A (Belated) Valentine’s Request From The General Board Of Church & Society

Today — Valentine’s Day — the President releases his Fiscal Year 2012 Budget. In many ways the budget is a moral document that provides the clearest sense of who and what we value as a community. During this same week, the U.S. Congress will be considering unfinished spending bills for the current fiscal year with strong implications for our anti-poverty ministries in the U.S. and around the world. 

As Christians we are called to love our neighbors and reflect Christ’s particular concern for those struggling in poverty and on the margins of society.  This call compels us to ask the simple question of our leaders: How do your proposals reflect our shared love and concern for the poor?

Send a Valentine’s Message to your elected leaders today at www.umc-gbcs.org/showlove.

A few weeks ago, we listened together to the State of the Union and the Republican response for signs of how our leaders are addressing the plight of our brothers and sisters living in poverty.  Thanks to all of you who joined the conversation through emails and our online forum (www.umc-gbcs.org/StateofUnionReflections). 

The sad reality is that the plight of our neighbors struggling on the economic margins was not a focus of the conversation and failed to rate even a mention in the President’s address.

We can and must change the conversation.  We know as Christians we must prioritize the needs of the poor.  We know as United Methodists that our church has made eradicating poverty a focus area for our collective ministries.  We must now ask our leaders to join us in this effort.

As daunting as this may seem to engage in the budget debate (and yes, I confess to being a bit of a budget nerd) – you might be heartened to know that history is full of examples where we made a difference.  The last three major “deficit-reduction” packages in the United States – in 1990, 1993 and 1997 – all included provisions that protected and/or expanded anti-poverty initiatives with the result that following enactment of each we witnessed a reduction in poverty. 

But those victories didn’t just happen.  They were won because of the constant witness of people of faith and justice advocates who refused to let our leaders ignore the plight of the poor.

In the weeks and months ahead I will be sharing additional education and action opportunities so that we might continue this faithful witness.  In the meantime I invite you to send a Valentine’s Day message to your elected officials (www.umc-gbcs.org/showlove) and join our online conversation.

Thank you for all your faithful work and willingness to engage in this critical conversation.
Peace,

John Hill
Economic and Environmental Justice