Be Inspired
When issues like mass incarceration, the disproportionate number of people of color in our prisons and jails, the overcrowding of our jails, the barriers and obstacles facing returning citizens are brought to our attention, it’s easy to sigh deeply, feel badly and do nothing. Solutions seem so far out of reach.
Yet, we can respond differently. Instead of that rueful sigh where stale and despairing air is exhaled, we can breathe in exhilarating life-filled inspiration. Then, action and solutions are given birth.
Pastor Nora Jacob drew in such a breath of inspiration and we are all the beneficiaries of her efforts. She, along with others, drafted and proposed two important resolutions at the Pacific Southwest Regional Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) this past fall. Both resolutions passed!
The first resolution calls upon the church to practice hospitality and welcome to all who are currently or previously incarcerated. This resolution encourages churches to study and become involved in prison and jail related ministries both behind and beyond the walls of prisons and jails. The resolution is a wonderful teaching tool for everyone interested in these issues.
The second resolution endorses Proposition 47, which was approved by California voters in November of this year. Proposition 47 makes California the first state in the nation to end felony sentencing for low-level drug possession and petty theft crimes, shifting more than a billion dollars over the next five years from prison spending to K-12 school programs, victim services and mental health and drug treatment.
The Spirit is moving in California! How can the movement of Spirit become a catalyst for action and change where you live? Let me hear how you might benefit from Pastor Jacob’s efforts and the work going on in the Pacific Southwest. Share with us how you have been inspired.
P.S. Read more from Nora Jacobs about responding to God’s call for restorative justice following the passage of Proposition 47! Or, visit the Pacific Southwest Region’s blog to learn more.
