This week I started work at the National Farm Worker Ministry (nfwm.org), a nonprofit, faith-based, grassroots organization that seeks justice for farm workers across the U.S.
As there has been some ambiguity about what, exactly, this means (I myself am still a bit hazy!), I thought I'd post a helpful description from our website:
NFWM an interfaith organization supporting farm workers as they organize for justice. It began in 1920 as a ministry of charity and service, providing food, clothing, and day care to the farm workers. When United Farm Workers founder César Chávez began organizing in the 1960's, he called on the religious community to change its emphasis from charity to justice. NFWM became the vehicle for people of faith to respond to that call. It brings together national denominations, state councils of churches, religious orders and congregations, and concerned individuals to act with the farm workers to achieve fundamental change in their living and working conditions.
Thus far, my work has been restricted to a small office in the basement of the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, which has a heavily wooded and summer camp-esque campus (which is, thankfully, dog friendly). I'm learning a lot about things such as immigration, labor unions, agribusiness, Mexican-American relations, food ethics, liberation theology, and lofty ideas such as justice and community empowerment, all of which have only existed as abstractions in my brain until now. When I think about the struggles of this people group (migrant workers), however, I am overwhelmed at its enormity and connectedness to so many other ministry issues... and I'm learning that it's not so much the farm workers who need Jesus (indeed, their faith is often the strongest) but the growers and policy makers.
Office tasks this week have included researching mainline denominations and their stances on social issues, making copies and scanning newspaper articles (from past rallies), and, oh yeah, reading Wendell Berry. If those of you who are well versed in agrarian theology, or whatever you call it, have any book recommendations, send 'em my way!
Next week I hope to visit my first labor camp, which is a basically a shanty town set up by growers for their workers and is usually way below labor standards. It will be an eye-opening and humbling experience. Also, next week I am helping teach children's Sunday School at the UU church...
That's it for now. I hope you guys are all encountering Christ in your various settings. Thanks for keeping us all informed!
bd
bd,
ReplyDeletethat is awesome. thanks for the update. i think you are going to be in for a real treat. let us know how sunday school turns out!
Teaching Sunday School at the Unitarian Universalist Church?
ReplyDeleteBlake Daniel for the win.
Growing up, the Unitarian Universalist Church met in the big assembly room of my elementary school, which was right on the town green. We used to drive by on our way to church and I'd see all the cars parked at my school on a sunday and be so confused. My parents told me that the people who went to church there "thought that God was in the rocks."
ReplyDeleteAlso, the BP oil disaster seems important for thinking about food. We have to drill for oil in dangerous ways, mile below the ocean's surface, so that we can continue to use fuel as a hidden cost to sustain a overgrown monstrosity of a global food industry. Yet, that global food industry is exactly the industry that overlooks the farm workers that Blake is going to be meeting this summer. How is it that we are at the point where we have to destroy the planet in order to maintain an unnatural agricultural system that is oppressive to most of the people involved in the system?
ReplyDeletethanks for the update!
ReplyDeleteart of the commonplace (wendell berry).
His essay "the body and the earth" is worth reading (and re-reading often!). changed the way I think about bodies.
well, I'm on the other side of the world eating free range meat, locally grown produce (sometimes harvested directly from the garden)...this morning I chatted with Sophie, one of the girls who was picking, washing, and drying greens that showed up on my plate an hour later.
I'll be curious to hear more of your thoughts about all of these food things...Darriel and LUc and i had a long conversation about food politics and ethics today.
M/Z/N, remember in Journeys how EK always talked about the dirt? (deeeeeehrt). Well, being here that makes a lot more sense. A great portion of the day for many people is spent washing things from dirt (food, clothing, floors), or digging/harvesting (also in the dirt).
Pretty wild stuff.
And one more thought (this is turning more into a blog post). Today I read John 2, where Jesus throws the money changers and sellers out of the temple. After trapsing through the market today in Gulu, I can better imagine what this must have been like....animals wandering, a blend of sights, smells, and tastes that blend into chaos, babies everywhere, sound, dirt, money....
That's all for now.
Smiling thinking of you all.
yours,
e
Thanks for the repsonses! I'll be sure and let you know how Sunday School goes. I'm only bummed 'cause I'll have to miss Matt's first Bahama sermon.
ReplyDeleteMJ, I'm equally confused and angered by the BP situation. I again quote Jurassic Park: The lack of humility before nature that's being displayed here, uh... staggers me.
EE, thanks for the WB rec. I'll hopefully check it out soon. We're glad to hear things are going well so far!
blake - i was helping out at the center for reconciliation's summer institute this week and i know that Dr. Wirzba was doing his seminar sessions on land/covenant/earth reconciliation and has a lot of info/insight on all this stuff - maybe check out some of his books? I'm sure the div school library has them...
ReplyDelete