A Vigil for Social Justice at the St. Paul Lutheran Church Labyrinth

On May 21, we began with a 3-day fast, joining millions of people around the world who were praying for an end to famine, praying in advance of the release of the president’s budget, and in preparation for advocacy actions. We continue to fast and pray on the 21st of each month throughout this 115th Congress through the end of 2018. We chose the 21st of the month because that is the day when SNAP (formerly food stamps) benefits for most families run out. It is the hungriest week of the month. -from "For Such a Time as This" campaign, led by Bread for the World and leaders of several religious denominations and organizations.

Immigration Vigil at St. Paul Labyrinth

On Tuesday, November 21, a group of people of faith will gather at the labyrinth garden at St. Paul Lutheran Church. , 1100 Indian School Rd. (map), in Albuquerque to pray with their feet, their hearts and their minds "Our plan is to gather at 5:00 p.m. for brief time of quiet prayer, meditation, walking the labyrinth, perhaps a taize song," said Ivan Westergaard, one of the planners of the event along with Karla Ice and others at the church.

Vigil organizers invite all people of faith and conscience in Albuquerque to participate in the social justice-oriented vigil. "This will all be very informal," said Westergaard

The labyrinth is open year round for use by individuals. Other communal events have been held here too, such a vigil for immigration rights in February

The Nov. 21 gathering is part of the  For Such a Time as This, a campaign that urges people of faith to pray, fast and advocate on the 21st day of every month. Organizers plan to hold the vigil at St. Paul every 21st day of the month through December 2018.

Fasting as Prayer
Some of the people of faith around the country who participate in vigils on the 21st including fasting,  perhaps skipping lunch or foregoing dinner later that evening. (Bread advocate David Miner of Indianapolis fasted for 16 days).

As people of faith, we are called to show solidarity with vulnerable people and communities around the world.  Therefore, our prayers urge our elected leaders to make budget decisions that preserve funding for foreign assistance, maintain the integrity of health care  and domestic nutrition programs and protect vulnerable communities from the negative impacts of climate change.

"There are no easy answers or strategies. But there is our call to go deeper in our faith, to center ourselves in God instead of news cycles, to pray for God’s wisdom and presence, to fast in order to help focus our hearts and minds, and to be ready to advocate — to speak the truth to power — for those whom Jesus calls 'the least of these'," said Rev. Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners and a leader in the campaign.

from People's Climate March in ABQ, April 2017

Action and Advocacy
What about the Act or Advocacy aspect of the vigil?  Like all the groups and communities praying on Nov. 21, the folks gathered at St. Paul Lutheran will center their efforts on climate change (although all the other issues remain very much in our hearts and minds).

Here is what the ELCA, led by Presiding Bishop Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, says about the November action. "ELCA congregations and community organizations across the country work tirelessly to help when disaster strikes, most recently in Texas, California, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. To prepare our nation for the future, our federal government must invest in research, urban planning and building infrastructure designed for the climate challenges of the next 100 years."

The Episcopal Public Policy Network with support from Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry, presiding bishop and primate, Episcopal Church, has a similar message. "As the earth’s climate continues to transition and threaten communities, we answer the call this month by supporting action for federal investment to make our nation, communities, and public services more resilient and better prepared in the face of increasingly common and destructive natural disasters and changing weather patterns."

An Interfaith Response
The campaign includes many partners in the Christian community (Willow Creek Community Church;  Christians Churches Together in the USA; the National African American Clergy Network; Bishop Richard Pates of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Des Moines, Iowa; the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and others), but is actually an interfaith action. The campaign is  supported and promoted by Anwar Khan, CEO, of Islamic Relief USA and the Alliance to End Hunger, which represents groups like Jewish Council for Public Affairs. 

MAZON:A Jewish Response to Hunger, even though not officially a part of the campaign, the organization is doing its part to raise some of these important issues. More than 1,500 constituent groups of MAZON contacted Congress in July to urge legislators to make a responsible choice when making budget decisions. “Our message to you is clear: there is no way to keep the promise of prosperity for all Americans, including families with children, women, seniors, people with disabilities, communities of color, and others who are being left behind in the 21st century economy, without significantly increasing investments in public education, affordable housing, health and nutrition, public transit, roads and bridges, clean air, clean water, clean energy, child care, and other means of making investments in communities that also create good jobs.”