is the newest member of the Office of Social Justice team. She joins our team this week as the Justice Mobilizing and Advocacy Fellow, a one year position with our office. Hope comes to us with a background in Political Science after attending Gordon College in Massachusetts. Most recently Hope worked as an English teacher in Jordan.  

10. Immigration is our Story: Series - Melissa Stek 

The Christian Reformed Church in North America also has an immigration story. We are an immigrant denomination, and the immigrant experience is a significant part of our story. Though the denomination today consists of congregations of many ethnicities and nationalities, it was originally established by Dutch Reformed immigrants who made their way to North America in the mid-1800s.

Bonus - Our Columnists   

We offer a sincere thanks to our columnists and other authors who regularly bring their hearts and souls to you on their journeys of justice and mercy.  


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The Reformed family is a diverse family with a diverse range of opinions. Not all perspectives expressed on the blog represent the official positions of the Christian Reformed Church. Learn more about this blog, Reformed doctrines, and our diversity policy on our About page.

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