Catholic Social Teaching – Messy Jesus Business

Franciscan minority for white people

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Annemarie Barrett

It is common for white people to not know where to start when it comes to discussing racism.

Watercolor painting “Revolution of the Heart” by Annemarie Barrett, **AEB Art**

There are academics literally studying white culture and white fragility; why we white folks have such a difficult time talking about racism and why we have an even more difficult time addressing our role in it.

For white people, it can feel like the stakes are high when it comes to talking about race because our vested interest in being seen as “good people” is holding us back from the growth we need to become accountable to our beliefs and actions.

In white Catholic communities, that vested interest in believing ourselves to be “good people” often runs even deeper.

Many ask: If God loves everyone equally, why should we talk about race? If we care about Jesus and his teachings, then how can we be racist? Talking about racism seems divisive. Shouldn’t we all just try to get along?

Unfortunately, as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And as white people, we have been holding on to the promise of our good intentions for too long.

Many of us are on the wrong path when it comes to addressing racism in our lives.

For readers who are getting uncomfortable and thinking that I’m on the brink of being divisive, let’s find some common ground. Let’s look at what Francis of Assisi, one of our most beloved Catholic saints, had to say about power and privilege …

1. Be patient with not being good

Francis of Assisi was pretty clear. He said, “We must bear patiently not being good and not being thought good.”

Just let that sink in. As white people, learning to be patient with not being good (or thought good) when dealing with race-related issues can feel like a daunting task. But this is where our spiritual practice can intersect with the process of confronting our white privilege.

As white people, we participate daily in systems that oppress people of color. This means that our good intentions are not enough to erase the harm that we perpetuate. But waking up to this reality is an invitation to patience, growth and greater self-awareness.

As white people, we are also not experts on lived experiences of racism. This means that we are ignorant in many ways about the lived experiences of people of color. Many of us don’t want to admit what we don’t know or understand, but this is an invitation to greater humility and to learn from experiences unlike our own.

A sketch in the evolution of “Revolution of the Heart” by Annemarie Barrett, **AEB Art**.

2. Change your perspective

Francis of Assisi also called us to view reality from the perspective of those most vulnerable among us. Many of us already hold in prayer those suffering from poverty, hunger and disease, but are we also listening to their calls for justice?

Changing our perspective as white people in order to center those most marginalized in our society implies concrete changes in the media that we take in every day.

What news sources and books are you reading? What music are you listening to? What movies are you watching? What perspectives are you following on social media?

Does the news that you watch include those people most affected by the policies you vote on? Are the movies you watch created by the people they depict?

If you are like me, you might realize that you listen, read and watch media almost exclusively created by white people. Once I realized this, I made changes.

White people are categorically not who we are referring to when we talk about those most marginalized among us. So why are we white people of faith only listening to other white perspectives?

3. Solidarity with people on the margins

Francis of Assisi also told us to align ourselves with those most marginalized in our society. Many Catholics committed to living out Catholic Social Teaching know what positioning ourselves on the margins means.

But are we also analyzing why most people living on the margins are not white? Are we asking ourselves what racism has to do with poverty, hunger and disease? Are we talking about racism in our white Catholic communities?

Solidarity requires social analysis, and social analysis invites us to see ourselves as a part of systemic injustice. Learning about systemic injustice includes addressing racism and white supremacy.

4. Transform our power

Finally, Francis of Assisi also called his followers to “live without power over others.” He originally rejected the call to priesthood for that reason. He called us to resist positions of power over others by instead choosing to be “subject to all.”

As white people born into significant social privilege and power, this call may be one of the hardest to hear and even harder to live out in our lives.

When our entire education and job preparation has led us towards moving up the social ladder, it may take nothing short of a revolution of the heart to rethink our ascent.

Up until now, we may have responded to this call to connect with the needs of people on the margins by donating money to charitable organizations. But how can we live out this call towards justice and do so beyond charity?

How can we prioritize the hiring of people of color in the organizations and businesses for which we work? How can we change our spending habits and choose to invest our money in businesses owned by people of color?

How might we resist taking on a leadership position, to which we have easy access due to our white privilege, in order to support a person of color who is qualified for the job? How might we open up space for the diverse perspectives of people of color to be heard?

Designating ourselves as a voice for the so-called “voiceless” people living on the margins does nothing to challenge white supremacy. But choosing to resist our own needs — those to be heard and revered as white people — might start to change our conversations.

Learning to listen to perspectives that have been historically marginalized can challenge and change us as white people. Learning to respect and honor the leadership of people of color who have been historically marginalized has the power to change our society. As Dorothy Day taught us, this transformation requires a personal revolution in the life of each one of us. What forms will this revolution of the heart take in your life?

On bedtime routines and the preferential option for the poor …

Posted on March 25, 2015March 25, 2015 by nicolio13

I had a Jesus moment while putting my daughters to bed the other night. My 3 year old was sick: fever, cough, runny nose, etc., and it was clear that she was going to need some special attention in order to fall asleep. Instead of going through our typical evening proceedings, I gave her a teaspoon of honey and tried to rock her to sleep. But as I did so, my younger daughter became increasingly distressed: she wanted her normal bedtime routine.

Courtesy of freeimages.com — Image courtesy of freeimages.com

My husband and I have worked hard to establish a predictable sequence of events leading up to bedtime, and our girls appreciate the consistency. But, sometimes, circumstances demand that the routine be disrupted.

And that’s uncomfortable.

My younger daughter was upset because I had breached the established order of things. I had broken the rules. As she fussed and clung to me and tried to stop me from rocking her sister, I became irritated. Couldn’t she see that, right now, the needs of her sister trumped the “rules”? After untangling her from my leg for the umpteenth time, it struck me that this was probably exactly how Jesus felt when he was reproached by the Pharisees for healing people on the Sabbath. Jesus, in his wise compassion, knew that giving sight to the blind was far more important than following the rules. But, much like my daughter felt unmoored without her typical bedtime routine, Jesus’ disregard for the rules made the Pharisees feel insecure, and they reacted with scorn and judgment.

I am frequently a Pharisee.

But here’s an encouraging thought: although I was irritated by my younger daughter’s dogmatic approach to bedtime, I certainly didn’t love her any less because of it! I was, in fact, very sympathetic to her discomfort; I wished only for her to understand that, although I cherish them both equally, her sister’s need was greater in that moment.

As Catholics, we profess a Preferential Option for the Poor. This is a rich and provocative theological concept to which entire books are devoted, but it essentially boils down to this: God is most present to those who are most vulnerable and—as followers of Christ—we must similarly prioritize the poor. One of my spiritual directors described it this way:

Theologically, the notion of preference says more about the goodness of God than it does about the goodness of the poor. It does not mean the poor are necessarily more virtuous, more deserving, or more holy than those who are not poor… It means that God reaches out in love to those who have a greater need. —

(“Globalization, Spirituality and Justice” by Rev. Daniel G. Groody)

When one of my daughters is sick, I reach out to her with a special kind of love, not because she is better than her sister, but simply because she needs me more. As a mother, it is easy—instinctual, even—to give preference to a sick child without wavering in love for her healthy sibling.

As a community member, churchgoer, and citizen, it’s a lot tougher.

We who believe in a Preferential Option for the Poor are called to stand in solidarity with and prioritize the most vulnerable. That may sound romantic, but this is messy, difficult, and sometimes exceedingly unpopular work. Still, we are called to do it with cheerful hearts.

Even as we break the rules in order to uplift the vulnerable, and even as we ourselves cling to the rules in order to maintain our own comfort, we must remember this: although he preferred the disciples, Jesus did not love the Pharisees any less.

I find that fact to be both distressing and reassuring. I am distressed because it means I must look with love upon those whose actions I deplore. I am reassured because it means that my own deplorable actions have not made me unlovable.

… And I know this to be true, because no matter how many times my daughter fusses or clings or tries to sabotage her sister’s special time, I could only ever see her as my beloved.

Nicole Steele Wooldridge is a mom, writer, and friend of Sister Julia’s. She finds that putting a theological spin on her daughters’ behavior helps maintain her sanity.

At Peet’s and everywhere: United and working for a living

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Julia Walsh

From what I hear, there’s a lot of commotion going on in Chicago related to jobs and justice. I don’t live there anymore, but waves of excitement and hope are flowing toward me at my new home in Wisconsin.

You may have heard about the Chicago Teacher’s Union strike. It’s a pretty big deal.

But, I was thinking of another group of hard-working people who are worthy of media attention and support. What about those who fuel the teachers (and a lot of people) by getting them started in the mornings, and then keeping them fueled throughout the day? Ha! Yes, what about our beloved coffee shop workers, baristas, and coffee roasters? I am an addict of the brew too so I know that I truly love my suppliers. I want all the people behind my daily coffee fix to have some basic peace and dignity in their lives. That’s why I am a fan of the work that Peet’s Workers Group is doing to help all workers earn a living wage.

Yes, even people who work in coffee shops are trying to make a living off of what they earn. And yes, they are deserving of a fair, living-wage just like teachers and everyone else. A living wage means that working full-time hours should provide enough income for any employee to be able to live a safe, comfortable life where all her basic needs are met. Economic poverty is not something anyone should be forced into because of an unjust system. All people have dignity- value and worth- because they are made in God’s image and likeness. I’d love it if everyone’s paycheck reflected that!

It’s very, very difficult to try to survive on minimum wage. I did it before and I was hungry. A lot. I was at the mercy of others for food. A lot of people have trouble paying their rent bills and are narrowly avoiding homelessness. It’s no wonder. Simple math shows us it’s pretty much impossible to do it. This is ridiculous.

Rent & Minimum Wage Map by the National Low Income Housing Coalition — By the National Low Income Housing Coalition

Political discussion and debate seems to be centered around the need for more jobs in our nation, as if it is the best solution. There’s a few problems with this proposal, such as: the economy should be serving people; the people are not supposed to work to create an economy or keep it going. In other words, we need an economic system that honors the dignity and rights or all people, whether they have jobs or not.

Yes, jobs are important. Work has a certain dignity– value and worth- in itself. And, oftentimes, people can experience their dignity and worth through the experience of contributing and producing. When we participate we feel like we belong. And we all really do belong! That’s what it means to be community and Church.

OK, sure, let’s create more jobs and offer more opportunities for the unemployed. But, please, let’s also discuss the problems with underemployment (situations where people are working jobs that they are over-qualified for) plus make sure that every job provides a living wage income, no matter the job.

It’s really not impossible for companies to do this, actually it’s completely natural. God created us in a way that makes it easy to care for others and do what’s right, like share our wealth and blessings. I guess we just have developed some bad selfish, greedy habits and attitudes of entitlement.

Some corporations and companies are right on track. At Ben and Jerry’s ice cream all employees, top-to-bottom, earn enough money to live. On the other hand, a barista at Peet’s Coffee and Tea starts at only $8.50 an hour ($17,680 a year) while the CEO is earning over a million dollars in a year. I’m pretty sure that this is not the way God designed it!

Justice, fairness, sharing and honoring all people and work are the ways of Jesus and the Gospel. It’s the natural, human way. Everyone and every job has a part in the great human story and therefore needs to be honored and respected. Let’s unite, sip our tea and rally and rejoice. Let the truth and power resound: all of us need to work for a living. So, may all our work truly let us live!

Amen, jobs with justice! Yes, indeed!

Love on Torture Tuesday

Posted on June 26, 2012June 26, 2012 by Julia Walsh

Today is Torture Tuesday. At least that’s what some of my friends are calling it (with a sort of side-ways smile). Really, though, there’s nothing to joke about.

Today is International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The UN declared June 26 this day in 1997, prior to Guantanamo and Bagram and the countless other ridiculous human rights violations that have occurred since then. Sadly there has been a need for centuries of human history to support victims of torture. Christians, in particular, must let all who are victims of torture know that we love them.

Our interdependence and basic humanity instills a truth: loving our neighbors near and far is how we love our God, Jesus. It is the great commandment.

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” -Matthew 22: 36-40

As many ways as people suffer there are ways to communicate that we love them. Even if those who suffer are behind blocked walls and closed off from contact, our love is with them. Faith convinces us that the energy of love can pass through anything.

All over the world today love is making movement. Many people shall vigil on street corners and others will gather in community spaces to learn, listen, pray, advocate and hope. I’m going to write to prisoners and let them know that I love them. I shall also call the White House again and tell Mr. Obama how disappointed I am that he hasn’t delivered on his campaign promise to close Guantanamo, an illegal prison. Plus, I’ll meditate on my memories of experiences of solidarity and pray a lot for redemption.

Loving is a moving energy, we have to act when we feel it. The incarnation makes me believe that these acts build God’s reign. With Christ in God’s reign, love heals and sets us free.

As long as there are victims of torture on our planet, no one is free. Because of my faith the body of Christ, as I blogged about earlier I believe all humanity- and the rest of creation, for that matter- is completely interdependent. We are one, like it or not. As a lover of African philosophy and culture I am particularly fond of the teachings on ubuntu. It teaches we are all people because other people recognize we are people. We are more whole and true together. Indeed, as Christianity proclaims and ubuntu echoes, “no one is free when others are oppressed.”

Jesus should have been the last person to be tortured and killed. We have been missing the mark of Truth for a long time. Today is a good day to get things right. Let’s turn our hearts and ways toward Christ, toward Love, and know the freedom that is ours. Our solidarity and unity connects us to the suffering everyday. May our actions today, on Torture Tuesday, and everyday give witness to the powerful transforming love of Christ. May Love set us free!

an economy of love

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Julia Walsh

When I was 20 I studied abroad in South Africa. When I came home, I was a bit of a mess.

I was angry about the drastic economic inequality that I encountered in Southern Africa during my six months away. Something felt horribly wrong about how people could live in a secure mansion while the people who worked in those houses lived nearby in shacks. Back in the USA I remembered scenes that seemed like the slave plantations, feudalism, and colonialism I studied in my history books. The sourness of disgust turned my stomach.

When I had to readjust to life in the USA upon my return, all of that new social and economic awareness made things as ordinary and American as going shopping into ugly, uncomfortable activities. I felt ashamed to feel rich even though I had to work three jobs in order to pay my tuition and buy books and food. Really, the questions and struggles of reverse-culture shock changed me more than living abroad in a foreign land had.

The questions consumed me. What are we supposed to do so that everyone in this world can have enough to live healthy and productive lives? I didn’t want anyone to be left out nor anyone to die from hunger while others ate too much and threw away food. I wanted the rich to share their wealth with the poor. I didn’t know where to look for a way to do this. Church didn’t seem to be helping. I began to wonder if Catholic Christianity would work for me anymore.

With these questions stirring flames in my heart, I went back to class at my small, liberal arts college in Iowa. I was registered for a class called “God, Catholicism and Capitalism” as part of the general education requirements at the school. For homework, I had to read this Church document, Economic Justice for All. I fell in love. Soon after, I learned about all of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. My love grew. I studied the Gospel and realized I loved everything Jesus taught. Then I fell in love with sacraments, devotions and the lives of the saints. All because of the economics of love, I fell in love with the Catholic Church and Jesus some more.

It is still quite clear to me that if we really heeded the economics of love and equality that Jesus taught- and the Church leaders echo- then injustice would cease. The reign of God shall be, heaven would be on earth.

Now, 10 years later, after great global economic crisis, I am no longer a wierd-o for having doubts about capitalism. The mainstream news and popular social action is filled with many who also wonder if capitalism is truly the most fair system. No matter your point of view, I think you’ll agree that capitalism isn’t working! And, it definitely doesn’t fit with the Gospel. Occupy Wall Street, Chicago, Oakland and Occupy Everywhere challenge us to do what is right and share with the needy. The time to change things is a little overdue, but when it come to love and justice, it’s better late than never.

The Church is wise. She noticed that people were speaking up on behalf of justice and she reminded them what she said long ago. Be a community. Share and use only what you need:

The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. – Acts 4: 32-3

So, naturally, then I am very excited about the Occupy movement. Faith and hope is at its heart and it has to be. Principles of justice come right out of my religion. God is with this (I recommend this video from PBS.org).

The Occupation movements are important history that we cannot ignore: here is good account of it. Creative non-violence and social action is what shifts paradigms and change history. The answers to the great questions of how to create systems of justice are found right in the heart of God.

So, here’s my cry: the Christian economy is an economy of love! Christians, raise your hands and fall to your knees. Pray for peace and justice and blessings upon occupy the movement. Get involved as much as you can. And, do whatever it takes to help heaven be on earth. The poor are counting on you and Jesus is too.

You don’t have to camp in the cold with the occupiers to work for an economy of love. Here’s a few other action options:

Join and participate in the Catholic NETWORK “Mind the Gap” Campaign.

Read, study and pray about how you and your church can support the occupiers and all who work for justice.

Thank you, God bless you and God bless the 100%!

Can anything good come from Haiti?

Posted on March 15, 2011March 21, 2011 by jaynep2

Haiti Homes — Typical housing in a local Haitian village.

For most of us, inevitably when we hear “Haiti” our next thought is poverty. This has bothered me. Not because it is not true, but perhaps because it diminishes the Haitian people to a status of needing pity, or to a nation of people who cannot pull themselves together to build a sustainable living. “Oh those poor people.” I myself have said this.

I am in no way trying to diminish the level of poverty that exists in Haiti. More than six weeks ago I had the privilege of participating in an immersion trip to Haiti as part of my graduate coursework in theology thanks to the Cabrini Mission Foundation and the Cardinal Bernardin Scholars Program. The conditions in Port-au-Prince, one year after the earthquake, are inhumane and deplorable.

I am reminded of what was said when people first learned about Jesus. “But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”” (John 1:46)

I believe some might think, “Can any good thing come out of Haiti?”

Privilege can be blinding, especially in the ways which we are called to live the Reign of God in our daily life. The purpose of our immersion trip to Haiti was not about rebuilding or saving Haitian lives. If anything, it was more about them saving our lives from being blinded by privilege, greed and apathy.

I need to change the way my privileged mind thinks. Sometimes the rest of the world doesn’t want the quality of life as defined by U.S. standards. So when I offer to help those from other cultures or places, I can’t impose my knowledge and way of doing things. My privilege needs to take a back seat to the gifts, talents, needs and desires of those I am serving.

One of the great lessons that is still unfolding in my heart from our trip is the notion of social responsibility as taught to our group by some of our Haitian friends. The lessons we learned challenged the greedy business practices in our capitalistic system.

Our Haitian teachers were a group of coffee farmers who partnered with a U.S. parish and developed a business association called Just Haiti. We were meant to attend an association meeting of all of the farmers; our professor was the U.S. rep attending the meeting to do business from the U.S. perspective. We journeyed five hours over mountainous, rough, and rocky terrain to get to the meeting place. We made this trip by vehicle; the farmers made their trip by foot, mule or dirt bike.

Community Nursery — Local Nursery supported and used by the community.

We were asked by the leaders of the association not to speak: a witness to the pride, competence, and leadership of the growers (despite their lack of formal education). The meeting commenced with prayer, and then the lessons began.

Farmer after farmer, men of all ages shared the value of coffee in their lives and communities. Working and owning land was a source of pride, since it was the same land their slave ancestors worked. The coffee trees were part of a long history of providing for their families and community members who had survived periods of mass chopping and coffee market crashes. We heard about ways to care for the soil (erosion is a major problem) and caring for coffee tree nurseries. They spoke of how the profits of the association come directly back to them and how their priority for using the money is for sending their children to school.

The leaders of the association led cheering sessions and repeatedly gave words of encouragement to the farmers about their coffee growing abilities. The leaders also brought in a local Haitian nurse to speak about the cholera epidemic and prevention. The profits from their coffee are meager by U.S. standards, yet those farmers felt a responsibility to their community and as a group established a health-care fund to aid growers’ families who could not afford medical help.

Most of these men never received a formal education, yet they understand and live out dignity of the human person, the necessity and right for access to health care and education, the importance of caring for the earth, and charity towards one’s neighbor. This is Catholic Social Teaching at its finest, at work in the Haitian culture.

As a trained accountant and former business professional, I couldn’t help but wonder how the world might be transformed if executives of corporate America were at this meeting. Would they be humbled by the social responsibility of these farmers and be willing to sacrifice their personal bonuses towards a health and education fund for the needy in their own communities?

I was also personally challenged by the experience. How much of my life am I willing to sacrifice for the least in my community? Am I willing to hear the dreams and desires of the marginalized in my own community and commit to accompanying them towards their dreams?

Photo By Jayne Pickett "Sunset over the Sea" — The beauty of Haiti as captured by Jayne Pickett

If you would like to support these coffee growers, their fair trade, organic coffee can be purchased through http://www.justhaiti.org/. All profits from sales go directly back to the Haitian farmers.

This week’s guest blogger, Jayne Pickett, is originally from Wisconsin, but spent part of her life teaching high school in New York City. Presently, she is a student at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a close friend of Sister Julia. Sister Julia and Jayne enjoy cooking, praying, watching goofy television, grocery shopping, and sampling tea flavors together.

Faith-based community begins 12-day Fast for Justice

Posted on January 11, 2011February 2, 2011 by lukehansensj

Guest blogger: Luke Hansen, SJ

For many years, the international community identified a basic truth about the Guantánamo prison that the American people have been slow to recognize, or have missed completely: the prison’s continued existence constitutes a flagrant violation of basic human rights and international law, and thus, it must be closed “without further delay” (U.N. Report, February 2006).

In the 2008 Presidential election, both candidates jumped on board in supporting the closure of the prison, and at that time, most Americans agreed with them. Despite this momentum to close Guantánamo and rectify its wrongs, today (January 11) marks a somber anniversary: the beginning of Guantánamo’s tenth year. One hundred and seventy three men remain detained there. None of the men have received adequate due process in a court of law – a fundamental right guaranteed by the Geneva Conventions. Most of the remaining detainees have been imprisoned for nearly a decade, separated from their homeland and families, without any sense for when their detention might conclude. Some of the men have even been ordered released by U.S. federal courts, yet remain indefinitely detained.

The “issue” of Guantánamo may have lost popularity and fallen off the narrow radar of the American people, but the continued suffering of its detainees remains very real. This is why the Witness Against Torture (WAT) community continues its advocacy – against all odds – to defend the dignity and rights of the detainees, and to ultimately close the prison. For the next twelve days, more than 150 members and friends of the WAT community will engage in a juice-only Fast for Justice. Fasting is an act of spiritual purification, yet also much more. It has to be, according to the prophet Isaiah: “This is the fasting that the Lord desires: releasing those bound unjustly and setting free the oppressed” (Is 58:6). In our prayer and fasting, we cannot neglect the poor, the hungry, and the imprisoned. In fact, the works of mercy are a non-negotiable part of our fasting.

The WAT community, founded by Catholic Workers and friends in December 2005, is an attempt to incarnate Gospel values and Catholic social teaching as it relates to the treatment of detainees in the “war on terror.” The Gospel challenges us to love all people, especially our so-called “enemies.” The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church teaches that “the struggle against terrorists must be carried out with respect for human rights and for the principles of a State ruled by law” (No. 514). Catholic moral teaching condemns torture as an “intrinsic evil.” And Cardinal Renato Martino, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said this of the Guantánamo prison: “Is not the trampling of man’s dignity a violation of human rights? Everyone has a right to a fair trial. Wherever in the world inmates are being held in such conditions, without even knowing the charges they face, we will not fail to defend them.”

In a multitude of ways, the WAT community has responded to this urgent call. The WAT movement began with a work of mercy: visiting the imprisoned. After months of prayer and discernment, 25 members of WAT decided to make a pilgrimage to Cuba in an attempt to visit the Guantánamo detainees. When the pilgrims were stopped outside the U.S. Naval Base and prohibited from walking any further, the WAT activists held a 24-hour vigil and fast outside the barbed-wire fence.

This past summer, three of us traveled to Bermuda to meet with four Uyghur men who had been unjustly imprisoned in Guantánamo for seven years. In visiting with the men, we encountered the human face of the imprisoned, received encouragement to engage in further advocacy on behalf of detainees, and experienced reconciliation.

As Guantánamo enters its tenth year, this witness must continue. We must continue to reveal the injustice of indefinite detention without charges or trials. We must continue to reveal the humanity of the detainees through telling their stories. This is why more than 150 women and men are beginning this Fast for Justice. It is a plea to our God to restore justice in the land, and to deepen our love (agape) for all people.

This week’s guest blogger, Luke Hansen, is a member of the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and a friend to Sister Julia. Both served in the Southwest region of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps from 2004-05. Luke currently teaches and coordinates the volunteer program at Red Cloud Indian School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.