The big zoom into the July San Diego/U.S. Jubilee Circle happened when Lindsey zoomed in from San Cristobal, Mexico. Lindsey Mercer-Robledo is part of the San Cristobal Jubilee Circle and a JEM board member. It was great to get updates from her on Jubilee ministries in Chiapas following the complete shutdown because of Covid in March of 2020. Limited reopening, with mask protocols, began six months later, in October.
In 2000, a group began a nonprofit, 501(c)3, Jubilee Economics Ministries, inspired to action after reading the book by Ross and Gloria Kinsler, The Biblical Jubilee and the Struggle for Life. That book was shaped by Ross and Gloria’s Latin America experiences, including the question many Latin Americans asked them, “Why is U.S. policy so regressive in Latin America, supporting dictators more often than democracies?”
The climate emergency isn’t coming, it’s now … and it’s been with us for some time. We have a deadline. 2030, the year that hundreds of international scientists have agreed is the deadline for actions to keep Earth from heating over 1.5° above pre-industrial levels. Beyond that, Earth will force our lives to change far beyond anything we want. And the changes will be beyond our control. Some congregations, faith organizations, and faith-based campuses are hurrying to develop actions that help save life on our planet. Others aren’t.
Once upon a time, San Cristobal de Las Casas was surrounded by wetlands. Over the years, these wetlands have been cemented over and now have houses, supermarkets, roads, and a bottling plant sitting on top of their graves. Now, though experts vary on how many wetlands remain here, many agree that around 25% remain in our precious community. Why are the wetlands so important to us?
Making All Our Money Accountable to Our Faith, Not Just Our Donations
Money is so powerful that it repeatedly compromises faith. On the other hand, radical faith can recognize money for the god it is and choose to serve the God of life, love, and interrelatedness of all creation.