By Wes Howard-Brook and Sue Ferguson Johnson, commentary on readings for Jan 3, the 2nd Sunday after Christmas

Note: This is part of a series of Wes & Sue’s occasional comments on the Lukan gospel readings from the Revised Common Lectionary during year C, 2015-16.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it…The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
John 1.1, 5, 9

To those who received him, who trusted into his name, he gave power to become children of God.
John 1.12

In the ongoing Christmas season, we celebrate John’s Gospel’s powerful beauty of the Incarnation: the Word of God, made flesh in the person of Jesus, the crucified and risen One. In a time of darkness—on the earth, in the world and often in our own lives—God’s unquenchable Light continually shines Life into being. That Light, in and through Jesus, is the enlightening gift offered to everyone.
Continue reading “Enfleshing the Word” →

By Berry Friesen, Originally Posted to Bible-And-Empire.Net

Imagine a political entity that can constantly watch everyone and everything on Earth, listen to/read every digitally-transmitted message, reach into the safety of private homes anywhere and murder the people who live there, incinerate any military/industrial target with the flick of a switch, and fabricate slanders that are repeated publicly a billion times a day.

You’ve just imagined the US-led empire.
Continue reading “Why the Empire Needs Terrorism” →

From Julia de la Cruz, a farmworker, an organizer, and a member of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers–this is her response, in an interview with Sojourners Magazine, to the question: Does it help farm workers if consumers stop purchasing products that are grown in bad working conditions?

More and more we hear this idea of voting with your fork: this idea that consumers affect conditions based on how they use their dollar. But the truth is that if somebody chooses to refrain from buying a good, the impact really won’t be felt by corporations such that they’ll be forced to change their policies. But corporations will be impacted and forced to change their policies when a worker-led campaign forces them.

So we’d ask consumers to build consciousness by listening to farm workers and their experience and their analysis of the food system that nourishes each of us. The second thing we’d ask for is commitment—and that can mean a lot of things, but it definitely means getting to the street and protesting the corporations that have turned a blind eye to the abuses they have perpetuated.

Thanks to Ken Sehested’s Prayer & Politiks site for this inspiration:

By Ric Hudgens

Well, a mess indeed and Joseph
no fool to think twice before
saying yea. Thereafter,
in the early morning, hearing
a voice from yon olive grove
singing loud as a songbird
born of revolution: “God
hath scattered the proud
in the imagination of their
hearts. Hath put down the
mighty from their seats, and
exalted them of low degree.
Hath filled the hungry with
good things; and sent the rich
empty away” the carpenter
shook his head only once,
believing then the angel,
and declared (in the old style)
“She hath incited a riot in
my heart and I shall ne’er let
this maiden depart from my sight
as long as we both shall live –
or first comes the kingdom
upon this earth.” And so
it was. Thanks be to God.