Praying the News
How do we get to you, O
God? There are so many competing voices
trying to tell us what is true or what is right. They
muddy the deep,
pollute and uproot,
sully plain truth.
Until—
We don’t know how to get
to you.
In deep waters give us profound
wisdom and courage to risk.
On shaky ground give us
clarity and long relationships,
Through tough times give
us renewed discernment and show us ancient paths.
We yearn for more than
just poetically lyrical and the stylistically hip. We yearn for the deep, the rooted, and the truth. If we cannot find our way to you. Find your way to us. We do.
We do. We long for you. Amen.
Soundtrack
for Saliency
I am
in a position right now to look back on all my teaching and care and ministry
and think about historic decisions I have made, mistakes of emphasis I made in
my teaching and preaching, and even wonder if my call to ordained ministry has
run its course. I am not sad about that
or angry. It is just the time. And in believing that we are in “an
extraordinary moment,” wonder what Creator calls me to do.
One of
the historical decisions I made came after I was three weeks into a sermon
series. To that date, I rarely had
preached a sermon series but thought it was necessary to go deeper and provide
links over the course of several weeks.
A parishioner approached me about my sermon and said, “I really enjoyed
today’s sermon, but I felt like you should have brought us all up to date with
the journey we have taken thus far.” I
took that advice to heart and tried to become much more repetitive and develop
a sense of constancy (an ancient spiritual word I believe becomes more deeply defined
each time I reflect on it).
I
remember reflections on Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech where people in his cohort
related they had heard versions of this
same speech/sermon/call to a people and a nation. I read Andrew Zolli’s reflections on capacity
where he referenced repetition and duplication as necessary parts of
resiliency. Yes, greater duplication and
repetition in my work might provide even greater levels of boredom (my kids
might find “greater levels of boredom” hard to believe) and lack of
interest. Finally, as my understanding
of spiritual practice began to flower, I recognized that repetition was
necessary to create new habits and a potential new vision for who we all might
be. As humans, we need mantras, repetitive
movement work, and anchors so that we begin by imagining the new reality, describing
the new reality, and then working and living in the new reality, and, all the
way along, celebrating the new reality.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat and listen closely as the way emerges.
If I
didn’t strike a better balance, however, what would it matter if my great
creativity entertained folk but never transparently invited people to see what
I believed Creator was seeking to curate within me? I think there are quite a few progressive
mainline faith communities like that.
They like to sample at the progressive buffet with “a little of this”
and “a little of that” but keep people guessing at what the focus or central
message is. Everyone remains safe,
entertained, and nodding their heads in tacit agreement.
Yes, I
think we must be creative in stating our values and our movement in different
ways. I like to define it as describing
each facet of the diamond. We try to
relate the reflection and refraction, the glint and the color but we are still
describing the diamond as a whole. We show
constancy to our values and faithfulness to our demands along with a willingness
to grow and change when the data tells us that is demanded of us.
My
brother recently returned from a Black Lives Matter march in Denver. He related his disappointment that the media
interviewed a well-meaning white person who spoke of the movement in a passive,
conciliatory, and reform-oriented (rather than transformation) manner. He also said that the speakers did not pass
along values, demands, or calls for what should happen next. Inspirational? Maybe.
But for what?
We
need repetition and duplication to provide saliency and meaning. There is so much garbage or b.s. floating out
there that if we don’t repeat, we lose everyone. If we are honest there may be, there may be
some intention in all of that. Safety is found in creative vagueness and diverse
sampling.
I want
to focus in on two movements (Honor the Earth and The Poor People’s Campaign) I think are doing a wonderful job of leading
out. They have stated values and demands
and I will list some of those below.
Elder Winona
LaDuke and Rev. Dr. William J. Barber can sound like broken records. But that’s the point. They stay on message and repeat with every
appearance they have in the larger message.
Their message has saliency. It
gets through. And we would be wise to
follow their example, not only by repeating what they repeat, but by developing
that habit in our own message and movement building.
Honor
the Earth’s Ways of a Just Transition with an Indigenous Green New Deal
1. Respect Indigenous Knowledge
From
the Amazon to California and Australia, carbon is sequestered much better by
Native people than by governments. Since we represent 4% of the world’s
population, yet steward 75% of the world’s biodiversity, it’s time to support
Indigenous land, treaty and human rights.
2. Waste Less
We
presently waste about 60% of the energy produced, in inefficient systems, long
distance transmission (economies of scale), and poor energy conversions.
3. Respect
Energy
Consume
less, produce less, and produce more locally
Energy
Justice: The Department of Energy estimates that wind power from tribal lands
could satisfy 32 percent of the total U.S. electricity demand. Solar production
from Indian lands could generate enough energy to power the country two times
over. The next economy must be owned by the people who produce it, and be on
the terms of those people. That’s what a just transition looks like.
Make
infrastructure for people, not for oil companies.
4. Solutionary Rail: The Backbone of Infrastructure.
Worldwide,
electricity serves nearly a quarter of railroad track miles and supplies over
one-third of the energy that powers trains. China has 41% of the country’ lines
electrified; Italy, 68%. But in the U.S., under 1 percent of tracks are
electrified. There’s a national plan called Solutionary Rail. www.thebackbonecampaign.org
Solutionary
Rail proposes to not only electrify the rail lines, but also to put renewable
energy transmission access along these same powerlines.
5. Grow Food
Eat
Local food, grow diverse varieties, use as much energy as possible from this
era, not the Jurassic era. Go organic.
Organic agriculture sequesters carbon, and getting fossil fuels and
glyphosate out of your meal plan means a healthier life. Indigenous, heritage,
and non GMO seeds are pre and post petroleum reaffirmations of love and
reverence. Rematriate seeds and give
them love. Support local farmers and
turn your lawn into a garden and bee sanctuary.
Restore health.
6. De-Militarize and Make it Beautiful
The US
Military is the largest polluter in the world, and also the largest user of
both fossil fuels and renewable energy. It’s time to not only cut wasteful
military spending, but actually deploy the military in the homeland
security during climate change. That
means infrastructure, firefighting, flood and disaster prevention and solving
problems, not making them. There are a
lot of people in the military who want to be heroes.
7. The Future Is Here
$25-billion
has been invested in Canada's clean-energy sector in the past five years, and
employment is up 37 per cent. The 23,700 people who work in green energy
outnumber the 22,340 whose work relates to the oil sands. Renewable energy is
the fastest growing sector in energy worldwide. Fossil fuel divestment has
reached over $5 trillion. The Time is now to invest in an Indigenous Just
Transition.
The
Poor People’s Campaign Demands
I. Declaration of Fundamental Rights and Poor
People’s Moral Agenda
Systemic Racism
Did you know that there are fewer voting
rights in 2018 than there were 50 years ago when the Civil Rights Act and
Voting Rights Act were passed?
- We
demand the immediate full restoration and expansion of the Voting Rights Act,
an end to racist gerrymandering and redistricting, early registration of 17
year olds, automatic voting registration at the age of 18, early voting in
every state, same-day registration, the enactment of Election Day as a holiday,
and a verifiable paper record. We demand the right to vote for the currently
and formerly incarcerated.
- We
demand adequate funding for polling places to accommodate the full participation
of the electorate.
- We
demand an end to placing persons on the federal bench who have a record of
standing against voting rights.
- We
demand statehood, voting rights and representation for the more than 700,000
people in Washington D.C.
- We
demand the reversal of state laws preempting local governments from passing
minimum wage increases, and the removal of Emergency Financial Management
positions that are unaccountable to the democratic process.
- We
demand a clear and just immigration system that strengthens our democracy
through the broad participation of everyone in this country. This includes
providing a timely citizenship process that guarantees the right to vote. It
also requires protecting immigrants’ abilities to organize for their rights in
the workplace and in their communities without fear of retribution, detention
and deportation.
- We
demand that First Nations, Native Americans and Alaskan Native people retain
their tribal recognition as nations, not races, to make substantive claims to
their sovereignty.
Poverty and Inequality
Did you know that while the U.S. economy has grown 18-fold in
the past 50 years, wealth inequality has expanded, the costs of living have
increased, and social programs have been restructured and cut dramatically?
- We
demand the immediate implementation of federal and state living wage laws that
are commensurate for the 21st century economy, guaranteed annual incomes, full
employment and the right for all workers to form and join unions.
- We
demand an end to anti-union and anti-workers’ rights laws in the states.
- We
demand equal pay for equal work.
- We
demand fully-funded social welfare programs that provide cash and in-kind
assistance directly to the poor, including poor families. We demand an end to
the attacks on SNAP, CHIP, HEAP, and other vital programs for the poor.
- We
demand equity in education, ensuring every child receives a high-quality,
well-funded, diverse public education. We demand an end to the re-segregation
of schools. We demand free tuition at public colleges and universities and an
end to profiteering on student debt. We demand equitable funding for
historically black colleges and universities and for Native, Tribal and
Indigenous educational institutions, whose missions have not outlived their
purpose.
- We
demand the expansion of Medicaid in every state and the protection of Medicare
and single-payer universal health care for all.
- We
demand fully funded public resources and access to mental health professionals
and addiction and recovery programs.
- We
demand reinvestment in and the expansion of public housing, ensuring that all
have a decent house to live in.
- We
demand equal treatment and accessible housing, health care, public
transportation, adequate income and services for people with disabilities.
- We
demand public infrastructure projects and sustainable, community-based and
controlled economic initiatives that target poor urban and rural communities.
- We
demand fair and decent housing for all and the end to the rolling back of fair
housing protections at HUD.
- We
demand relief from crushing household, student, and consumer debt. We declare
Jubilee.
- We
demand relief from wealth inequality.
- We
demand that the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share of our country’s
urgent needs around decent and affordable housing, free public education, a
robust social safety net and social security. We demand the repeal of the 2017
tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations and the reinvestment of those
funds into public programs for housing, health care, education, jobs,
infrastructure and welfare for the poor.
- We
demand that the nation and our lawmakers turn their immediate attention to
passing policies and budget allocations that would end child poverty. This
includes a public hearing on the federal and state institutions charged with
child safety and protection, including on how their resources are used to take
children away rather than strengthening families.
Did you know there are
140 million people who are poor or low-income in the United States today?
- We demand a change in the current poverty standards. We demand an accurate assessment of who is poor — based on access to decent and adequate housing, education, health care, water, sanitation and public utilities, childcare, as well as income, savings and debt, and social welfare — and that is made widely available to all.
- We demand particular attention be
paid to data concerning First Nations, Native Americans, Alaskan Native,
LGBTQIA and disabled people regarding poverty. This means working with
these communities to ensure the safekeeping of sensitive information and
that all data is collected with respect, dignity and security.
Did you know that we imprison and detain more people, especially
poor people, than any country in the world?
- We demand an end to mass incarceration and the continuing
inequalities for black, brown and poor white people within the criminal justice
system.
- We demand equality and the safety of all persons regardless of
sexual orientation and gender identity.
Ecological Devastation
Did you know 13.8 million U.S. households cannot afford water?
- We demand 100 percent clean, renewable energy and a public
jobs program to transition to a green economy that will put millions of people
in sustainable living wage jobs.
- We demand a fully funded public water and sanitation
infrastructure that keeps these utilities and services under public control and
prioritize poor, rural and Native communities that have been harmed by
polluting and extractive industries. This infrastructure must provide
consistent, safe, reliable and affordable access to water and sanitation services
such as refuse collection, containment and sewage systems, so as to prevent any
leaks or leaching of lead or other toxins. This includes ending water shut
offs.
- We demand a ban on fracking, mountaintop removal coal
mining, coal ash ponds, and offshore drilling. We demand a ban on all new
pipelines, refineries, and coal, oil, and gas export terminals. We demand that
extractive industries be held accountable for the air, water and land they have
polluted and poisoned and financially responsible for clean-up processes.
- We demand the
protection of public lands and the immediate cessation of opening up public
lands for polluting and extractive industries
War Economy and Militarism
Did you know that currently 53 cents of every federal
discretionary dollar goes to military spending and only 15 cents is spent on
anti-poverty programs?
- We demand an end to military aggression and war-mongering.
- We demand a stop to the privatization of the military
budget and any increase in military spending. We demand a reallocation of
resources from the military budget towards our human security, including towards
education, health care, jobs and green infrastructure needs, and strengthening
a Veterans Administration system that must remain public.
- We demand a ban on assault rifles and a ban on the easy
access to firearms that has led to the increased militarization and
weaponization of our communities.
- We demand the demilitarization of our communities on the
border and the interior. This includes ending federal programs that send
military equipment into local and state communities and ceasing the call to
build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.
- We demand an
immigration system that, instead of criminalizing people for trying to raise
their families, prioritizes family reunification, keeps families together and
allows us all to build thriving communities in the country we call home.
National Morality
Did you know that thousands of people die every year from
anti-poor policies, while an extremist religious and Christian nationalist
agenda deliberately diverts attention from the key issues and challenges facing
the majority of Americans?
