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by Minister & President Rev. Dr. Jim Antal
February/March 2007
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Inter-Religious Clergy Gathering: Minister and President Jim Antal spent the morning of September 11, 2006, in prayer and meaningful discussion with the leaders and representatives from the diverse religious communities throughout the Commonwealth. From left to right: The Rev. Jim Antal, Cardinal Sean O’Malley OFM Cap, His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios (Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston), the Rev. Dr. Diane Kessler (see “Let It Shine” profile on B4), and Ms. Nancy Kaufman, executive director, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston. |
A few weeks ago I was a guest at a meeting. Like many of you, I attend a lot of meetings. Many are – shall we say – not too exciting. This was an exception.
A dozen or so able, committed and joyful souls gather each month with visionary hope. They are the Task Force to End Homelessness – one of several task forces related
to the Commission for Mission and Justice Ministries. They view their work as temporary. When homelessness ends, they will click their heels in joyful celebration, and then move on to other matters.
You may have heard the story of two people who walk up to the side of a river and see body after bloody body floating by. One person immediately dives in and begins to pull the bodies to the bank of the river and administer first aid. The other hesitates for a moment, and then begins to walk up stream. She realizes that someone has to figure out why these people are being injured and pushed into the river and stop it.
Listening to the discussion of the Task Force to End Homelessness, I felt like we were marching upstream on that river together. On February 28 you can join the march by participating in the Legislative Action Day from 9:00am to 3:00pm in the Great Hall of the State House in Boston. This event, sponsored by the Mass. Coalition for the Homeless, will feature keynote speaker Stephen Mindich, founder and CEO of Phoenix Media/ Communications and publisher of the Boston Phoenix. It will also include a panel discussion focusing on how children are affected by loss of housing. To prepare for this event, you are encouraged to make an appointment for February 28 with your legislator. More information is available from our Task Force Chair, Fran Bogle at fbog@aol.com and from the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless: www.mahomeless.org/specialevents/specialevents.html.
Working to end homelessness is one of dozens of ways UCC members throughout the Commonwealth are engaging the public arena in response to their faith commitments. The UCC is not alone in this. People by the millions of various faith perspectives are increasingly engaged in civic matters because they believe their faith demands it.
But for every person who lives out their faith commitment in a public context, there is at least another who believes that faith is a private matter between each individual and God. Richard Cizik, a leading Evangelical whose witness on environmental issues has changed the minds of many, recently commented, “We evangelicals have never understood how to have a public faith. We understand how to have a private faith and how to have a public citizenship, but we haven’t understood how to have a public faith.” While he says this with lament, many – including some in the UCC – would say it with pride.
I am writing this column the day before the inauguration of our new Governor. Deval Patrick will take his oath of office with his hand placed on the Bible which the freed slaves from the Amistad gave to one of our congregational forebears, President John Quincy Adams, who was responsible for winning their freedom by his arguments before the Supreme Court. In gratitude for the gift, Adams wrote to the former slaves, “It was from that book that I learnt to espouse your cause when you were in trouble.”
Let us continue to recognize that “there is still more light and truth to break forth from God’s Holy Word.” Just as “that book” inspired President Adams to work on behalf of freedom and abolition, it also inspires us to work to end homelessness, war, poverty, hunger and environmental degradation.
Let us continue our long-standing witness, going forward as people with a public faith.