An excerpt from Lamar Hardwick's book, How Ableism Fuels Racism.In 1974, Larry and Sandi Zobrest gave birth to their first child, Jim, while living in Erie, Pennsylvania. Jim was diagnosed as profoundly deaf after a routine medical examination before his first birthday. Jim would later attend a [...]Read More
Four Ways to Support Middle Eastern Communities
In September 2017, I discovered a major discrepancy in social justice spaces as a white pastor. I came back from a human rights delegation with Community Peacemaker Teams in Iraqi Kurdistan. This was during a referendum that would’ve given the Kurds their own nation-state. It was voted on and passed [...]Read More
Connecting Kingdom to Community
by Lydia Lucas, in collaboration with Chasing JusticeI am from El Barrio of New York City, and am of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent. Though I have been in the nonprofit field my entire career, I never imagined that I would be at a faith-based organization that served people experiencing [...]Read More
The Ministry of Speaking up
by Steve ParkThe righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.Proverbs 29:7 (NIV)I don’t like conflict. I also don’t like asking for things. Perhaps it’s my personality or my Korean family background that values politeness, but advocacy work is not something I ever [...]Read More
“Do Not Cross”: The Disruption of Gun Violence
by Mike Davis, Executive Director, Youth For ChristReducing Gun Violence Network Connector“Do Not Cross” is what the yellow tape reads as we watch as officers’ motion for drivers to redirect or turn around, creating an unexpected detour. In addition to the inconvenience, there is an audience that [...]Read More
Uvalde: 1 Year Later
by Christina Foor & Norma RuizRead Part 1 of this blog here.It’s been a year since the terrible mass shooting that happened in my hometown of Uvalde. Last year, I reflected on Mark 4 as a way to process the deep despair and hope I was feeling in that moment. This year, the story of the man with [...]Read More
For People in Prison, a Listening Ear Can Make All the Difference
by Paige DeurMatthew grew up in a Christian family. At nineteen, he gave his life to Christ and began to see his life transform.Four years later, he found his life falling apart as he sunk into depression. “This was at the beginning of my marriage when I was supposed to be happy, but I wasn’t happy [...]Read More
Sacred Neighboring
By Rev. Dr. Lori E. Banfield34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited [...]Read More