|
Dear Brothers,
May God give you peace.
It is an honor to be your new Justice and Peace director. Thank you
to the Provincial Council for giving me this role. Thank you to
Brad Baldwin
who has carried it for the last four years.
I
remember a few years ago not knowing what peace and justice was all
about. Why did the two words go together as one? I received some
insight recently about this when the Nobel Peace Prize winner was an
economist, a Bangladeshi who enabled poor women to receive loans to
build small enterprises. Here economic justice brings peace. My
ministry at Saint Bridget�s and life in Minneapolis has helped me to
understand why peace and justice not only fit together but are
integral to the gospel and our Franciscan way of life. Meeting a
poor man who works hard cleaning offices to support his family but
can never get ahead with the low wages and few benefits he receives
teaches me about justice. Talking to a Mexican woman who struggles
in similar conditions at a grocery store teaches me about justice.
The immigrant boy who grew up in the United States but still has no
papers and cannot afford college at triple the tuition teaches me
about justice. While these injustices exist, peace cannot happen.
These days I am working on environmental justice, organizing with
our Secular Franciscans the showing of the movie �An Inconvenient
Truth� to open people�s awareness of global warming. I am proud
that our brother
Pat
Foley was part
of a recent radio panel discussion on this important topic. The
movie confirms how often the heaviest effect of pollution is felt in
poor neighborhoods and countries.
I
am also working with an inter-faith group to promote community
benefits for expensive developments such as the Twins Stadium. We
are organizing a coalition to demand that those of us who pay taxes
toward the construction of this ballpark have a right to determine
that jobs and contracts coming from this ought to be given to those
most in need.
I
am passionate about this type of justice work. I feel it deeply as
part of my Franciscan vocation and pray that I exhibit that part of
me whenever I minister. I hope you join me in some of these
pursuits and I welcome your assistance and suggestions. We have a
unique opportunity to show the world how Francis of Assisi inspires
our call toward peace and justice today.
Bro. John Kerr, T.O.R.
newsletter index
Formation Updates
|
Page Up
| |
