Jim Wallis “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free,” Jesus promised. I have been reflecting on that instruction and invitation from John 8:32 more than ever after these last four years, thinking about what Jesus is saying and, perhaps just as importantly, isn’t saying. He did not say to tell the truth in order to make us right and righteous, and them wrong and unrighteous — or to show some of us to be good and others to be evil. Jesus didn’t say to tell the truth by creating our own “facts” and weaponizing them against others. The issues around the truth, says Jesus, are deeper; they are about freedom and bondage — our own. To lose the truth is to lose our freedom. As historian Timothy Snyder wrote recently in The New York Times Magazine, “Post-truth is pre-fascism, and Trump has been our post-truth president.” That is where we were headed, and that danger has not yet passed. When it comes to facts and the truth, we still live in a world of parallel universes, with allegations of “fake news” and affirmations of “alternative facts” — one nation with totally different experiences and realities. And the only thing that can help us become — for the first time in our nation’s history — a genuinely multi-racial democracy is the truth: to seek it, find it, and act upon it.
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Our Latest Can Faith Leaders’ Vaccine Selfies Rebuild Public Trust? (by Stephanie Russell-Kraft ) At least 80 interfaith leaders in San Antonio have pledged to publicly take the COVID-19 vaccine. The letter urged the president to ensure immigrants taking sanctuary in houses of worship would be protected from deportation. How Parler Played to Conservative Christians’ Fear of Censorship (by Lexi McMenamin) Though Parler has been suspended, the appeal of alternative social media sites remains. After 1,300 Days, Pastor José Chicas Leaves Sanctuary (by Gina Ciliberto) Biden's 100-day moratorium on some deportations made Pastor José Chicas’ exit possible. |
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From the Magazine The Art of Redeeming Our Battered Era (by Julie Polter) Artist Makoto Fujimura on loving what is broken and the holy work of repair. |
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Bon Secours Volunteer Ministry Bon Secours Volunteer Ministry is a year of service opportunity to live in radical solidarity with those most in need in Baltimore and Richmond, Va. Serve a ministry of presence in public and clinical health, social service, and education. Sojourners’ Fellowship Program Interested in combining your faith and passion for social justice? Apply to Sojourners' yearlong fellowship program! The holistic program offers an entry-level position in our office and shared life in intentional Christian community. The program begins in August 2021. Application deadline is Feb. 15, 2021. Apply now! |
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