Not that many years ago both churches and social movements dived into figuring out how to make use of social media and digital technologies to extend their reach and grow their numbers. Everyone wanted to go viral and experience the apparent promise and magic of instant “success.” With time, has come reflection. With social movements, scholars now point to how movements like the Arab Spring successfully used what were then new technologies to bring huge numbers of people into the streets, but such movements did not have the infrastructure and capacity needed to sustain change over time.New and ever evolving technologies should indeed be used, but they need to be used with old technologies—“technologies” as old as the Bible. These technologies have a magic of their own, but the magic is not instant. It requires time and work. It requires bringing people into relationship. It requires developing a tangible interdependence between persons with diverse interests, viewpoints, and backgrounds while they work together toward shared ends.In studying movements, scholar Hahrie Han notes that it is in this relational, interdependent work that transformation happens. Movement participants grow and develop in remarkable ways. Commitments are deepened. New skills are acquired. Confidence is gained. At the same time, longer lasting movements are formed and collective action is sustained. Han notes that in such ways “the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.”Here is where the wisdom of Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 becomes so timeless: “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” It is the potential of the body of Christ that gets me excited. It is why I see so much promise in all of the congregations and church members working now to collect Climate Hope Postcards. Together, we can be part of an effort that lasts more than a moment.
reposted with the permission of the author — many of the elements of the email may be found in various articles at https://www.ucc.org/pollinator
Governor DeSantis is planning to kill a mentally ill man two weeks from today.
Duane Owen, the man DeSantis wants to kill on June 15, was first diagnosed with schizophrenia over thirty years ago. Two weeks ago, an expert concluded Duane Owen was incompetent to be executed. Nonetheless, a commission appointed by Governor DeSantis found that Duane Owen has no current mental illness and is eligible to be executed.
Actions to take: • Sign a petition and read details about Duane’s casehere, urging the Governor to stay the execution and grant clemency for Duane. This link also has a petition for faith leaders.
Sadly, Duane’s pending execution serves as a reminder that Florida has a disturbing history of executing people with serious mental illness. FADP, in conjunction with journalist Alan Johnson, has compiled a booklet of stories shining the light on Florida’s shameful past. Read the first of these tragic stories here.
Every execution is a devastating reminder that Florida is on the wrong side of history. But to repeatedly execute the most ill and the most vulnerable in our society is simply unconscionable. Help us continue to expose this truth about Florida’s fatally flawed death penalty system.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 