Weekly Reflections on Justice are written by the Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach staff, volunteers, interns, and visiting Columban Missionaries. We hope these reflections help to guide you on your own spiritual journey working toward justice, peace, and the integrity of creation.
Three months have now passed since the administration announced its intention to withdraw from the global climate accord known as the Paris Climate Agreement. The United States’ withdrawal left the world reeling. How has the world, and the Columbans, reacted?
The discovery of massive amounts of coal under the sands of the Thar Parkar Desert, which has the potential to end [rolling blackouts] and provide for all of Pakistan’s energy needs for generations to come, is seen as a Godsend. But at what cost to the desert environment and its people today, and to future generations?
Any expert in the natural sciences can contribute to our appreciation of God's creation. Whether it be the intricate detail we see in the smallest flowers with the aid of microscopes or the images of distant galaxies provided by the Hubble Space Telescope, we are looking at what God has created. What does this tell us about God?
On this day in history, August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King delivered one of the most powerful addresses in U.S history at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Standing at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, and addressing a crowd of more than 200,000 people, Dr. King spoke of the moment as “the time to make justice a reality for all God’s children” and offered these famous lines: “I have a dream….” As a child, I remember hearing those words live on television.
I thought [I was] merely shouting into an empty well. Instead, I saw that people were actually paying attention and were open to what I had to share.
Esther with her husband King Xerxes and adopted farther Mordechai
We are called to charity, this is true, but we are called to more. We are called to speak up for justice.
Participants from our Advocacy Immersion Week visited their Congressional representatives to discuss compassionate immigration policies.
In a recent survey of congressional staffers, 94% said ‘in-person visits from constituents’ have ‘some’ or ‘a lot’ of influence on an undecided lawmaker. Members of Congress listen when you visit them. Your voice matters!
Poverty and suffering are not legal definitions.They are human ones. In our haste to uphold the law, how many suffering people have we ignored and walked past?
Monica and her border trip companions visiting with Jorge.
In his letter Bishop Mark Seitz reminds us that “every human being bears within him or her the image of God, which confers upon us a dignity higher than any passport or immigration status.” This applies to not only migrants but also border patrol agents, deportation agents and deported persons, judges, and lawyers. Each one of us is a child of God.
St. Mary's Catholic Church youth community (Victoria is in the pink tutu)
In tiring times like these our fear can trap us, but our faith demands that we get busy being the best neighbor we can be. And when our work at times seem small, we know that love compels us forward anyway and that, ultimately, Christ will restore us...
