“The moment we choose to love we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love, we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others.” – bell hooks (Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations, 1994)
The story of the wise men in Matthew 2 offers us some important lessons. One lesson I glean is that God will step outside of tradition and will use anyone to accomplish God’s purposes. These men according to historical sources were of Persian descent and were highly respected people who studied the stars. They could have been either astronomers or astrologers. What is important is that they were not Jewish. They may have had some knowledge of Judaism, but they were not observers of the Jewish faith.
The Damayan Migrant Workers Association Baklas project is an organized effort to rescue Filipina women from labor trafficking and involuntary servitude. The Damayan group consists of about 800 Filipina women. They experienced labor trafficking upon immigrating to the U.S. and they wanted to help themselves and other women like them. The organization was founded in 2002 and has grown since then. The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People awarded Damayan $85,000 for three years in 2002. In 2003, Damayan (a Filipino word that means “helping each other”) became a grassroots nonprofit organization.
When we gather with friends and family at Christmas, we celebrate the many gifts that we have both given and received. Looking toward the Star of Bethlehem, we give thanks for the blessings of the past year and anticipate a future filled with hope and possibility. We live in hope that the Christmas gift we offer is exactly what that special person has been hoping for. Yet for those of us celebrating Advent’s expectation, we know that the only perfect gift ever given is the one we receive in Jesus Christ.
Human beings often forget that all life is sacred.
On this day in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) declared the sacredness of all human life due to its “inherent dignity” and its “equal and inalienable rights.”
During the last two years of Covid and other global crises, progress against the HIV pandemic has faltered, resources have shrunk and millions of lives are at risk as a result. This year, UNAIDS is challenging us to tackle the inequalities and inequities in HIV prevention and treatment. Inequity exists between countries and within countries. In Madagascar, only 15% of those infected with HIV know their status while in the U.S.A., 87% of those infected know their status. Both countries are striving to reach at risk populations.
Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day to name and mourn the many transgender, nonbinary and gender non-conforming people murdered each year because of their gender identity. On this day, we raise awareness of the extreme violence committed against transgender people simply for existing as they are. On this day, we commit to the work of creating a healed world where all gender identities and gender presentations are met with not only respect but celebration.
Hunger isn’t just hunger. Food isn’t just calories. The experience of hunger is intimately linked with multiple physical, emotional and spiritual needs as well as with our sense of belonging and value.
World Community Day began in 1943 as a day for church women to study peace. After World War II, church leaders felt that they should set aside a day for prayer and ecumenical study. The leaders thought that while believers were performing peace and justice work by themselves, a day when they could study across denominations would be beneficial to all. The theme for this year’s World Community Day is “A Call to Prayer.”
