by Emily Ahern, ELCA Advocacy [About the Author]
As a young person, I am more than familiar with the concept of living in unprecedented times. In fact, I yearn for times which are precedented. As the prior U.S. presidential administration has left, and the new administration takes hold, the future feels uncertain.
In my personal life, I am blessed to live in what I lovingly call a bubble – a pocket of peace and wholehearted acceptance.
In my public life, such peace and acceptance feel wavering, and can feel like a precipice of something foreboding. In the past few weeks alone, we’ve seen mounting fear among a number of marginalized groups – trans Americans, immigrants, women and so many more.
It has been so easy to doom scroll, to get stuck thinking and imagining the worst possible outcomes for our future. I feel fear for my friends and neighbors. I feel fear for the people I love who are trans or queer, the people I love who are immigrants, and all friends and neighbors who are constantly subjected to scrutiny and attacks. It is so easy to lean into this fear.
It is easy to become isolated, cut off from that very same bubble I hold so dear. However, in the face of adversity, I find comfort in the concept of community.
COMMUNITY AND MATTHEW 25
In reflecting upon the idea of community, I’ve felt called to the words of Matthew 25. This is a text which emphasizes exactly this – community. In a passage referenced as the Judgement of the Nations, we hear a warning:
“Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me’” (v. 41-43).
The passage then says,
“Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me’” (v. 45).
This passage emphasizes the sheer importance of community and mutual aid. We are called to love and care for one another, to uplift one another and ensure one another’s safety, security and happiness. In the face of discrimination, we are called to love each other – to form our own little bubbles of peace and wholehearted acceptance. This passage serves as a reminder to me that we are not powerless–there is strength in love and comradery.
IMPLEMENTING COMMUNITY
Times may be unprecedented, but we have precedence to rely on. To support ourselves and those around us and fight against discrimination, we must work together in love and power.
Though large-scale community organizing, protesting, etc. may come to mind when thinking of combatting discrimination and injustice – it is important to remember advocacy happens on the small-scale, too. We can engage in mutual aid – ensuring neighbors have enough to eat or a safe place to return to. Look after and stand up for friends and neighbors who may be subject to discrimination or violence. These expressions of community are just as important as other actions of advocacy.
In the coming days, join me in reflecting upon Matthew 25 and discerning the importance and impact of community in our own lives, challenging ourselves to extend community to those in need for the common good.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Emily Ahern (she/her) is the Hunger Advocacy Fellow – Federal Policy with ELCA Advocacy. She is originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania, and a lifelong member of congregations of the ELCA. She graduated from American University this past spring with a degree in Political Science, and is on track to graduate (once again) from American University this upcoming spring with a Master’s in Public Administration. Ahern is so excited to research and lobby for policy which will alleviate the effects of hunger and poverty for all Americans! In her free time, she can be found collecting vinyl, going to concerts, and watching Star Wars.
