'Mobilizing' in DC

The centerpiece of the new mission statement that the Social Concerns Ministry Team is working on is our baptismal promise 'to strive for justice and peace in all the earth'. We hear that promise again at confirmation (which, at Trinity, was today), affirming that this is something we are committed to.

But it's tricky to figure out just how to go about actually doing this. How the heck are we supposed to strive for anything 'in all the earth'? The earth is a big place! We can get overwhelmed - and yet, this is a huge part of what Jesus was all about. So, where do we start?

I look for help. And one of the places I've found guidance is an organization called Sojourners (aka 'Sojo'). Since the '70s, they've hoped 'to articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world.' They do this in lots of ways - a magazine, a website, and a strong presence in DC. I've interacted with them mostly thru their daily emails and blog entries. (www.sojo.net) They are aware of justice issues which we Christians might care about, and they let us know how we can help - whether that means emailing our representatives, preaching on or praying about a particular issue, or even going to Washington.

That's what I did last week as a part of my trip to the east coast. I attended Sojo's 'Mobilization to End Poverty' conference. The first day was full of fantastic speakers: Jim Wallis, dir of Sojo; David Lane, head of the ONE campaign; Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of CT; several members of Obama's administration, and more. President Obama even sent us a video message!


The 2nd day of the Mobilization was our lobby day. I went with the MN delegation to Capitol Hill and met with staffers in Senator Klobuchar and Rep Peterson's offices. We talked about legislation that would commit to cutting the poverty rate in half by 2020. We also talked about the importance of foreign aid, even in the recession, as part of our commitment to love our neighbor and care for 'the least of these.' We also talked about the importance of health care reform this year, as health care is one of the leading causes of poverty in our country. It was a great experience to visit these offices and to see, first hand, that we Christians DO have important things to say to our government!

It was awesome to go to DC and do this, but you don't have to fly across country to make your voice heard. Emails and calls are surprisingly effective, and pretty easy, once you get the hang of it. The ELCA makes it even easier, w/ their great advocacy resources. Visit www.elca.org/advocacy to sign up for email alerts. They don't flood your inbox, but they'll let you know when there's an issues of 'justice & peace' that needs our attention. They'll let you know who to contact, and often provide a draft email.

We have important things to say as Christians - and DC will listen if we put ourselves out there!

posted by Marsha