The Lord is in our midst

www.brethren.org/adventoffering

A theme reflection for the 2021 Advent Offering by Matt DeBall, coordinator of Mission Advancement communications

“The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.”
~Zephaniah 3:15b, NIV


Hope. Peace. Love. Joy.

These are the thoughtful liturgical themes of the Advent season. They are signposts that can guide us from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and serve as gateways that usher us toward the humble manger of Jesus. Whether your congregation follows this rotation of topics or not, each of us is invited in this season to draw nearer to Immanuel—the God who is with us.

In the age of the prophet Zephaniah, the people of Israel were indeed in need of these reminders. His three-chapter book is primarily weighted with words of judgement:  for the people, for their adversaries, and for the land itself because of how it had been used for evil. It seems that God’s patience had run out, even for Israel, and that the consequences for their self-serving, idolatrous actions were finally catching up to them. It is into this heavy situation that Zephaniah spoke.

Have hope:  the Lord is with you.
Find peace:  God will end our affliction.
Feel love:  the Lord will soothe you.
Sing with joy:  God is rejoicing over you.

Though our circumstances may be a far-cry from what Israel was facing, these ancient words of truth still echo into our brokenness, struggle, and pain. We don’t need to be far from God to benefit from the reminder that God is near to us through all that we endure. Though very real conditions of violence, disaster, and disease in our world can trouble us, we can find comfort and confidence in knowing that the Lord is in our midst.

Even in the face of challenges, the ministries of the Church of the Brethren move forward for the glory of God and our neighbor’s good. Together we share words of hope for the future of the church, reveal the peace of Christ and the love of God, and in all things, find joy in the work of the Holy Spirit that is restoring all things.

May we find inspiration and strength on the journey through Advent and experience anew that the Lord, indeed, is in our midst.

Learn more about the 2021 Advent Offering of the Church of the Brethren at www.brethren.org/adventoffering or give an offering today at www.brethren.org/giveoffering .

(Read this issue of eBrethren.)

Ecological Injustice in Lagos, Nigeria

One of the more visible effects of global warming is flooding, and coastal cities -like Lagos, Nigeria- are seeing a rise in sea levels, due to melting polar icecaps. As one of the most populous cities on the continent of Africa, communities fear that the city is becoming unhabitable. This is because while floods are not foreign to Nigeria -March to November are peak rainy months-, the floods this year have been some of the worst on record.

This issue is further exacerbated by unreliable drainage systems, waste management facilities, and rushed poor housing infrastructure. Lack of infrastructural resistance and/or agility in the face of climate change put the lives of residents at risk. Torrential rain because of ecological injustice and rising sea levels, coupled with a coastline that is constantly eroding due to being mined for construction purposes, the urgency of now cannot be overstated.

Former priorities by the Lagos State government geared towards caring for the environment such as: proper waste management facilities, tree-planting exercises, and avenues for environmental sustainability awareness have been abandoned, leaving residents and indigenes reeling and struggling to keep up with manifestations of ecological injustice, such as these torrential floods. Governmental and institutional failure to see these floods not just as an ecological issue but also as a public health, security, and class issue as well highlights how tragic its dismal response to the recent flooding and the displacement and hardship it is causing.

Western efforts to disseminate capitalism via economic and democratic conditions in the name of ‘development’ sees cities such as Lagos located on the African continent -which produces 2-3% of carbon emissions, being disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change. Often advocacy for a political economy that mirrors that of countries like the US, which have large industrial economies -industries that include a food system contingent displacement and immigrant worker exploitation, or the military & arms industry- in countries like Nigeria do not highlight the violence that is the cornerstone of these political economies. Additionally, dependency is what is usually advanced through efforts of disseminating development via institutions such as IMF, World Bank and even US State department and USAID. Ecological injustice is a direct ramification of turning a blind eye to the slippery underbelly of the current political economy. There is a direct connection between the maligned, capitalistic use of the land for coal, oil, monoculture farming and animal rearing, funding + sustaining of extrajudicial wars and environmental degradation. Analysis of the torrential floods impacting coastal cities such as Lagos must be done within the larger context of ecological injustice internationally.

As people of faith, we have an obligation to hold in love the land and all who walk on it. An important way of doing so is understanding the ways in which we are complicit, questioning, or actively pushing back against structures and institutions causing harm -harm that disproportionately impacts black and brown bodies worldwide. Pushing back against ecological injustice is work that does not take place only in the sphere of the individual; changing your recycling and composting habits is half a step in a fifty-mile journey. Ecological justice is also a security, public health, and economic issue, and we must orient ourselves to thinking about the work of loving the earth and all who walk on it in these realms too. This week especially, as we gather in to break bread with our loved ones, on stolen land soaked with the blood of indigenous nations who even now steward and care for the land, we echo the sentiments shared in the World Council of Churches Statement in response to COP26, which “…acknowledge[s] and affirm[s] the agency and leadership of Indigenous People…” and “…appeals for a fundamental conversation in all our nations, societies, churches, and communities, away from the destructive exploitative path which has led us to this precipice, towards a just and sustainable future.”

Susuyu Lassa is currently a seminarian at Bethany Theological Seminary. She is from Nigeria -born in Lagos- and is a member of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN). This op-ed was written to fulfill the requirements of the 2021 Faithful Climate Action Fellowship.

Thanking God for you!

Thanking God for you!
www.brethren.org/givingtuesday

A reflection for Giving Tuesday (November 30) by Matt DeBall, coordinator of Mission Advancement communications

“How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you?” ~1 Thessalonians 3:9

The bond of love in the body of Christ knows no bounds.

As Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, he was serving more than 250 miles away in Corinth—a distance that would involve several days of travel. Paul surely longed to be present with them, but in the meantime, he wrote a heart-felt letter to share words of encouragement and gratitude with their community.

The places where we serve in the US (and around the world) might have far more than 250 miles in between; however, as we talk with one another (by letter, email, phone, or video conference) and hear stories of how each of us is growing in faith and love, we are held tightly together in the family of God.

Over the past year (and long before), we have witnessed your boldness of faith and your spirit of generosity through the ways that you care for your community, for the church, and for people who are in need everywhere. We also have felt your loving support for the missions and ministries of the Church of the Brethren.

Through your faithful partnership, volunteers are trained through Brethren Volunteer Service to be the hands and feet of Jesus. With your help, the work of the Emergency Disaster Fund ­­­rebuilds communities affected by disaster and brings healing to survivors. Because of your support, the Office of Global Mission continues to accompany our sisters and brothers around the world, and the Global Food Initiative works with partners to support agriculture and address food insecurity. With your gifts, Discipleship Ministries equips Brethren of all ages, the Office of Ministry cares for district leaders and set-apart ministers, and the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy bears witness to the peace of Christ in ecumenical and non-religious settings. In short, the ongoing work of our missions and ministries is because of you!

On Giving Tuesday (November 30), we will give thanks for you and celebrate all the work we are able to accomplish together. Join us (today or then) by making a gift to the Church of the Brethren at www.brethren.org/givingtuesday.

Through seasons of challenge and celebration alike, we give thanks to God for you and for the love we share across many miles.