Deep BreathsToday’s spiritual nourishment comes from Rev. Kaeley McEvoy, Sojourners fellowship program director and staff chaplain. I’ve been closely watching as wildfires rage in Southern California, just months after Hurricane Helene ravaged the East Coast. The winds of climate change and natural disaster are strong, mighty, and scary. But in the sea of chaos that is displacement, I’ve also seen people making lists of mutual aid hubs. From bookstores and churches to libraries and animal shelters, community gathering spaces are popping up all across impacted areas. Mutual aid, as advocated by writer and activist Dean Spade, happens when people meet each other’s survival needs when governments fail to provide care and protection. For me, mutual aid appears in the Bible when Jesus becomes chef for the 5,000 and provides sustenance for the road ahead (Matthew 14:13-21). The healing narratives also provide examples not of professionals providing treatments for the sick, but Jesus coming with mud and spit (John 9:1-12) to cure those who were suffering. Mutual aid has radical Christian roots, according to this 2022 Sojourners piece by Isaac S. Villegas. In the midst of worry and destruction, remember: deep breaths. There are ways to care for each other as God cares for all of us. Tap into mutual aid groups near you to give and receive God’s tangible love.
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