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November 6, 2018
from Susie Tierney, Executive Director |
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Today is Election Day and I hope anyone who is eligible has carved out time to vote. Not only is voting our civic duty, but I can’t think of a single religion that doesn’t encourage voting as a way to express faith; as a way of exemplifying one’s spiritual and religious values in the public sphere.
That said, the past two election cycles have been the most divisive of my lifetime. They have been wrought with intolerance and an inability to listen to or engage with others who think differently. It feels like many of us have lost touch with the excitement and possibilities that have surrounded Election Days of the past, and instead, we are filled with anxiety and fear. Voters today seem less motivated by a sense of civic or religious duty, and much more compelled by the need to make sure their vote is part of a referendum on the opposing party.
There has been a lot of discussion about a “blue wave” in which the Democratic Party wins a majority of local and national races or a “red wave” in which the Republican Party does. But today, I am praying for a purple wave instead.
My hope today is that we walk into the voting booth compelled by the desire to be part of a referendum on divisiveness and hatred, rather than a referendum on the opposing party. My hope is that today we will enter the voting booth compelled by a desire to elect individuals to office who will restore a basic sense of decency to our legislative chambers. My hope today is that my vote – your vote – will not be motivated by a desire to drive a stake through the opposing party’s heart, but will be motivated by a desire to ensure that a mature, functioning democracy is the final outcome; where taunting, name-calling, belittling, and maliciousness no longer have an accepted place in any office of government, church, school, business or home.
The events of the past two weeks have put an exclamation point on our desperate need to demand that hatred and intolerance never have a seat at any table – especially a legislative one. No Jewish person should ever have to fear worshipping in a synagogue. No civic or religious leader should ever have to fear opening their mailbox. No African American person should ever have to worry about being gunned down at the grocery store. And, no one should ever sit by idly and allow any individual or group to fan the flames of racism and intolerance.
For those of us who are Christian, this urgency to demand an end to hatred and divisiveness isn’t just some wishy-washy suggestion; it’s a moral imperative. The whole of the entire Gospel message can be summarized with a couple of words: compassion and love. Current levels of divisiveness nationally and across the globe certainly do not reflect a spirit of Gospel love and compassion, or even a sense of common decency for that matter. My hope is that when the last ballot has been counted, the real end result of this election will not necessarily be a shift from Republican to Democrat or Democrat to Republican, but will reflect these lines from the prayer of St. Francis: Where there is darkness, let there be light. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
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Program Spotlight: JustMatters Modules
Our 8 week modules allow small faith communities to explore critical current issues such as hunger, migration, nonviolence, and Christian-Muslim dialogue within a prayerful environment that invites personal transformation. Visit our program page to learn more about all our programs.
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Program Highlight : Exploring Migration: A Faith Journey
JustFaith Ministries’ 8-week program, Exploring Migration: A Faith Journey, invites participants to formulate a personal response to the 21st-century reality of migration inspired by their Christian beliefs. It explores some of the central questions related to the reality of migration on a global level and in the U.S. context. The sessions provide historical, biblical, and theological perspectives and suggest ways participants can take action in their own context. This program was developed in partnership with Maryknoll.
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“Divine Creator, at the dawn of time, you fashioned an earth overflowing with life.
For six days you labored and on the seventh you stood back,
and you listened to the echo of all creation.
You have been listening ever since.
We praise and you receive our worship.
We cry and you hear our prayer.
We lament and you remember us.
Your ear is never deaf to our voice; your face never turned away from us.
And now, Creator God, I should like to learn to listen like you.
In times of tension, lament, and complaint, keep my ears open to the rumblings of emotions and meaning just under the surface of what the other is trying to say.
May the Spirit swirl freely through my conversations that I may hear all that you would have me to hear and understand all that you would have me understand.”
Ann Garrido, Redeeming Conflict (Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2016) ch. 3.
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Sounds great! How do I join?
Visit the Membership Network page on our website to learn more about the launch of the NEW JustFaith Network. We look forward to welcoming you to the family!
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World AIDS Day Prayer Vigil
World AIDS Day is December 1. The Maryknoll Office for Global Concernsinvites you to join our 24-hour vigil to pray for those living with HIV and AIDS and for those whose lives were cut short due to HIV or AIDS; the vigil will begin at 12 AM Eastern Standard Time (U.S.) on December 1.
Sign up for our 24-Hour Prayer Vigil.
Add your name and the time when you wish to pray on December 1.
Read the latest from Maryknoll Lay Missioner Dr. Susan Nagele, a family physician who recently returned to the United States from East Africa after 33 years of service. Dr. Nagele writes about some of the challenges facing people with HIV and AIDS in Kenya and Tanzania.
We offer this prayer for you to share on December 1. |
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Go Vote to End Hunger!
Today is election day in the United States. Across the country, citizens will pick local, state, and national leaders to serve for the next few years. Electing leaders who will prioritize anti-hunger and anti-poverty policies and work to increase opportunity is one more impactful things you can do to end hunger.
Go vote to end hunger!
P.S. Also take a look at this piece, written by Bread for the World Institute’s own Jordan Teague, which dispels the myths surrounding the people who make up the “migrant caravan.” |
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| JustFaith Ministries is a nonprofit organization that forms, informs, and transforms people of faith by offering programs and resources that sustain them in their compassionate commitment to build a more just and peaceful world. |
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