Two Articles: Communities of Wisdom and Quitting ICE
It’s been another tough week in Chicago. Like many others, I’m experiencing a persistent sadness and anger about the federal government’s cruelty even as there continue to be moments of resiliency, solidarity, and care. ICE has begun staking out schools, including our son’s high school, and pursuing their operations with seemingly no regard for human dignity. Please continue to pray for our city.
I had two articles published this week so, rather than offer another reflection here, I’ll simply point you to each of them.
My friends at Missio Alliance are running a series of Letters to the Church and my contribution is an invitation to cultivate communities of wisdom.
In a world which increasingly outsources understanding to experts, we need these scriptural reminders about our access to wisdom. The philosopher’s pessimism in Ecclesiastes 8:17 sounds a lot like our culture’s resignation: No one “can find out what is happening under the sun. However much they may toil in seeking, they will not find it out.” But to this exhausted cynicism, the church as a community of wisdom has a life-giving word. We have not been abandoned to the manufactures of misinformation. We are not captive to the corporations which mine our personal information for profit. In a world of deepfakes, chatbot-generated fraud, and politically motivated deception, wisdom can still be found.
Earlier this month I pitched an op-ed to one of our local newspapers. They turned it down, but Christains for Social Action graciously agreed to publish “An Appeal of Christian Faith to Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers.”
Following Jesus has always included more than personal beliefs; it impacts how we live, including the work we do. To the 1st-century soldiers and tax collectors who came to be baptized in the Jordan River, John the Baptist was clear. While their peers carried out their duties unjustly, the newly baptized were held to a higher standard; the theft and extortion common to these careers had to be renounced. Can you fulfill your responsibilities without violating Jesus’ teachings? If not, could it be that your loyalty to Jesus calls you to walk away?
If you find either of these articles helpful, would you please share them with someone else?
The View From Here
On Tuesday I hung out with this jumpy little golden-crowned kinglet for a few minutes in Jackson Park. Soon most of the migrators will have passed through so I’m enjoying these visitors as long as they stick around.