Muslim Ms. Marvel, Moore v. Harper, Mourning Migrant Deaths
KTF Weekly Newsletter
Hi everyone,
It has been a heavy few weeks, but we are pressing on in both hope and lament. We pray that these resources challenge, encourage, and inform you as you seek to leave colonized faith for the Kingdom of God. Now, let’s get to it.
Suzie’s recommendations:
Last week, 53 migrants were found dead inside a truck on the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas. One Homeland Security agent involved in the investigation has called it the deadliest human smuggling case in America’s history. This gut-wrenching poem by Afro-Peruvian theologian Karla Mendoza commemorates the lives of those lost, despite the fact that we still don’t even know many of their names. It is a poignant cry of lament against the dehumanizing forces that would strip image bearers of God of their innate value, dignity, and most of all, belovedness. For those of you who are still mourning or struggling to even know how to mourn this horrific loss, let it be a prayerful meditation.
While we must educate ourselves on the particularities of how oppression manifests in specific contexts, we must also be aware of repeating patterns of dehumanization. In attempting to grapple with the loss of 53 migrant lives in Texas, I was haunted by the echo of life imitating art. Men in the Sun is a classic of modern Arab literature written by Ghassan Kanafani in 1962. It is a short novel that tells the story of three Palestinian refugees attempting to cross the border from Iraq into Kuwait, and the plot line parallels what happened in San Antonio in horrifying ways. The book plumbs the varying motivations of those who would risk such a journey, and hints at the psychology of the smugglers who facilitate their illegal sojourn. Ultimately, it is a tragedy of broader systemic injustice and human carelessness.
In a historic move by the denomination, the PC(USA) General Assembly voted by an overwhelming majority on Friday to divest from five major oil companies —ExxonMobil, Chevron, Phillips 66, Valero Energy, and Marathon Petroleum. This is not the first time the denomination has divested on moral grounds, but it does represent a significant victory for climate change activists within the fold. As we have noted before in this newsletter, environmental justice is social justice. It is the poor, marginalized, and oppressed who are the first to suffer the effects of climate change. PC(USA) has taken a clear stand on this issue, and one can only hope that other churches and denominations will follow suit.
Jonathan’s recommendations:
Journalist and best-selling author Thom Hartmann dropped a tweet thread last week that lays out a bleak scenario that could result from an upcoming Supreme Court case. It is quite possible that Republican-led state legislatures, not voters, could decide the next presidential election. That is if the court rules on Moore v. Harper in ways consistent with the pattern of this new conservative supermajority. For those of us desiring to leave colonized faith to follow Jesus of Nazareth, it is imperative for us to pray and work for justice, not just on an interpersonal level, but on an institutional level as well. And what is happening at the Supreme Court should cause us to pause, pray, and partner with God to seek systemic change more aligned with prioritizing the poor, the disenfranchised, and those on the margins.
In this article the Marshall Project and Slate survey 2,400 people on what could have kept them out of prison. What is most enlightening is that the responses are aggregated according to the respondents’ political affiliations. Basic social services top the list across the political spectrum, and followers of Jesus would do well to see this collection of needs as a call to action. The needs across party lines when you ask those currently in or cycling in and out of our legal system are the same. Leaving colonized faith, especially one that politicizes responses to enduring pain and suffering, requires holding Matthew 25 higher and closer than our party’s present-day ideology. I highly suggest you subscribe to one of the Marshall Project’s newsletters here.
Kamala Khan is the latest addition to the Marvel Universe as Ms. Marvel and I recommend you grab that Disney+ subscription (or your friend’s password) and BINGE! Iman Vellani’s breakout role as the Pakistani-American, Jersey City teenager with a powerful bangle that turns her into a hero is a must-watch. First, representation matters. Second, the immersive scenes of how Muslims celebrate Eid, the impact of British colonization and partition, and life at a mosque can help add texture and nuance to a population that popular culture teaches us to fear and judge. As we have said many times, it is difficult to love a neighbor that we refuse to listen to or learn from. This show is a step in the right direction.
Shake the Dust preview
The team is doing something a little different and more personal this week. Jonathan, Suzie, and Sy are all talking about their own reasons for following Jesus at this point in their lives, as well as the things that push them away from faith and the Church. Suzie mentions Henri Nouwen’s idea that the most personal is often the most universal. So, we trust that opening up these stories will resonate with you, and you’ll find something helpful in them.
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
The KTF team