Dear friends,  

First: you’re invited to our monthly EcoFaith meeting this Saturday August 11, 9:15 – 11 a.m.Zoom  plus a physical location TBA. Theme is Practice #5 Acting Together To Turn Out the Vote: PCEF Phase 2.

In that spirit, I’m attaching a PCEF pep song I’ve penned, sung to the tune of the Beatles’ “Hard Day’s Night”. If you throw a house meeting or party between now and late October, my folk band may come and perform it! Or, feel free to sing it yourself :).

Confession: as passionate as I feel about climate and social justice, I’ve found it hard to talk about PCEF at my church (I’m a member of Lincoln Street Methodist). I’ve managed to overcome my reticence a number of times, including asking my church to endorse PCEF (which question has been routed to the Missions Committee, more to follow).

As usual, I’m not unique. In general in the U.S., we liberal Christians have tended to be mute about how our faith can inform our politics. At least one person, ironically a proud liberal, pushed back against even the idea of our church having a faith-based response to a political measure. “That’s what the other side does. It’s horrible.” 

Oscar Romero was assassinated in 1980 as he celebrated Mass, which is chilling on the one hand. On the other hand, we all will die, for certain. Less certain is that we will die having lived out our beliefs. His speaking out in the name of his faith against oppression puts a few tiny staples of strength into my backbone.

If Oscar Romero could be brave in the murderous atmosphere of Salvador in the late 70’s, I can speak up for PCEF in Portland churches in 2018.  Especially motivating to me are the federal administration’s attacks on the exact things my faith calls me to support: climate protection, social and immigrant justice and earth stewardship.

It happens that Oscar Romero will be canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church on October 14. Three days after that, we and our fellow Portlanders will start receiving our ballots to fill out and mail in. Between now and then, and up through November 6I suggest that we of EcoFaith warmly engage fellow people of faith about PCEF, and make our faith the opposite of mute.