We are living in a time of great uncertainty and political divide that possibly will color our view of our neighbors for quite some time. How can we as Christians navigate this difficult journey? How can we care for those whose views we simply can’t understand? How can we love our neighbor when it seems so hard?
In a three-part Sunday miniseries beginning October 13, we will discuss recent articles from The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Christian Century that shed light on circumstances others are living through that perhaps we have not experienced or understood.
We will learn that in the U.S. there are more and more cities, particularly in the Midwest, that are crumbling due to closures of industries that many blame upon the effects of NAFTA, sending jobs to Mexico or else overseas. Suddenly, jobless families find they cannot make ends meet. In Springfield, Ohio, 20,000 immigrants land there in a relatively short time, overwhelming the city’s resources yet filling a huge worker shortage for jobs that longtime residents are not taking. Meanwhile south of the border, way south, migrants from around the world are passing through a jungle in Panama to make their way to the U.S. where, they believe, life will be better, if they can survive the Darien Gap. If they do, someone must care for them when they arrive. As a result, Latino churches find themselves at the forefront providing social services that our nation has largely left unrecognized. How are these stories part of a bigger picture?
Printed copies of the articles will be available in the narthex for anyone who is interested in attending the class. These articles will require several pages of reading each week. The subject, obviously, is complex.
Our neighbors no longer are those who live just within the manmade boundaries of a city, state, or nation. Today, our neighborhood is the world, and all its people are our neighbors. If we are to overcome the distrust, hate, and division that threatens our world, we as Christians must commit to learning what it is like to walk in a lot of different neighbors’ shoes.
Beginning October 13, 2024, until further notice
Every Sunday from 10:00 – 10:50 AM
Room 211
Please contact Diana Hoke at hokediana@gmail.com with any questions.
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