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Betray the Age
July 2010
(w/ special appeal)
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Dear NY Faith & Justice Friends and Family,
Have you ever been told a lie--the kind that shapes your view of the world or your relationships in it? Have you believed it with your whole heart and mind and shaped your life and dreams around it? I have.
I've been thinking about truth and lies lately--about their power to shape our worldview, our actions, our communities, and our worship.
A month ago we sat in a D.C. conference room staring at a large blank flip-chart page taped to a wall. Seven New York Faith & Justice leaders and board members had joined 50 others representing teams from across the U.S. at the first annual National Faith & Justice Network Training Conference, Conspire: How to Build a Faith & Justice Movement in Your City.
Alexia
Salvatierra, our lead trainer and the executive director of CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for
Economic Justice) in California, explained that a faith-rooted approach
to organizing begins with the identification of "core lies"-- lies that
everyone in your
community assumes are true, regardless
of their race, class, or education.
So, on this day, teams from Arizona, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Boston, Seattle, California, South Carolina, Washington DC, and New York City were broken into regional groups to discern "core lies" that most people in our cities or regions believe to be true.
The New Yorkers sat with empty flip-chart paper taped to the wall and it didn't take long. Within minutes a long list emerged that we eventually narrowed down to two core lies:
- The ideology of individualism (i.e. "I am an island unto myself." "What I do only matters to me." "I gotta get mine.")
- Money = God. It demands the sacrifice of certain human beings on its altar.
There was heavy silence in the room as we took it in and considered what our own lives would be like if we really believed the truth:
- We are our brother's keeper (Genesis 4:9-10). True fasting is not to choose a day to humble oneself, it is to loose the bonds of injustice. It is to share your bread with the hungry and invite the homeless into your house (Isaiah 58:5-7) Do not worry about your life, strive first for the kingdom of God and the rest will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:25-34)
- You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3) You cannot serve God and wealth. (Matthew 6:24) All human beings are made in the image of God and, as such, are worthy of equal dignity and access to basic needs, including: food, shelter, work, and the ability to migrate (Genesis 1:26-28)
Then we considered a few ways the lies are manifest in our world: - BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico: up to 100,000 gallons per day killing ecosystems that God gave us the responsibility to steward. We failed to steward properly because we valued big money over regulation and stewardship of people and land.
- Financial system and devaluation of work and workers: Workers to executives wage gap is greatest since the years before the Great Depression.
- Food and Health Disparities: The reality of "food deserts" in a city known for fine restaurants.
- Broken Immigration System: Arizona immigration law passed. It devalues human beings, breaks up families, and encourages separate and unequal classes of people through the normalization of racial profiling. And more than 60% of the US likes the law.
- Normalized Violence: Creation of "throw-away" neighborhoods through the pervasive belief that some neighborhoods will just always be violent. All we can do is contain the violence there to make sure it doesn't spread to the "good" neighborhoods.
Then a member and financial partner of NY Faith and Justice, said: "This reminds me of part of an Irish poem, by Brendan Kennely. 'If you want to serve the age, betray it.'"
What does it look like to betray the age in our world, in our city, in your neighborhood? Well, for the months of July and August we will share one short story per week of people living in our city who are betraying the age. And each week we'll give you a few more ideas of ways you can betray the age in your daily life.
 Also each week we will give you the opportunity to partner with the work of NY Faith & Justice to betray the age. Right now we are
working to raise $25,000 in new and renewed individual financial partnerships. Contributions from people like you make the Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice,
Conversations for Change, and all of our work on Immigration Reform
possible. If you haven't renewed your membership, now is the time. If you've been waiting to partner with us, today is the day!
This week we'd like to suggest a simple way you can personally betray the age. Hold off on buying that new iPad or give up one trip to Starbucks or the movies per month. Do you really need another pair of strappy sandals? Instead, betray the age and contribute $5/mth, $10/mth, $25/mth, $50/mth, $100/mth or more to the work of NY Faith &
Justice.
 ***All who give $10/mth or more will receive a complimentary NY Faith & Justice T-Shirt! Don't forget to use the "Designation" box on the online giving page to indicate your size and let us know if you want a male or female cut. 
NOTE: If you prefer not to give online you can send checks made payable to "FCNY/NY Faith & Justice" to:
NY Faith & Justice
c/o Partnership
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 500
New York, NY 10115
Thank you for your continued prayers and partnership and don't forget to follow us on  ,  , the nyfj blog or the nyfj calendar for up to the minute action alerts, program changes, and details.
Engage,
Lisa Sharon Harper
Co-founder and Executive Director
New York Faith & Justice
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Save the Date!
Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice
invites you to
Food, Faith, and Health Disparities SummitOctober 2010Exact Date and Location TBA
What is it like to live in a "food desert"? What is the link between poverty,
obesity and diabetes? Do things just have to be this way? Is it a lost cause or can we do something about it?
Mark your calendars now and join faith and community leaders, health
and environmental advocates, and government representatives from the Boroughs of the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn in October for the Food, Faith, and Health Disparities Summit.
Join hundreds of New Yorkers who live in New York City's food deserts and those who don't. Listen and share your stories of food, faith and health. Work with a small group representing a diverse cross-section of New Yorkers to discern the spiritual, social and structural causes for our city's health disparities. Then work together to set action priorities for the next year.
Be a part of the solution!
Follow , , or the blog for updates!
This summit is made possible through the generous partnership of
the Bronx Health REACH Legacy Grant.
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Save the Date!
New York Faith & Justice
in collaboration with the Bronx Borough President's Office
invites you to
Bronx Borough
Conversations for Change Summit
Saturday, November 13, 2010
9am - 9pm
The city-wide murder-rate increased 22.8% in the first quarter of this year over the same period in 2009. In the Bronx, alone, several shootings involving police and community members have intensified already eroded trust. Our communities are less safe, in part, because there is a
breakdown in
trust between the police and the community-especially youth. How
do we bridge the trust gap? Where do we begin?
Conversations
for Change is a chance to build a
community where businesses thrive,
children play without fear, and positive partnerships between the
police and
community are built.
Join us on November 13, 2010 as we engage in one day of dialogue that will lead to one year of shared action toward change!
follow , , or the blog for updates!
The Bronx Borough Conversations for Change project is currently seeking corporate sponsors and major donors. If you are interested, please contact Lisa Sharon Harper at lsharper@nyfaithjustice.org or call 646 702 9776.
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July House Gathering!
Fun
Food and
Plotting Goodness
Every Month!
Brooklyn
Saturday, July 17, 12-2 pm
Special Musical Guest TBA!
Plus, join the block party after the gathering!
@ Radical Living
32 Hart Street
Brooklyn, NY 11206
To RSVP contact Melinda at melinda.faust@gmail.com.
follow , , or the blog for updates!
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