Approach The Bible The Right Way: Brian Zahnd

Exegesis Shows Why Romans 13 Shouldn't Be Used To Gaslight - Brian Zahnd

Evil Is Not Part Of God's Purpose - Gregory A Boyd

Reflection and Renewal: When We Get Off Track From "Your Kingdom Come" (based on Matthew 6:10)

God, you created the universe in goodness. Jesus taught us to pray and work for the restoration of that original goodness; to strive to help your kingdom come here and now - as it is in heaven - by seeking peace, justice, and mercy.

We have to admit that we often do a less-than-perfect job of that work. Sometimes without even meaning to, we allow ourselves to be guided by a different narrative; one that tells us to win at all costs, to see our fellow beings as competitors to be stepped on or over so that we come out ahead, and to fear anything that is unfamiliar or different.

So God, when we get off track, help us to realign our lives with your mission. Help us to be about the work that we're designed to be doing - helping to bring out the best in everyone and everything.

Amen.

The Spirit Is The Breath Of All Creature - Hildegard of Bingen

Let's Stop Accepting These 5 Immigration Lies - Christian Reformed Church Office of Social Justice

Those suffering at the border are our brothers and sisters.

One impulse to cope with news of how our government is mistreating migrants this is to find a way to get distance from it. Maybe it’s to rationalize it -- there are just so many migrants, it’s impossible to handle them all humanely. Maybe it’s to moralize it -- these people should stop breaking the law. Maybe it’s to doubt it -- there’s got to be some way this is “fake news,” or somehow overblown by the media.

We should be people committed to the truth. 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.

In courage, let’s stop accepting these lies:

(1) “More immigrants are coming today than what the country can handle.” 

(2) “Mexican and Central American leaders aren’t taking responsibility for this crisis, and foreign policy threats can force them to.” 

(3) “Tougher border policies will take away people’s desire to come to the U.S.” 

(4) “Refugees in other parts of the world shouldn’t have to wait longer because of people jumping the line at the border.” 

(5) “There’s no choice but to incarcerate people who are crossing the border.”

(1) The total number of people coming into the U.S. without papers is lower than it was for most of the 20th century.

(2) The foreign policy proposals we’ve seen from the White House -- imposing tariffs and withholding aid -- will not be effective in curbing migration. Those things will only make worse the situations that force people to flee.

(3) Deterrence measures don’t work. This is because people who are fleeing persecution are not calculating pros and cons -- they’re trying to survive.

(4) There is not a common pool of “spots” available to either a refugee in Kenya or an asylum-seeker at the border. Although the grounds for receiving asylum status and refugee status are the same, the procedures are different, and the two categories are treated differently.

(5) There are plenty of other choices. In fact, for decades it has been the norm in the U.S. to use alternative means to screen, monitor, and process asylum-seekers that allow them to be treated with dignity.

The full article is available here

Community Moves Us Toward Wholeness - Elizabeth O'Connor

Jesus' Message Was Political - Diana Butler Bass