"Michael, what makes you so committed to social justice issues?" He replied with something like, "Actually, Timothy, I've never frankly been all that interested in issues per se. Whether I'd like to admit it or not, I've found that any activism I've ever gotten involved in was because of some sort of relationship I had. I knew someone, learned about a problem they were facing, and felt compelled to get involved."
That insight has stuck with me all these years later. It's probably just a fact of life that we care about, we become entwined with, what feels close to us. I think about that a lot when it comes to trying to organize for faith-rooted solidarity. There has been so much in the news recently that some of us may have latched onto because of a specific relationship or experience.
Are you or someone you care about an immigrant? You probably have felt steamed about Donald Trump's political hate speech. Has your family experienced job loss from globalizing economic forces outside your control? You might have a soft spot for Greece and cringe as EU officials act like the only valid elections are ones that maintain neoliberal orthodoxy. Did your stomach ache when you saw the video of Gardena police killing yet another unarmed man? Perhaps you know someone with first hand experience of police brutality. Did your heart sing for joy at the announcement of a nuclear deal with Iran? You may have been involved in anti-nuclear proliferation work in the 1980s or visited the Middle East only to realize that American exclusivism wasn't all it seemed to be.
This is obviously not an exhaustive list. There were other moments this past week that touched you, that moved you, that informed your character, values, and faith. And I want PCU to help grow that instinct, particularly with communities experiencing oppression in southern California.
This is undoubtedly hard work. We live in geographically disparate communities, separated by class-based and racial forces. It is a real hindrance to attend an event that raises awareness when traffic is bad and you have to drive more than 10 miles. I know! I personally hate driving, and every time I have to travel to the Westside in bumper-to-bumper traffic (much less turn around and get home), all the joy in my life melts away like I'm some pre-adolescent in "Inside Out."
In spite of this geographic difficulty, I'm convinced that one of PCU's primary roles is to inspire faith-rooted solidarity across differences by helping us encounter one another. And I invite you take a leap and get beyond that 10-mile radius to attend one of the events we have listed below in the next week, trusting that others will do the same when an action is in your area. That way we can actually care about what happens to each other, which might lead to fighting structural racism, protecting public health from environmental damage, supporting transgender persons experiencing exclusion and violence, dismantling the barriers to re-entry for formerly incarcerated persons, or being a white, middle-class ally who doesn't equate solidarity with a savior complex.
But this only happens when we actually form relationships with each other, for we inevitably care about what we feel close to. When we do so, we are practicing churching at its deepest, most radical level.
Connecting,
Timothy Murphy
Executive Director