“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
Amos 5:24 (NRSV)
This familiar scripture verse that Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. referenced reminds us that God calls us to the task of seeking justice in all areas of our society. Earlier this month, three of us from First Church; Sue Porter, Barbara Moreland, and myself, headed down to our State Capitol in Olympia as we joined over 200 people from 36 districts across the state to participate in Interfaith Advocacy Day put on by one of our partner organizations, the Faith Action Network (FAN). FAN describes their mission to be “an interfaith statewide partnership striving for a just, compassionate, and sustainable world through community building, education, and courageous public action.” (https://fanwa.org/)
It was a day full of gathering, learning, and acting. By setting aside an entire day for this work, we were able to focus ourselves on how our faith calls us towards this action through advocacy. In the morning, we met in the sanctuary as several key participants shared reflections on why we were gathered as an interfaith group in this connected task. Lutheran Bishops Shelley Bryan Wee of ELCA Northwest Synod and Rick Jaech of ELCA Southwestern Synod reminded us how our different faith traditions similarly call us to this justice work. We additionally heard from FAN staff, the United Churches of Olympia staff (where we were gathered), the Poor People’s Campaign of Washington State, and the 41st District Representative My-Linh Thai. These speeches helped ground and inspire us for the work we would be doing the rest of the day.
FAN then walked us through their Legislative agenda for the year; promoting economic justice, protecting and expanding the social safety net, reforming the criminal justice system, increasing gun responsibility and protecting public safety, providing affordable housing, addressing climate change and environmental justice, protecting healthcare access, and supporting immigrant and refugee rights. After this, we separated into two sessions of breakout groups focusing on some of these key issues. The presenters of these breakout groups were usually partner organizations of FAN. Sue, Barbara, and I intentionally split up to cover as many of these breakout sessions as we could since these are all issues important to First Church. Sue covered “Climate Change & Environmental Justice” and “Increase Gun Responsibility and Protect Public Safety”. Barbara covered “Promote Economic Justice: Tax Reform & Working Families Tax Credit” and “Affordable Housing.” I covered “Immigrant & Refugee Rights” and “Criminal Justice System Reform.” I found these breakout sessions to be very informative as they walked us through which bills were in the legislative process right now related to the social concern and why it was important. They also notified us on which step each of the bills was at in the process. One of the speakers for the “Criminal Justice System Reform” was a speaker at our recent Meaningful Movies Project and it was moving to hear his personal connection with the work.
Over lunch, we gathered in our respective districts, with many of us meeting each other for the first time. We quickly learned how to strategize as a group, determining what issues we would focus on in our short 10-15 minute meetings with our Legislators. It was a great exercise in figuring out group collaboration in a short timeframe with people we had just met.
I stepped into this day both excited and nervous. It was my first time participating in Interfaith Advocacy Day and meeting directly with my Legislators. I also hadn’t previously met the two other people participating from my district. Sue, Barbara and I were in different districts and so, after our morning gathering, we didn’t meet up again until later in the afternoon.
However, I found that FAN makes it easy for people like me that are new. They held online trainings beforehand, prepared legislative issue fact sheets, and planned the day so that we would have time to coordinate together so that we could lean on the experience of others. I wasn’t quite sure what to say initially in the Legislator meetings but then I remembered why we are gathered as one voice, because even though we may come from different denominations and faith traditions, we share common visions and goals in working towards a more just and equitable society, informed by our faith. We started with a thank you to our Legislators for the work they have already done and then talked about the issues that were on our hearts. At that time, I also realized the ways that our personal stories and connections to the bills make the most lasting impression.
This Lenten Season, as we turn our personal reflection more inwards, let us not forget the ways in which Justice Work is also a spiritual discipline. Let us remember how our individual actions in advocacy can combine with others that are similarly called to act. I invite you to discern the ways that God is calling you in this work and to seek the courage to take that next step.
~Jackie Celin, Student Pastor of Missions