Tag: faith

Rescind Congress

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

“Do not refuse to help those people who need help. If you are able to help them, do it!  (Proverbs 3:27 – Easy English Bible)

Early yesterday morning, while it was still dark, the Senate voted to rescind billions of dollars in funding that had already been approved. While much of the debate (and news coverage) focused on rescinding $1.1 billion in funds for National Public Radio and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, $8.3 billion in funding was originally earmarked for foreign food aid, global health initiatives and global disaster relief.

The rescission package was then sent back to the House, which passed the package late last night 216-213, sending it to the president’s desk for his signature. Mission accomplished.

Supposedly, all of the programs that will lose their funding have been rife with “waste, fraud and abuse” for decades. But let’s be clear: $9.4 billion dollars may sound like a lot of money, but it represents only 1/10 of 1% of all government spending. And that’s less than $28 per person in the US.

Meanwhile, there seems to be plenty of money for other things.. By the end of July, there will be 60 new detention centers opening or expanding across the county and Cuba to process and deport migrants–costing $45 billion dollars. Operating the new detention centers will cost taxpayers even more. According to the Associated Press, the new detention center in the Everglades will cost taxpayers at least $450,000,000 per year.

Where is all that money coming from? Obviously, not from the “savings” from the rescission package. According to Kristi Noem, Florida will be reimbursed for the costs of operations through FEMA. That’s right. FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, will use funds from FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program–a significant shift from the program’s original purpose.

Once again, our leaders are revealing their priorities. And their priorities are skewed. They have shifted from helping people who need it (both at home and abroad) to detaining and removing people who no longer fit our definition of “American.” These shifted priorities run counter to the mandate of Scripture and the model of Jesus.

Every “Christian” in Congress needs to ask themselves, “What would Jesus fund?” and “What would Jesus cut?” I don’t believe Jesus would support cutting funds that prevent starvation and disease and promote education in order to fund incarceration and mass deportation. And if they think differently, those Senators and Representatives should be rescinded as soon as possible.

Walter Brueggemann & Me

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

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.

245 Calories

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

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.

In the Cover of Night

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

In the gospels, disturbing things happen in the middle of the night. This is especially seen in the events surrounding Jesus’s arrest and trials. It begins ominously with Judas’s departure in the middle of Jesus’s last meal with his disciples. John’s gospel makes the observation:“And it was night.” (John 13:30). Later that night, Judas–with the temple police–approaches Jesus on the Mount of Olives and seals Jesus’s arrest with a kiss. Jesus is arrested and whisked away to the Sanhedrin which has gathered in the middle of the night for a sham trial. “Very early in the morning” (Mark 15:1), the Sanhedrin puts their plan in motion, binding Jesus and taking him to Pilate to demand that Jesus be executed. By noon, Jesus is hanging on the cross, and he’s dead by 3:00 pm.

The arrest, the sham trial, the decision to pursue execution–they all happen in the cover of darkness. Why? Why do most disturbing things happen at night? It’s because very few people are around to witness the crimes and expose the corruption. John writes, “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.” (John 3:20)

.Why am I writing about this? I write because political bodies continue to use the cover of night to make it easier to carry out their plans without the public’s knowledge.

Why did the House Budget Committee schedule a vote on the “One Big Beautiful [budget] Bill Act” on Sunday, May 19, at 10:00 pm? (By the way, it passed.) Why did the House Rules Committee schedule its vote to advance the Bill to the full House at 1:00 am tomorrow, Wednesday, May 21? That’s right: 1:00 o’clock AM! Obviously, it is to ensure passage of the bill without the watchful eyes of the Press or the scrutiny of the public.

And it’s no wonder they want to keep this budget hidden. It will do harm to almost every aspect of public life. It will remove protections from our air and water and release public land to private corporations to drill, mine and deforest. It will reduce funding for healthcare for children and seniors (Medicaid) and housing vouchers for low-income families while increasing funding for the military, border security and ICE detention and deportation. It will add trillions of dollars to the national debt while reducing the taxes for billionaires and corporations.

But there were witnesses to the unlawful acts of Caiaphas–the Rome-appointed High Priest–and the Sanhedrin. They wanted it kept hidden in the dark of the night, but their deeds were exposed and their actions were made public. All four gospels provide a record thanks to Peter and John who follow Jesus to the Sanhedrin, and thanks to Nicodemus who was a member of the Sanhedrin and had objected to the ongoing harassment and condemnation of Jesus (John 7:50-51) and who became a public follower of Jesus when he helped Joseph of Arimathea bury Jesus’s crucified body.

There will be witnesses to the vote on the budget. There will be a public record of the names of every representative who voted for death and destruction. There will be Representatives who will expose the bill and its damaging propositions. There will be brave independent journalists who will tell the truth.

Those with a vested interest in this budget will vilify and denounce those who would expose their underhanded tactics. But we must not listen to their spin and twisted narratives. Remember, it’s all taking place in the middle of the night–and that should tells us all we need to know about their motives, intentions and goals. They want power to rob widows and orphans and aliens and the needy. And they want us to be asleep while they do it.

Delivered Back to Death

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“Deliver the poor and the needy; rescue them from their…oppressors.” Psalm 82:4 (The Voice)

Yesterday, the Department of Homeland Security posted the following announcement on its website:.

“Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem today announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Afghanistan. The TPS designation for the country expires on May 20, 2025, and the termination will be effective on July 14, 2025.

“After consultation with interagency partners, Secretary Noem determined that conditions in Afghanistan no longer meet the statutory requirements. The Secretary’s decision was based on a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services review of the country conditions and in consultation with the Department of State. The Secretary determined that, overall, there are notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to ongoing-armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions. She further determined that permitting Afghan nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the national interest of the United States.”

This DHS decision means that all Afghans who received protection following the US military withdrawal in 2022 will now be required to return to Afghanistan voluntarily or face prison sentences and/or forced deportation. Many of these Afghans had assisted the US military during the war against the Taliban, the same Taliban that now controls the country. And among the 200,000 Afghans losing their protected status are more than 300 Christians who faced harsh persecution under Taliban rule and who were pursuing asylum in the US. Delivering any of these Afghan individuals and families to the Taliban will likely result in imprisonment or even death.

In a letter sent to President Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, faith leaders urged the “Administration to act swiftly to protect Afghan Christians from deportation to Afghanistan, where they face grave threats to their safety and their very lives because of their faith.” Opposition to ending the protections is appropriate and necessary. Will the letter make a difference? If the acts of DHS and ICE in the past are any indication, it is not likely.

Psalm 82 reminds the “judges” (ie political leaders) that their role is to “rescue the poor and needy from their oppressors.” The ending of TPS for Afghans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans is inconsistent with our faith and our values. Silence isn’t an option.

Today, my Congresswoman, Delia Ramirez (IL – District 03) will not be silent as she repeats her call* for the resignation of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ” for the unconstitutional, illegal weaponization of DHS to pursue a campaign of persecution, mass incarceration, and deportation. Now she can include the reckless and immoral rescinding of Afghani Temporary Protected Status to the list.

* Ramirez first called for Noem’s resignation on April 8 in a press conference after witnessing children being processed by immigration officials at the southern border without legal representation.

Corrupted

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

James 1:27 says, “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” (Good News Translation)

There are two signs of authentic faith. 1. Showing compassion toward those who are at risk of exploitation and especially prone to live in poverty, and 2. Keeping oneself from being corrupted by the values and principles of the world. These two faith facets are what God looks for from those who claim to know God and who follow Christ. 

Most Christians I know are compassionate people and fulfill the first sign of authentic faith. They are generous with their time and resources. When Hurricane Katrina flooded much of New Orleans, churches across the country organized volunteer work teams to help with clean-up and rebuilding. When California wild fires destroyed the communities of Pacific Palisades and Altadena, churches collected relief offerings. When the water in Flint, MI, became toxic with lead and other chemicals, churches collected and sent truckloads of bottled water to those in need. When a neighborhood family faces tragedy, churches organize meal trains and childcare. These are wonderful and appropriate responses in the face of distress. But I have found that, for many Christians, compassion and generosity have their limits–relational limits, geographic limits, even political limits.

For example, consider JD Vance’s interpretation of the Catholic concept of “Ordis Amoris” or “the order of charity”: “[First] you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then, after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.”. Vance used the ‘Order’ to justify mass deportations of undocumented individuals and families in an interview on Fox News because the US needs to protect its own citizens before “protecting” those who are not. Vance’s interpretation (and application) got the attention of Pope Francis, who responded: “Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups.” Cardinal Robert Prevost (now known as Pope Leo XIV) then tweeted more bluntly, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”

Besides the idea of a limited “love local” ethic, many Christians also limit their generosity on the basis of whether the person in need is considered “deserving” of their help. When tragedy strikes someone through no fault of their own, help is given without hesitation. However, it is often withheld if the person (in their assessment) is undeserving. People living under the expressway viaduct usually considered “undeserving” because they obviously could get a job, and giving them money only encourages them to be lazy and unproductive. In other words, the unhoused are to blame for their condition and are therefore “undeserving.” (Never mind that 40-60% of people who are homeless have a full or part time job.)

I also see the limits of compassion when Christians cry out for the protection of the unborn, but are strangely silent when “the born” are blown to bits by American-made bombs dropped in Gaza or are separated from their parents and placed in cages at the southern border. And just yesterday, House Republicans unveiled their budget proposal that would slash Medicaid spending by $715 billion–which could impact 8.6 million poor people–including children! The cuts in Medicaid would provide tax breaks for the wealthy. Are the unborn more deserving of our concern? Are children of migrants less deserving of our compassion? Do the widows and orphans of Gaza somehow deserve their distress? And who deserves health care? What does it say about a country that sacrifices children for tax breaks for the rich?

The moment our compassion is based on our biased deserving/undeserving scale, we have failed to fulfill the second sign of authentic faith–living free of the world’s contamination. The moment we buy into the myth of the “self-made man”, the myth of “Manifest Destiny,” and the myth of material success as indicative of God’s blessing for our godliness, we have adopted the values and priorities of the world. We have become corrupted.

It’s time for a “faith reassessment.” And it’s time for repentance.

This post was updated at 11 am today to reflect yesterday’s GOP proposal to slash Medicaid funds to pay for tax breaks.

He’s Only Joking…

~ Bruce Ray ~ Leave a comment

For the past 4 days, I’ve been in a Restorative Justice training, so I wasn’t able to closely follow the news of the week or write any posts. So this morning, I took some time to catch up on the stories I had missed. I didn’t get very far. One of the first things that caught my eye was a photo (obviously AI generated) of President Trump dressed as the Pope–complete with the papal mitre on his head and large cross hanging from his neck. Initially, I thought someone had posted it as a critique of #47’s quest for power. (“It’s not enough that he wants to be King! Now he wants to be Pope too!) But then I discovered that HE had posted the photo last night at 9:29 pm on his own Truth Social account.

I investigated further. Earlier in the week, the president was asked whom he would like to see elected Pope when the Conclave begins next week. He remarked, “I would like to be Pope.” He later added, “That would be my number 1 choice.”

Of course, Trump was joking. Or was he?

Whether he was joking or not, his “Pope Trump” photo on Truth Social has garnered almost 32,000 ‘likes’ from his followers (and over 7,000 reposts). The official White House X account reposted the photo and has received 183,000+ ‘likes’ (and 49,000 reposts).. Even Senator Lindsey Graham (R – SC) posted on X, “I was excited to hear that President Trump is open to the idea of being the next Pope. This would truly be a dark horse candidate, but I would ask the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to keep an open mind about this possibility! The first Pope-U.S. President combination has many upsides. Watching for white smoke…. Trump MMXXVIII!” Maybe he was joking too. Or was he?

I’ve frequently heard people use the “He’s only joking” phrase to minimize Trump’s most outrageous tweets and posts, but the president’s statements and the photo, in my opinion, cross a line that should deeply offend every Christian of every theological persuasion. It is not funny. It is a mockery of the faith and a derision of the leadership of Pope Francis. Some would go so far as to call it blasphemous since Trump is a convicted felon.

I’ve looked online for faith leaders’ responses to the “Pope Trump” photo, and have been shocked (and disappointed) to find nothing. I cannot imagine silence if President Biden had posted a photo of himself cosplaying the Pope. There would be outrage! Imagine if President Obama had posted a similar photo of himself. There would have been immediate condemnation, a demand for an apology and calls for resignation or even impeachment.

But President Biden and President Obama DIDN’t post photos of themselves holding the symbols of faith or wearing priestly garb. Which makes me wonder why this president has felt so compelled. It would seem (by prior behavior and pronouncements) that he is intent on painting himself as the savior of America and the world in order to amass and maintain power.

Scripture warns: “[False prophets] come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” (Matthew 7:15 NIV). They also can come in AI-generated papal robes with a big golden cross. This is no joke.

FYI: The Truth Social and X post statistics were updated as of May 4 at 7 am Central.

God’s DEI Program

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Thirty-nine years ago today, my sister suffered a debilitating stroke. She was just 33 years old. The exact cause of the stroke was never determined. She had none of the medical issues that would increase her risk of stroke. In fact, she had just participated in an 5K race the week before. The stroke left her permanently impaired on her right side, and she lost the full use of her dominant right arm and hand–a condition that required her to learn how to do everything–including writing–with her left hand.

Her body may be impaired, and it may take her an hour for an activity that would take 30 minutes for a person with two hands, but she is not unable to have a meaningful and purpose-filled life. She is a peer mentor for stroke patients; she participates in multiple stroke studies; she assists student doctors and physical therapist in what is called “educational modeling.” She has walked two half-marathons. She has climbed the 103 flights of stairs to the top of the Sears Tower…twice. She has even jumped out of an airplane (skydiving). She ties her shoes with one hand! I still don’t know how she does that, and I’ve tried multiple times to master it without success. I joke that she has done more with half a brain than most people do with a whole brain. It’s actually not a joke. It is accurate. And beneath it all, her faith in God has sustained her through every challenge.

So often, people with disabilities are dismissed and devalued. The word “disability” implies “lack of ability.” People with disabilities are perceived to be “takers” and “dependents” and a “drain on society.” Occasionally, my sister needs help–but who doesn’t? Not one of us is truly fully independent; and not one of us could survive without the supports of social networks and societal programs.

My sister has taught me that abilities come in a variety of forms. And every “body”–every person–regardless of appearance is, in the words of the Psalmist, “fearfully and wonderfully made,” (Psalm 139:14), and all people bear the stamp of God’s image (Genesis 1:26). She has also reminded me that God has purposely chosen and used the undervalued, the underestimated and the overlooked throughout history. In the words of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before [God].”

These verses articulate God’s own DEI program–a program that elevates those who have been cast aside and scapegoated because of their “disability,” their gender, their economic status, their race, their ethnicity, or their documentation. The powerful and the wealthy of the world would discount my sister and others like her. Thankfully, God sees things differently and delights in the diversity of God’s people, opens the doors of equal opportunity and includes them as full-fledged (never second-class) citizens of God’s kin-dom.

And if God chooses the foolish, weak, lowly and despised by the world’s measurements, who are we to reject them? And if we do reject them, how will we justify it before God?