Sadly the struggle for justice in Florida’s agricultural sector is far from over. It is still the case that a great number of the workers who labor in Florida’s fields, particularly in the Immokalee region, suffer from horrendous working conditions that often constitute outright slavery. Since 1997 more than a thousand people have been freed from involuntary servitude in Florida—that is to say, freed from egregiously abusive work environments in which they were prevented from escape by means of threatened and actual violence. They were the lucky ones. Slavery in Florida is not only alive but thriving. As Chief Assistant US Attorney Douglas Molloy put it, the Immokalee region in Florida is “ground zero for modern slavery.” You can read all about it (and sign a petition) at CIW’s website, or in Barry Estabrook’s very recent and very incisive articles in Gourmet Magazine.

The highly troubling cause of CIW’s current campaign is Florida Governor Charlie Crist’s inexplicable refusal to address the situation or discuss the facts with CIW, despite the fact that a broad and reputable coalition has called on him to do so. One only hopes that the CIW’s will succeed in pushing the state government out of its inaction. You can help by signing the organization’s petition here. It is important that we take notice. The vast majority of the tomatoes Americans eat in winter are picked by Florida laborers who quite likely are currently suffering under the systemic injustices in this industry. The Hebrew Scriptures tell us that there is a season for everything under heaven, a time to plant, and a time to uproot. Winter is not tomato season, and we need to be aware of the source of our out-of-season produce. In any case, it strikes me that, amidst the economic crises and continued political bickering which so easily capture our attention, it is vital that socially concerned Christians not forget these less-publicized struggles for justice. There are matters other than Rush’s latest pronouncement that deserve the attention of our minds and consciences.

Sen. Brownback’s office is not surprisingly backing off of the statements and has asked that the group quit using his signature. Catholic Advocate, the group whose fundraising letter has set off the whole firestorm, is refusing to back down and claims the language was properly approved by the Senator’s office.

Faithful America and Catholics United are running a petition drive to ask Sen. Brownback to clarify his statements to those who have received the letter and for Catholic Advocate to donate the funds raised off of this letter to be given to charity. I encourage you all to sign it here.

UPDATE: Faithful America is reporting that 3000+ and counting have so far called for accountability from Sen. Brownback.

In response to many of the raids that were separating parents from their children, senior citizens from their caretakers, and spouses from one another, The Latino Leadership Circle, The Council of Churches of the City of New York, CONLICO, and the Latino Pastoral Action Center hosted “LEVANTANDO NUESTRAS VOCES” (Lifting Our Voices) at La Sinagoga on 115 East 125th St, NYC.

I was there, along with Grant Brooke, listening to testimony after testimony of people—mothers and their children, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters of all races, cultures, and colors—speak about the raids, the difficult process of legalization, the abuse they received at the hands of dishonest lawyers and intimidating officers.

Gabriel Salguero, a pastor and the Director of the Hispanic Leadership Program at Princeton Theological Seminary, among other roles, hosted the event that also called for people to be informed of their basic human rights by staff on hand, to sign petitions, and to present their pressing cases.

I was so surprised that it was packed with so many people—leaders from the community, media, pastors, politicians, religious folk, etc, etc.  Why?  Well, I often feel that churches stay away from controversial issues, unless they concern the so-called “culture wars.” 

Churches walk a fine line, as tax-exempt organizations that have a respected role in the government’s view, when they take on controversial issues such as immigration (of course with notable exceptions like the Sanctuary Movement, which has been thrown around again recently).

As far as immigration reform aiding undocumented immigrants, what roles CAN churches play? What roles DO churches play?  People of faith?

“Who are you?” they demanded. “Identification, now!”

My friend, partly in a dream state, but mostly afraid that men dressed in uniform have entered his room with no permission, no announcement of identity, just questions, looked frantically for an escape. He nervously tried to move. He was forcibly restrained. They asked him if he knew a fugitive they were after, he answered in cries “No, no, no!” or “I don’t know!”

His accent was heavy and he had no “papers” to show them. He was taken to jail at about 19.

But let’s rewind.

Not too long before that, he was a volunteer at a Presbyterian Vacation Bible School (Escuelita de Verano is what it’s called by Castellano speakers). I was the director, having planned recreation activities, music lessons, theatre instruction, and arts and crafts for about 50 children in a tragically neglected and underserved area. He was a tremendous help, a positive role model for the children, and had an endearing personality.

But he was caught in “a raid” (una enredada) as “police like men” were searching for an undocumented immigrant with a criminal history. (He doesn’t know whether they were FBI, state, county, or local police, INS, etc, etc).

Then you read this article in the New York Times and wonder how important, really, is the rule of law and protection from the “tyranny of the majority” (as James Madison highlighted in the Federalist Papers writing under Publius) to us, as a nation?

Are the indiscriminate raids on people in their homes a moral issue? Something the Church should be concerned about?

On the book’s companion website, I’ve also included podcasts with religious leaders such as Rev. Jim Forbes, Rabbi David Saperstein, Rev. Dr. Susan Thistlethwaite, Eboo Patel, and others.

Here’s what some others have had to say about the book. I would welcome comments about the book here in this community.

Praise for Progressive & Religious:

“Robert P. Jones understands that progressive faith is not simply a ‘left’ alternative to the Religious Right, but a bringing together of religious belief and practice with progressive politics…. Progressive & Religious convincingly shows how people of many different faiths are creating an authentic social vision for a pluralistic America. I commend this book to all who are seeking to join their faith and politics in working for a better world.”—Rev. Jim Wallis, Sojourners, author of The Great Awakening

“Robert P. Jones is one of the most searching, thoughtful and practical thinkers in the revival of religiously-rooted progressivism, and his book is a great blessing for that cause and for the country. Anyone—left, right or center—who wants a guide to this new movement would do well to spend time with this book.” —E. J. Dionne, Jr., Washington Post, author of Souled Out

“This instructive book should be in front of every newspaper journalist and every spiritual progressive. Sensitive to theological as well as political concerns, Progressive & Religious is a valuable introduction to the contemporary struggle for a progressive spiritual transformation of the world that is taking place in most of the world’s religions.” —Rabbi Michael Lerner, Tikkun Magazine, The Network of Spiritual Progressives, author of The Left Hand of God

“An illuminating road map to religious re-discovery in contemporary America. With a marriage of journalistic enthusiasm and intellectual rigor, Robert P. Jones skips among the tensions that mar intra-religious relations in our society, smashing erroneous preconceptions and championing a renaissance in the way we look at faith. The result is a thorough examination of religion in modernity that highlights the progressive tendencies shared by all faiths in highly readable form.” —Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, American Society for Muslim Advancement

The Devil’s Cave, Part I

In reading this article, I also wondered: do we name this the Devil’s Cave and in so doing, suggest that there is no hope? Do we name it in order to leave the systems unnamed, our roles unnamed in whatever way both may be responsible for this Cave?

Economic crises test our values and our resolve. Do we shut the door to immigrants?  Do we take away from them any access to benefits, even if they must sleep in the Devil’s Cave?

Can God be found there?

Lastly, I will paste below the name of organizations  that are sponsoring coat drives, among other initiatives to “help out.”  I think these efforts are valuable and I would encourage people to help out.  Practice beats theory in matters of life and death.

However, will we muster and/or find the spiritual courage and creativity to address the cycles and systems that create these “caves” in the midst of our cities, our congregations, our towns, and across the country?

Organizations you can contact for small ways of helping:

El Centro Hispano Americano
525 E. Front Street
Plainfield, N.J. 07060
(908) 753-8730 Primary purpose is to advance the rights and help meet the requirements of immigrants and expatriates through affordable legal, and social services.

The Salvation Army
615 Watchung Avenue
Plainfield, N.J. 07060
(908) 756-2595 All Salvation Army facilities in New Jersey and the Army’s Service Extension Program are able to provide assistance for basic needs
 
Fish Hospitality Program
456 New Market Road
Piscataway, N.J. 08854
(732) 968-5957 The FISH Hospitality Program is a shelter program, which serves homeless women and families by providing shelter and basic needs while assisting them to return to independent living in the community.
 
Meals-On-Wheels
305 E. Front Street
Plainfield, N.J. 07060
(908) 753-3506 Information on senior meals programs.

I was struck by this article, which covered the town I called home as a child.

It wasn’t just the locality, but the title.  Around the world we hear about the Devil’s Mouth, the Devil’s Postpile, the Devil’s Cave, and the Devil’s Island, to name just a few.  One need only leaf through Weird New Jersey to find the Devil’s Tree, the Devil’s Tower, etc, etc.

Of course, there are sordid stories often attached to these names–a narrative of some great evil. What is the “evil” in this report?

This also made me think about those who are really forgotten.  The stimulus package, the refund check, the property tax rebate, there’s money somewhere in there for you. 

But I hope we don’t get too comfortable, anesthetized like executives making more than a hundred times the national average salary in a single bonus check.  Will we too succumb to a greed that leads us to look for our money? Our tax cut, but no assistance to the immigrant?

We look the other way.  And while we do, there are slums and ghettos in our midst.  Karl Barth (prolific theologian of the 20th century) wrote of such conditions while in Germany.

The theology remains relevant:  when the Church understands its role as the Body of Christ, than it can no longer look the other way.  The Church must always ask is this just or not, and must never “cease to speak out politically,” (as Eberhard Busch puts it in Barth).

Are we speaking in, to, about the Devil’s Cave?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/opinion/30krugman.html

I suspect the Administration would love to act swiftly on the health care plan we heard so much about during the campaigns, especially the Democratic primary, but this should be a religious issue, and not a measure of political capital. Why has the most powerful nation in the world just extended established federal health benefits to legal immigrants? This is a justice issue, and the church should be at the forefront, pressing for reform. Check out the issue page.