As 2025 Ends, Jubilee Stories for You
Words of Angels Counter Bullies
“Zechariah had a cosmological experience. He was encountered by an angel. Transformational! His worldview didn’t include angels really, but the angel standing at the right of the incense altar filled him with such fright and awe that it broke him right out of his Temple-shaped paradigm. The first words from the angel were, “Don’t be afraid Zechariah.” This simple phrase counters the paradigm of empires.”
From The Liberating Birth of Jesus (2019)
Justice Art, Stories of Hope, and a Vision Inviting You to Participate
The Jubilee Delegation this past October was hosted by the Jubilee Circle in San Cristobal, Chiapas, Mexico. There we saw the exceptional and prolific justice art done by Isai, part of that Circle. His art calls us all to live in justice. He and Lindsey started Alter-Nativas ministries ten years ago and are the energy infusing many different ministries of justice and Earth-based alternatives. They intentionally practice solidarity economics, an economics that is not measured by GDP but by the relationships it generates. Isai and Lindsey were Jubilee’s guest at the Forum, December 6.
Isai showed us some of his art and explained both his artistic processes and the justice issues various pieces address. He connects art with culture and prophetic justice. Lindsey shared some success stories in their Alter-Nativas ministries and went on to share their vision, the challenges, and the needs for the ministries of Alter-Nativas in the next few years. It was a brilliant, moving hour.
We made a recording of that hour. Here’s the link to it. I urge you to give yourself a great Christmas present by watching this recording HERE. Use Passcode: QTg91*+q.
(The photo above shows Lindsey and Isai at the doorway to their home and the Alter-Nativas site.)
Outstanding Jubilee Forum Coming, January 3rd at 9 am PST
We continue with the “Moral Economy” initiative that Cynthia Moe-Lobeda introduced at the October 2025 Forum. On January 3, our two guests, Rev. Michael Malcom and dr. abby mohaupt have written the second book in the initiative. It’s called Climate Justice, Climate Hope. I urge you to read this small volume. It emphasizes the strong connection between climate justice and racial justice.
“Environmental racism: People who are white have created and enforced systems of power, so that people of color live in areas that are targeted with environmental degradation.” (page 20)
The book also speaks of the hope in people of courage.
Environmentalist David Orr writes that “hope is a verb with its sleeves rolled up.” …Throughout this book, we have tried to point to climate hope through the stories of people of faith working for a better world.
Reverend Michael Malcom is Executive Director of Alabama Interfaith Power and Light and is a licensed and ordained United Church of Christ Minister. Rev. Malcom serves as the Environmental Justice Minister for the Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ, and is a board member for the Southeast Climate and Energy Network. He is a widely respected leader in environmental justice advocacy and the fight against environmental racism and injustice, working from a faith-based perspective. He articulates environmental justice as the moral obligation to love your neighbor and as integral in addressing the climate crisis.
The rev. dr. abby mohaupt is an activist, scholar, organizer, and pastor with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of climate/environmental justice and faith. Ordained in the 
Presbyterian Church (USA), she also holds a Master of Divinity and Master of Theology from McCormick Theological Seminary and a dr. in Religion, Culture, and Ecology at Drew Theological School. She wrote in favor of divestment from fossil fuels as a faithful response to the biblical call to care for people and the planet, when the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted in favor of that divestment.
She now serves the church and the world as the Director of the Garrett Collective, an innovative, collaborative, and accessible platform for theological education based at Garrett Seminary. rev. mohaupt is adroit in communicating one of the most important focal points of her book — the utterly essential nature of economic and racial justice in addressing climate change. She is adept in the fine but rare art of building hope and moral-spiritual agency while also acknowledging the stark horrors of climate injustice.
Managing Christmas, New Year’s
SLW! news with Gerald Iversen
Simple Living Works! encourages you to reduce stress and overconsumption for Christmas and New Year’s with the following well-tested pointers from the SLW! website:
- Plans for Advent.
- Plans for Christmas.
- Simpler Living Daily Alternative Calendar for Any Year (or Every Year).
- For year-round resources.
Simpler Living Works! (SLW!) blogs and podcasts have moved toward retirement in 2025. SLW has joined with colleague Jubilee Economic Ministries (JEM) to have a regular column in the Jubilee newsletter. I have invited all of my readers to subscribe to that newsletter. Some have. In addition, I plan to communicate with my readers on an occasional basis.
I hope that JEM readers will acquaint themselves with SLW!’s many free resources for themselves, their church or organization and then share the ones that fit. Visit simplelivingworks.org and acquaint yourself with the links on the homepage. Yes, it’s retro and extensive. (SLW! is 52 years old!) I will point to some pertinent resources – text and art – through this column as I have above.
I hope SLW! readers will acquaint themselves with JEM’s many free resources and share them, https://oneearthjubilee.com/. Lee Van Ham’s thought-provoking writing posts 2-3 times per month on his Substack account. Recent blogs are on the Earth Charter and the ecological damage of billionaires. You can subscribe for free. The blogs lead up to a Jubilee Forum on the first Saturday of the month where authors and activists share their expertise. To receive Forum announcements, send your request to lee@jubilee-economics.org. Forums are announced in every newsletter. (see above)
List of Ministries of San Mateo Jubilee Circle as of October 2025
This is what Angelica wrote following the Delegation’s October visit. “It was a great honor to have received you, and I hope this visit has been very fruitful. I believe we should prepare a report on everything that couldn’t be presented,
- such as the work with the women,
- the savings fund,
- the health ministry,
- the work with drug addicts at the rehabilitation center in San Mateo,
- and what David and Mariana have done—she defending women’s rights,
- and he now in his position in the area of religious associations, which is also connected to our ministry.
I greatly appreciate all the support you have given us.”
The Earth Charter document signed by JEM
You can read what Jubilee signed HERE. The Earth Charter integrates economy, ecology, and spirituality. Our guests at the upcoming January Forum include it in their book.
Financial Picture Near End of 2025
Your generosity has kept Jubilee in the black all year. We met what the Circles agreed to at the beginning of the year. Those agreements were less than their needs, but everyone understood what we could expect based on previous years. We’re so grateful! At this time of year many of you follow a pattern of year-end giving. We so look forward to these gifts in these final days of 2025. They help swell the Jubilee bank account and launch 2026 across our four Circles. Since December 31 closes out our 25th Anniversary year, please consider a special anniversary donation.
