Lean In Toward the Light
By the time you read this, I will have wrapped up my time at City Hall for the week. On Wednesday I, along with a whole crew of other clergy, met with the mayor’s immigration representative and housing bureau representative to talk about the biggest challenge our immigrant neighbors have named to us – their housing.
Families are afraid to leave their home for work, meaning their income for rent and mortgages suffers. Families who have had a breadwinner taken from their household are struggling, too, and for many, it is a matter of time before their housing is at risk (if it isn’t already). There are not enough resources to go around to support these families, and even in our congregation, the assistance we can offer is minimal at best.
We met with the mayor’s representatives to ask what could be done about this and left with some clear next steps for meetings to have with others and programs we might pilot to support our neighbors.
On Thursday afternoon I was at City Hall again, this time with clergy and other people of faith supporting the ordinance that has been brought forth that would require agents and officers to do their work unmasked and with clear identification.
In a time when tensions are so high and people are operating independent of law, it is crucial for us to protect our neighbors and one another. Part of that protection is knowing who the law enforcement officers are, and who they are not. There have been cases in Portland of folks who have impersonated ICE agents or police officers in order to commit a crime. This ordinance would make it harder to do that and offer assurance that those doing the work are meant to be doing the work.
It has been a busy week doing the work of community. One of our Jewish neighbors spoke with me on the sidewalk and asked me what the United Methodist’s role was in these public spaces. The answer was simple: speaking up for our neighbors takes presence, courage, and tenacity. Showing up in places of power to demand justice for our neighbors is part of what I am called to do.
Our Social Principles lay this out clearly:
Our involvement in political systems is rooted in the gospel imperative to love our neighbors, to do justice, and to care for the vulnerable. As United Methodists, we acknowledge that love requires responsible political action and engagement aimed at the betterment of society and the promotion of the common good. We acknowledge that such political engagement demands humility and mindfulness of our own complicity in perpetuating injustice. It also necessitates compassion, prayer, and a willingness to discern God’s guidance.
We believe in the inherent worth of all people, which is established through God’s gracious act of Creation and most fully revealed in the power of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The understanding that people are created in the image of God is a central theme in John Wesley’s teachings.
We further believe that God calls all members of the human family to recognize and protect the dignity and worth of all people and to work for the well-being of all God’s creation. We, therefore, support structures in the church and in civil society that honor the basic freedoms and rights of all human beings and protect God’s creation. In particular, we affirm the important work of the United Nations in promoting peace and security, championing human dignity and human rights, and advocating for sustainable development.
You can read more about the Political Community in the Social Principles here.
As I found myself in these spaces this week, speaking to the deep needs our immigrant communities must be seen, heard, and respected, it ought to be no surprise to you that I had a Carrie Newcomer song running through my head.
In her song “Lean In Toward the Light,” Newcomer sings: “The shadows of this world will say, ‘There’s no hope; why try anyway?’ But every kindness, large or slight, shifts the balance toward the light.” (If this song speaks to you and you want to hear more from Carrie Newcomer live, you can get your tickets for the October 10 workshop here or for the concert here.)
Recently I have found myself wondering what good it is that I am doing and what difference it is making. Then I remember that every kindness I offer, every time I show up, every time I speak alongside the voices of the vulnerable, is a time when I am making a difference. It may be small, but it shifts the arc of justice toward the light.
As Christians, and as United Methodists, living in the world today, we are called to show people that our faith is not a weapon. Our faith has been co-opted to justify war, violence, and isolation. We are going to start a study this summer that engages more closely the work of Christian Nationalism and the ways we can push back against it – because, as we know, this is not who we are, nor is it who we are meant to be.
It can be hard to practice resurrection in a world that is falling apart, but there are so many opportunities. You can submit written testimony to City Council, show up for a rally or a march, write a letter to a person in Congress, stop and admire a flower, or laugh with a child. There are so many ways for each of us to practice resurrection, and it is going to take all of us to continue moving that arc of justice forward.
I look forward to engaging in that work alongside you.
Yours in Community,
Rev. Rachel