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Learn.Pray.Blog.

Learn Pray Blog is the official blog of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy. Our goal is to create a space where Virginians can promote the faith voice on issues such as poverty & the working poor, at-risk children & youth, Caring for God’s Creation and others.

...And Justice For All

Posted by: SuperUser Account on 10/15/2012
Last year I took this photo while at a shopping mall in Fort Worth, Texas. It features a popular clothing store, Justice, which sells clothes for young girls. For me, it is a simple reminder that we don’t always talk about justice in very sophisticated ways; and that too often we give lip service to the word. 

In these musings, I often write about poverty and inequality, and the policy and advocacy solutions that build toward economic and political fairness. But we also need to examine our understanding of justice to fully address some of the problems we face as a society.  Many of us think of justice as synonymous with either righteousness or retribution.  But justice can also be about restoring relationships or, in the case of distributive justice, making sure that fairness prevails. The concept of social justice calls us to correct systemic inequality that affects whole groups of people, especially low-income and vulnerable communities.  Our mission the Center is to empower you to help create social justice in your community by advocating for systemic change.

Our mission to create social justice calls us to focus on policy change that helps under-represented or vulnerable people, often low-income people.  In the year ahead, we will work for a state budget that is fair and accounts for the common good.  We will work to address predatory lending, especially illegal internet payday loans.  We will push to expand Medicaid to provide health care to those who need it most, and we will press for policies that protect and preserve God’s creation. 

Why should people of faith care about justice in the Commonwealth?  I can only answer from my own experience as a Christian.  My faith teaches me that God wants us to be as sisters and brothers to one another, if not for our sake, then for God’s sake.  Hebrew Scriptures teach us to care for widows, orphans and foreigners and Christian scripture reminds us that when we care for the most vulnerable or unwanted, we are in effect caring for God in our midst. In religious terms, justice is an imperative and often the best way to show our love for God is through our care for one another. What does your faith teach you about justice?

There is a common saying when encountering misfortune, “there but for the grace of God go I.”  It is a way of admitting that we all fall short of the grace of God and as a consequence we all have equal responsibility to care for one another and for all of creation.  Perhaps the next time you see someone asking for spare change at the street corner or for a sandwich from the corner shop, you will not only respond with mercy or charity, but also with justice.  Consider what larger forces and challenges put both of you where you are and then think if there is a way that is more fair or equitable. We should each do our part to build a more just, peaceful, equitable and sustainable Commonwealth.

Poverty Continues to Grow. Your Voice is Needed.

Posted by: SuperUser Account on 10/3/2012
As many of you know, September has been Poverty and Hunger Awareness month at the Center, so we've been hard at work educating Virginians about the realities of life below the poverty line and the state and federal policies that impact these families.

Unfortunately, new data reveals that poverty is on the rise in many Virginia cities and counties. Just last week the Census Bureau released new data indicating that the number of Virginia families living in poverty increased from 2010 to 2011. And our kids fare far worse. As of 2011, 15% of kids in the Commonwealth live in poverty.

But 46 million Americans living in poverty is far too many. Our elected officials, at every level of government, can and must do more to invest in policies that protect vulnerable families and enrich our communities.We know these policies matter, in part because the new data also demonstrates that programs like Social Security, nutrition assistance (SNAP) and the Earned Income Tax Credit kept millions more Americans from experiencing life below the poverty line.

We invite you to take action in one simple way today. Sign the Half in Ten Pledge. By signing, which you can do online here, you will join the growing number of advocates calling upon elected officials to prioritize policies that will reduce poverty in half over the next 10 years. Our voices are needed more than ever as our congressmen face tough choices about the federal budget and our state officials prepare to come back to Richmond for the 2013 General Assembly.

Take a minute, sign the pledge, and make your voice heard.

The Beloved Community

Posted by: SuperUser Account on 8/31/2012
By Marco Grimaldo

Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. often wrote and spoke about his vision of a Beloved Community, which emphasizes connectedness and care for one another over individuality. King's view was that by nature, humans are social and consequently we need one another.  He once said “We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.”  I couldn’t agree more.

Lately, I find myself yearning for King’s Beloved Community more deeply than ever. I have been both saddened and angered by the news of violence and hatred at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin, the mosque in Joplin, Missouri, and the recent shootings in Washington, D.C. and New York City. I want to find a way to respond to what I perceive as an increasing separation from my sisters and brothers, and a declining emphasis on community and interconnectedness.

Still, I think there is hope. Just look at how we rally to support one another in difficult times. After the shooting in Wisconsin, people of faith in Richmond joined the Sikh community for a candlelight vigil on the grounds of the Capitol and that Sunday I attended prayers at the Richmond Gurdwara. I was seated between Imam Ammar on one side and a leader from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on the other. Later in the week I prayed with Muslims in Richmond and Dulles as they celebrated Ramadan and came together for an interfaith Iftar meal. I don’t mean to suggest that these gatherings in any way balance the pain and anger resulting from tragedy. Rather I think they offer a way of dealing with tragedy and helping to build a stronger community for the future.

It is worth noting that King’s vision of community is offered in the context of a struggle for social and economic justice. I believe that building community is, in part, about working for the common good and strengthening our capacity to respond to challenges as a society. What do you believe?  How are you connected to the struggle for social justice and community?

The vision of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy is a world where people of all faiths cooperate to create compassionate communities that are just, peaceful, equitable and sustainable. And together we work to bring about social justice for all by advocating for systemic change. Every time you speak up for the poor or call your delegate to protect the rights of your neighbor, you help build the Beloved Community, and this, more than anything, gives me hope.

Rethinking Bias

Posted by: SuperUser Account on 6/21/2012
This week, several Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC) buses began featuring ads that call attention to religious diversity and invite people to visit www.rethinkbias.org .  This is part of a campaign, Rethink Bias, designed to challenge public perceptions of religious difference and help build greater understanding about the reasoning for particular religious practices. The posters on the outside of the buses feature people from the Muslim, Jewish and Sikh  traditions. The photographs highlight their religious attire, specifically religious head dress, and invite the public to learn why this is an important aspect of religious observance.

Many of you will remember our previous Rethink Bias campaign that featured common American sayings written out in Arabic script.  These posters challenged the public to see beyond their preconceptions about Arabic and the Muslim community at large.  In that case, the script translated into simple sayings like, “Paper or Plastic?” or “I’m a little teapot.”  Our current campaign invites people to ask why certain religious attire is important or meaningful.

Anisah is a woman with a beautiful smile who is a Muslim student at Virginia Commonwealth University.  We asked a common question, “why do some Muslim women wear the hijab?”  For Anisah, "it was about modesty." She explained that by wearing the hijab “people have no choice but to look at me for who I am rather than what I look like."

Other ads feature Rabbi Beck-Berman of Congregation Brith Achim in Petersburg, and cousins Harnek and Gurtej who are Sikh and wear turbans in observance of their faith and traditions.

For those of you in Richmond, look for the Rethink Bias bus ads the next time you see a GRTC bus coming your way! I invite everyone to visit www.rethinkbias.org to read more about the people featured in the ads and the ways in which they observe their faith.  Finally, let us know what you think of the ads and the campaign.  Your views are important to us and we do a better job when we hear from you.

At the Crossroads of Faith and Public Policy

Posted by: SuperUser Account on 4/16/2012
By Marco Grimaldo
Published in the Richmond Times Dispatch
Monday, April 16, 2012

Years ago, a friend of mine had a lapel pin with the image of a street sign on it, which indicated the crossroads of religion and public policy. This logo was the emblem of the Lutheran Office for Public Policy, and it remains a metaphor for how I understand the role of faith and public policy.

In his book "Christian Faith and Public Policy: No Grounds for Divorce," Art Simon, founder of Bread for the World, makes a case for people of faith, particularly Christians, to engage in the political process. A former pastor, Simon argues that the process of making laws and changing policy is too important to be left to others, and if people don't speak up for the moral principles they believe in, then the decisions will simply be made without them. What's more, he makes the case from a Christian perspective that we are responsible not only for our own well-being but, in part, for that of our neighbors as well. I have found that this sense of moral responsibility and agency is a common theme that motivates Virginians of many faiths to care for others.

The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy has a 30-year tradition of respecting and engaging Virginians from diverse religious backgrounds by drawing on this common concern of caring for our neighbors. This shared responsibility leads us to advocate together for compassionate policies that support families in need and strengthen whole communities. Fundamentally, we believe that there is an appropriate role for government to play, and that government should be held accountable in doing that job well. We believe in building stronger communities through shared efforts and shared responsibilities. We believe that when government or other structures of common life fall short, we must come together to find solutions rather than becoming entrenched in our differences.

The Center has cultivated strong, independent and collaborative faith voices to change public policy in ways that help low-income, underserved people and communities throughout the commonwealth. Each year, thousands of Virginians from many different faiths partner with us to communicate their concerns to their representatives in the General Assembly and in Congress. Together, we share our views of public policy and acknowledge the moral context that our faith offers to our understanding of policy. This year, advocates weighed in on a variety of issues related to hunger and poverty, funding and access to social service programs for struggling families, protections for youth at risk of being trafficked, and policies that promote clean, renewable energy as we seek to be better stewards of creation.

People of faith have various priorities that they choose to address, but lately state and federal budgets have been a pressing concern for many. Center members largely agree that responsible budgets should include spending cuts when needed and new revenue to invest in the future of our children and strengthen our commonwealth. On the whole, Virginia has fared relatively well in the recent economic recession, but not all Virginians are benefiting from the recovery equally and job losses have hit families hard. Our budget advocacy includes protecting funding for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women Infants and Children (WIC) program, which provide much needed assistance to families who would otherwise go hungry. Unemployment insurance, health-insurance programs for low-income families, and community health clinics provided added support for families struggling to make ends meet. The Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit are examples of tax policies that directly alleviate poverty and invest in our local economies. These are just some of the policies that the Center and its advocates work for out of our shared recognition of a moral or religious obligation to care for one another.

Religion and politics almost always get more attention during a presidential election year and "hot button issues" like gay marriage and abortion too often dominate the conversation. I hope people of faith throughout Virginia will think prayerfully about what it will take to improve life for everyone in their community — the common good, if you will. Then, consider what you are willing to do to make this possible. Will you write a letter to your delegate or senator to share your concerns? Will you commit to learn more about the needs of low-income and vulnerable people in your community? Regardless of your political persuasion or religious background, get involved, speak up and let's work together for a better Virginia.
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