The feast of St. Michael and All Angels seems like a good time to remind us that angels aren’t here to do our work for us. Angels are messengers (from the Greek angelos) of God’s word. It’s up to us to hear that message and put it into action. Injustice is our responsibility to correct. […]
Remembering The Unpopular MLK Jr.
Today will be largely dedicated to remembering the popular Martin Luther King Jr., the one that everyone supports as a national hero. This revisionist history is unfortunate, because it obscures the deeper vision of King, a vision that remains unpopular to this day. First, to the polling data from Gallup: From 1963-1965, King was, at […]
The Most Important Word in the Bible
Over the weekend my Dad pointed me to an article by Sara Miles on the most important word in the Bible. You might think the word is ‘Grace,’ or ‘Love,’ or ‘Jesus,’ but Miles argues that the word is ‘with.’ As in, Emmanuel, God with us. Or, ‘The Lord be with you,’ ‘And also with […]
A Labor Day Sermon by Rev. Michael Livingston: Best Seat in the House
Best Seat in the House James 2:1-10, 14-17 Rev. Michael Livingston; Director of Public Policy, Interfaith Worker Justice Delivered at the United Methodist Chapel at 100 Maryland Ave NE Washington, DC on September 5, 2012 I’ve got a new friend. Her name is Vernell Livingston. I met her last October at the fall mobilization for […]
Economy, Difference, Empire: Social Ethics for Social Justice, by Gary Dorrien
Economy, Difference, Empire: Social Ethics for Social Justice, by Gary Dorrien. Recommended by NCC Poverty Director Rev. Michael Livingston. Gary Dorrien argues for the social-ethical necessity of politics well seasoned in social justice. His essays analyse major historical and contemporary figures such as Walter Rauschenbusch, Reinhold Niebuhr, Rosemary R. Reuther, Ctie Cannon, and Cornel West. […]