When we plan our gatherings, we set a broad theme. This year’s felt painfully real – Belonging in a World of Borders. It is always a delight and a gift to watch the Spirit weave together our speakers’ words with the needs of our world.
As Pádraig Ó Tuama spoke on the story of Ruth, he shared that a migrant woman, knowing her rights, pushes an entire community to prioritize the law of Love when the laws on the books need to change. We were reminded to pursue lovingkindness right in front of us, even if it seems small.
In the work of justice, we encounter a difficult dance between the pains of systemic issues and neighborly need. We can call corporations and governments to take responsibility for their large-scale harms, while calling our neighbor to coordinate school drop-offs. Though we cannot tear down the mountain on our own, change can’t happen without us chipping away at the stones at our feet.
Rev. Gail Song Bantum called this a “fractal imagination,” in which our small, courageous actions, replicated over and over, neighborhood by neighborhood, create the larger movement. We see this on the ground in Minneapolis, as Rev. Tyler Sit shared about his community countering the evil of ICE with non-violent resistance. Rev. Megan Pardue reminded us of the power of neighbors creatively contributing their skills to a need. And Rev. Adriene Thorne pointed to Jesus’s first miracle, as detailed in the gospel of John. She said the story reminds her that “The wine doesn’t fix everything. It fixes a moment.” Turning water into wine didn’t save the world, but it did build a community. While our sermons don’t stop bombs from dropping, our collective responses to the needs before us bring healing.
If you missed our Winter Gathering, the main talks will be featured in our spring curriculum on the Faith and Justice Network. We will keep exploring these themes and hope you’ll continue the conversation with us.