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Judgement Will Come

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

Updated 7/1/25

“They sell the innocent for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed.” (Amos 2:6-7)

The prophet Amos doesn’t hold back. Speaking on behalf of the Lord, Amos calls out the “sins of Israel” and prophesies that God’s judgement will certainly come. Their sins? They have sold out the poor and innocent for personal gain and political power.

That same willingness to “sell the needy” for a pair of sandals was on display on Friday night as the Senate spent 3 hours taking a procedural vote to allow the “Big (not so) Beautiful Bill” to move forward. There were deep reservations regarding the bill among numerous Republican Senators including Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mike Lee of Utah, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rick Scott of Florida who kept the Senate in suspense by not voting right away. Then, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, who had voted against the motion, suddenly switched his vote to “aye”, In the end all the Republican senators with the exception of Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina voted to pass the measure. It passed 51-49.

What got all of them to vote for something they didn’t agree with or knew would not help their constituents? Threats? Possibly. But more likely, it was a carrot, not a stick, that led them to vote “Aye.” Lisa Murkowski got a carve out to protect SNAP benefits for poor people in her state. The poor in the other 49 states were sold for a pair of sandals. Ron Johnson and Josh Hawley got a $25 billion fund to support rural hospitals. While that sounds like a lot, it doesn’t begin to make up for the cuts to Medicaid–a primary source of funds for rural hospitals. And in the end, the innocent in urban areas–where hospitals are also struggling to stay afloat–were sold for silver. And Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who voted ‘aye’ for the bill, had the audacity to say, “They (the poor people worried about Medicaid cuts) will get over it.” The wealthy trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust.

Today, several hundred people gathered at the Supreme Court with Rev. Dr. William Barber, II and dozens of pastors and faith leaders to pray, to prophesy and to protest the contents of this bill that includes the largest cuts to social programs in American history to make way for the largest tax reduction for the wealthiest Americans. When Capital Police prevented the people from marching toward the Capital, the group began to pray in the middle of the street. Twenty-five people–including Rev. Barber–were arrested for blocking the street.

To use Senator Rev. Rafael Warnock’s assessment, this bill is “Robin Hood in reverse.” It robs from the poor to give to the rich.” In the words of Rev. Barber, “We can’t keep going down this road.” The prophet Amos was proved right: God’s judgement came upon Israel for its multiple “sins.”. We’ll be next if we don’t change direction.

Update: Today, the Senate passed the Big Brutal Bill 51-50 with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote. Now it will return to the House of Representatives. Watch and pray.

Still Frozen Out

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 “Solidarity must go beyond words…becoming a refugee is never a choice, but how we respond is.” –United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres

Today is World Refugee Day. Matt Soerens, Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief, reminds us that there are over 120 million people in the world seeking refuge, defined as a pursuing safe shelter from danger or trouble. These people have fled from their homes because of war, persecution, disaster or political upheaval. In the past, the United States has been a refuge for these people, but since the president signed an Executive Order freezing all refugee resettlement for 90 days, 128,000 people already approved and ready for resettlement have been stuck in limbo. That was on January 20, 2025. It has been more than 90 days, and the freeze is still in effect. According to a report by Religious News Service, the administration has claimed in court that it cannot resettle refugees. However, in May, the administration fast-tracked the resettlement of 59 white Afrikaners from South Africa who, it claimed, were being persecuted because of their race.

And the 128,000 people who have been waiting in line–some for years–are still frozen out.

On this day, we can respond by respectfully urging our U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators to demand that President Trump end the freeze and restore the U.S. refugee resettlement program and funding fully. Phone numbers can be found at https://.5calls.org.

And we can respond by supporting organizations like Refugee One and World Relief, who continue to support refugees who arrived prior to the freeze without the help of federal funding.

Will Juneteenth be Next?

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(Updated on June 20, 2025)

We wouldn’t be celebrating Juneteenth—the day slaves were fully emancipated in the United States—without the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Following his death at the hand (actually, under the knee) of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, protests erupted across the country. Significantly, the marches and protests were multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-generational and multi-national, and they shined a spotlight on the systemic racism that has targeted black and brown communities for centuries.

People marched not just against abusive policing and excessive use of force but for something much deeper—a commitment to affirm the humanity and value of black lives and for passage of new policies that would create equity for marginalized people.

The nation responded. Police policies were reviewed and changed, rogue police officers were held accountable, states and the federal government invested in programs that addressed the root causes of violence and poverty and initiatives that elevated under-represented groups. Even corporate America stepped up the make commitments to racial equity.

A year after George Floyd’s death, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17, 2021.

Sadly, backlash against these initiatives and reforms came swiftly. Juneteenth is still a federal holiday—at least for now—but the gains made since 2020 have been reversed at both the state and federal levels. (Read the president’s Juneteenth Truth Social post below.)

In 2022, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis condemned “woke ideology” as he signed into law the “Stop WOKE Act”—also known as the “Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act.” The law prohibits schools and workplaces from teaching about systemic racism and certain concepts related to race, gender, and social privilege, and it bans thousands of books about race and marginalized people.

On the federal level, the current administration has issued a flood of executive orders closing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices within all government departments, following the plan envisioned by Project 2025. Corporations also have abandoned their prior commitments to DEI and ended their sponsorship of certain festivals and events that do not align with the new administration’s values and agenda.

As Rev. Otis Moss III, pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, pointed out in an opinion piece published by The Hill, this backlash is nothing new. “Every step toward reform is met with retrenchment, a doubling down on the very racist and unfair systems we seek to dismantle,” he writes. “After Reconstruction came Jim Crow. After the civil rights movement came mass incarceration. And, after Barack Obama and Black Lives Matter came Project 2025.”

On this Juneteenth holiday, we must remember the past victories and the progress gained for full inclusion and equality of all people, but we must also recognize the nature of the beast that continues to threaten that progress. Juneteenth could be on the chopping block next.

In the words of Rev. Moss, “The backlash has been loud, but we can be louder…” Retreat is not an option. “We must keep pushing the needle forward….” That first June 19, 1865, was Liberation Day! So, go forward in the power of the Spirit to announce good news to the poor, the oppressed, the discounted, the dismissed, the disenfranchised: God’s truth IS marching on! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

UPDATE: The President’s Juneteenth Post. True to form, the president used Juneteenth to complain about the number of federal paid holidays on the calendar the cost to business. He wrote: “Too many non-working holidays in America. It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed. The workers don’t want it either! Soon we’ll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year. It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” This is a slaveholder’s response.

A Picture is Worth 75,000 Words

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According to Indivisible, 75,000 people participated in the “No King” rally and march in Chicago. Across the country, upwards of 11 million people took to the streets to protect immigrants and refugees and reject spending cuts that would eliminate healthcare, SNAP benefits, housing subsidies and more that would impact the most vulnerable.

I was there. I hope you were too.

The Path We Are On

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Historian Jamar Tisby has said, “There’s a popular phrase that says ‘history repeats itself.’ More accurately, history doesn’t repeat itself—history rhymes.” 

His quote came to mind as I was reading the story of King Jeroboam in 1 Kings 12. Considered a defender of the oppressed, Jeroboam was made King by the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. However, to ensure that the people would remain loyal to him and to consolidate his power, Jeroboam began to dismantle the religious and social structures that had been part of Israelite history and culture. To discourage worship at the temple in Jerusalem in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, Jeroboam built several new temples at Bethel and Dan. Instead of appointing Levites as priests as prescribed by the Torah, he allowed anyone–qualified or unqualified–to serve in the new temples. Jeroboam had 2 golden calves made–which he placed at Bethel and Dan–and declared that they should be worshipped as “God who led you out of Egypt.” He offered sacrifices to the golden calf at Bethel, leading the people to do the same. In addition, he introduced a new calendar based on the Egyptian calendar, replacing the traditional dates of Jewish holidays and diminishing their significance. It all has a familiar ring to it.

While there was condemnation of Jeroboam’s new policies–particularly from “A Man of God” who arrived in Bethel at the installation of the golden calf–the people of Israel who had made Jeroboam their king gave him their loyalty and devotion. Jeroboam reigned as king for 22 years in Israel.

But Jeroboam’s reign was offensive to God. Ahijah, an old blind prophet, pronounced God’s judgement on Jeroboam and his house in 1 Kings 14:9-10: “You have made yourself other gods and cast false idols in their honor. You have aroused My wrath by putting Me behind you. Therefore, beware. I will bring destruction to Jeroboam’s house.” And because the people of the Northern Kingdom had supported Jeroboam’s destructive policies and become complicit in his evil, God had a word for them too. “[God] will abandon Israel because of Jeroboam’s wickedness, which caused all of Israel to be wicked as well.” (1 Kings 14:16)

Jeroboam’s name became synonymous with wickedness. Every Israelite king that followed was compared to Jeroboam. Every one of them was described by this common refrain: “He walked the wicked path of Jeroboam, causing the Israelites to live sinful lives.” (The Voice translation).

Leadership matters. Character matters. Behavior matters. Government practices and policies matter. And loyalty to a corrupt leader and corrupt policies results in corruption and self-destruction.

Jeroboam’s name is remembered, but never honored. His reign is included in the annuls of the Kings, but it is a cautionary tale. The evil of his reign infected the reigns of every king who followed him for the next 200 years. The people who made him a King became complicit in his evil and became evil with him, infecting future generations.

Another story is embedded in the story of Jeroboam and the kings that followed him; it is the story of the prophets who stood against their corruption. Ahijah, Elijah, Elisha, and Amos–along with others. According to 2 Kings 17:13, “The Eternal One gave fair warning to Israel and Judah…through the mouths of the prophets and seers throughout the land: “Abandon your wickedness, and obey My commands and laws which I gave to your ancestors through the mouths of My servants, the prophets.” Sadly, the words of the prophets went unheeded and the rest is history.

History rhymes. And when it does, we will have to choose. Will we walk the path of Jeroboam or will we walk the path of justice and righteousness? Will we be the sycophants of this administration or will we be the prophets who speak for liberation? The path we are on right now is rhyming in my ears with “upheaval” and it will only take us to hell. There is still time to choose a new path, but I’m afraid that the window of opportunity is closing.

Walter Brueggemann & Me

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After my last post on June 3, my time was devoted to preparing my stepmother’s funeral service, packing, traveling to PA, and reuniting with my immediate and extended family and old friends at the funeral . Throughout that time, everything else in the world appropriately faded into the background. I didn’t think about writing for “Tongue on Fire” until this morning after reading about the death of Walter Brueggemann on June 5.

Though I only heard him speak one time, his understanding of Old Testament history and the prophetic tradition blew me away and literally changed the trajectory of my preaching and ministry. A prolific writer (his website lists 168 titles!), it was his best known book, “The Prophetic Imagination,” written in 1978, that most impacted me and opened my eyes to the prophetic role of the church–speaking truth to power.

In describing the content of his final book of essays, “Lament that Generates Covenant,” published in March 2025, Brueggemann wrote: “This collection of essays pertains to matters that urgently concern our faith. My work consists in recognition that our various systems of meaning, power, and control are decisively penultimate, even though we conduct ourselves as though they are ultimate. Thus, our articulation of theology and faith are momentary and require endless rearticulation… For much too long the church has focused on private, spiritual, other-worldly matters. In fact, the biblical reportage and advocacy concern the continuing struggle for an alternative economy that is governed by neighborly generosity, an economy that eschews private accumulation by the powerful at the expense of the vulnerable.” Amen!

Though his pen is now stilled and his voice silenced, the words he wrote and spoke during his lifetime will live on–just as relevant for our times and for times to come. There will always be a need for prophetic imagination and prophetic action.

“Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them’.” (Revelation 14:13). Well done.

We All are Going to Die

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Last Friday, my 93-year-old stepmother transitioned peacefully into eternity. She had lived a joy-filled, vibrant life. The past year was challenging for her physically, and she expressed (on a regular basis) that she was ready to get her new body. God mercifully heard her prayer, and she entered her rest. Her funeral will be a celebration of her faith, her zest for living and her impact on the world (literally) through her teaching career and her participation in global missions. Her death will leave a hole for her family, but the loss will be tempered with good memories and a recognition that she was ready to make the transition.

As Nancy Krieger, Social Epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, noted in the documentary, “Unnatural Causes,”: “It’s not as if we won’t die. We all will die. But the question is: At what age? With what degree of suffering? With what degree of preventable illness?”

Good genes can extend our lives, but there are also social determinants of health–income, educational level, race, zip code, access to food, access to healthcare–that impact life expectancy. Life expectancy can be mapped. The poorer the community, the lower the life-expectancy. In Chicago, residents of Streeterville (aka the Gold Coast) have a life-expectancy of 90 while residents of Englewood (one of the city’s poorest communities) have a life expectancy of 60–a 30-year gap.

To die at age 93 isn’t tragic; it’s a milestone to be recognized and honored. But too many deaths are tragic–happening unexpectedly or prematurely. A death becomes tragic when it could have been, should have been, prevented.

If the proposed cuts to Medicaid, the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Disease Control, Cancer research on University campuses, and the Environmental Protection Agency outlined in the One Big, Beautiful Bill become law, people will die…tragically. They already are. According to a study by Boston University, an estimated 60,000 adults and children have died of AIDS around the world since USAID-supported PEPFAR programs were eliminated.

But some, like Senator Joni Ernst, seem unconcerned. “We all are going to die,” she told a crowd at a Town Hall meeting. Her statement is true, but that does NOT mean that we should minimize the tragedy of childhood death by disease or violence, nor should we coldly accept the inevitability that those without access to healthcare or medication or vaccines will die when we have the resources and knowledge to prevent those deaths.

Death may be our human destiny, but death by cutting the life-preserving programs and services that serve the poorest communities–especially poor children–shouldn’t be. We should be pursuing God’s new heaven and new earth as articulated by the prophet Isaiah where tragic death is a thing of the past. ““Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years.” (Isaiah 65:20). That is a goal worth pursuing.

Contemptible

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Ah, remember 8th grade Civics class and taking the Constitution Test? It was where I learned that our country’s Constitution divides the government into 3 separate co-equal branches–the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary. The founders (who had rejected the English monarchy) wanted to ensure that power would be “balanced” so that no single branch could wield too much influence over the affairs of state.

In case you don’t remember the test (or 8th grade), the Legislative Branch (House of Representatives and Senate) is responsible for passing laws. The Executive Branch (President and Agencies authorized by Congress) is responsible to carry out those laws. The President also has the power to veto the laws passed by the Legislative Branch (though the Legislative Branch can override the veto). The Judicial Branch (the Supreme Court and Federal courts under it) is responsible to ensure that the legislation signed into law is consistent with the Constitution and that the laws are fairly applied.

The structure of our government is pretty ingenious and ensures that we live in a democracy and not a monarchy. That is, as long as each Branch does its job and does not yield its responsibilities to another Branch of the government. If that were to happen, democracy would be at risk and we would devolve into authoritarianism and fascism.

Right now, we are skewed. The Executive Branch–through 157 Executive Orders and 39 Memoranda (practically speaking, the same as an Executive Order) and the creation of unauthorized agencies (like DOGE)–has taken over the Legislative Branch, which (with a Republican majority) has seemed content to acquiesce. And while the Judicial Branch has exercised its power to review and slow the Executive Branch’s overreach, the Executive Branch has ignored many of their rulings–especially those related to habeas corpus and due process. And now–at the urging of the Executive Branch–the Republican controlled House has gifted the Executive Branch with a legal means to control the Judicial Branch.

Section 70303 of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” would prohibit courts from using federal funds to enforce a contempt citation for failing to comply with court orders. Think about that. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Executive Branch “facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego García” to the US after he was mistakenly deported to prison in El Salvador. So far, there is no evidence that the Executive Branch has done anything to comply. In fact, Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, stated before a House oversight committee (under oath) that Garcia will never return to the United States.. Lower Courts have threatened to hold the administration in contempt for non-compliance–the only tool they have to enforce their rulings. IF CONGRESS PASSES THE BUDGET BILL WITH SECTION 70303 INTACT, THE COURTS WILL HAVE NO ABILITY TO HOLD GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE, making the Judicial Branch moot, and concentrating power almost completely in the Executive Branch. In essence, we will be living in a Monarchy. And if that happens, not only will the balance of power be skewed, we’ll all be screwed.

PS The Senate can still remove Section 70303 and reject the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” but Democrats and Independents cannot do it without Republican defectors. Whether you live in a state with Democrat or Republican Senators, call them and make some noise TODAY. But especially focus on your Republican Senators. If you need a script, go to 5calls.org.

245 Calories

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245 calories. That’s the average caloric intake for people living in Northern Gaza according to a report published by Oxfam in April . That’s the equivalent of 1 can of peas. No one can survive on 245 calories per day. No one. Especially children. The National Institutes of Health recommend no less than 1,000 calories a day for toddlers (ages 2-3) for optimal health. Eating less than 1,000 calories impedes growth and brain development in children and results in malnutrition, starvation and–finally–death.

Human bodies can only go without food for 2-3 months (as long as water is available) before death occurs. But without access to both food AND water, death can occur within 8 – 21 days depending on age, weight, sex and health. Children are most at risk of death by starvation than adults.

Since March 2, the Israeli government has blocked any humanitarian aid (including food) to enter Gaza–over 80 days! You would think that the starvation of children–on purpose–would drive our leaders to demand the end of the food embargo in Gaza. But it hasn’t. Occasionally, you might hear platitudes about how tragic the situation is in Gaza, but you won’t hear a demand for action against Israel for the atrocities is it committing against innocent children. Most Congressmen and Congresswomen publicly support Israel’s policies and are more focused on the “cover-up” of Joe Biden’s cognitive decline while in office or manipulating passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (which also includes taking food away from hungry people).

As people of faith, we cannot continue to allow the starvation of Palestinians in Gaza. This is not a partisan political issue; it is a moral issue. Is it right to ignore the suffering of children? Is it moral to be silent as they starve to death? Are we not called to compassion and mercy? Are we not called to action?

I don’t normally write more than a few times a week. Today, I am writing twice. That’s because today is the start of a 40-day hunger strike / Fast for Gaza organized by Veterans for Peace and supported by dozens of other organizations across the US. Hundreds of people have committed to eat no more than 250 calories a day for the next 40 days in solidarity with the people of Gaza to draw attention to the weaponization of food by the Israeli government. Participants will also demand the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza under UN authority and the end to provision of weapons (bombs) to Israel by the US.

Most of us cannot participate in such a drastic Fast for the entire 40 days due to age and chronic health conditions. Today, I ate less than 250 calories over breakfast and lunch, and I am committing to that practice at least 10 days in the next 40 days ending June 30. If you cannot fast, that’s fine. But we all must do doing something to feed the hungry. So if you cannot commit to fasting from food, you can commit to call your representatives in Congress at least once a week to tell them to demand that they publicly call for humanitarian aid to resume immediately and that they publicly call for an arms embargo to end the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. You can also commit to praying daily for an end to the food blockade to end the starvation of those surviving in Gaza.

I will fast as often as I am able. I will call. And I will pray daily. Who will join me?

Dear Mike Johnson,

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

Overnight, the House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act –and you, Mr. Speaker took a victory lap. I don’t understand. Back in 2023, in an interview with Sean Hannity, you said, “I am a Bible-believing Christian. Someone asked me today in the media, they said, “It’s curious, people are curious. ‘What does Mike Johnson think about any issue under the sun?’” I said, “Well, go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it – that’s my worldview. That’s what I believe and so I make no apologies for it.”

So, I picked up my Bible and read it. And I am curious. Mr. Speaker, Isaiah 58:10 says, “If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” But you just passed a bill that cuts SNAP food assistance for low-income families. And Proverbs 14:31 says, “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” But your Big Beautiful Bill will take away healthcare for millions of poor and needy people. Where is the kindness in that? Does taking benefits from the poor to give tax breaks to the rich honor God? I think not.

Mr. Speaker, the Bible says, ““Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” (Proverbs 3:27 – ESV). You had the power to “do good’, but instead, you withheld it from those in need.

Please, stop rejoicing as if you have accomplished some righteous deed while your brothers and sisters are weeping. Oh, and by the way, the Bible says to a people who have forsaken God’s ways: “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:15-17)

Mr. Speaker, there is still time to “learn to do right.” The Big Beautiful Bill will return to the House for final approval. You have the opportunity to use your power to obey God and do the right thing.

I’m praying for you.