ARTICLE SERIES
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A Time to Fear & A Time To Trust
by Doris Garcia Rivera
Now that God’s creation is out of balance, our inner spiritual self yearns for security and hope. Our Lord encounters us and is present in our most intimate spaces to embrace us, to shelter us and cast out our fears for we are much loved! And while it is important to follow the directives from our respective governments –– social distancing, staying at home, washing our hands, trying to keep the most vulnerable from becoming sick and hoping to avoid overburdening our healthcare systems –– know that everything is in the hands of our Lord and Savior. • READ MORE
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Un tiempo para temer y un tiempo para confiar
por Doris Garcia Rivera
Ahora que la creación de Dios está fuera de balance, nuestro ser espiritual interior anhela seguridad y esperanza. ¡Nuestro Señor nos encuentra y está presente en nuestros espacios más íntimos para abrazarnos, protegernos y expulsar nuestros temores porque somos muy amados! Y si bien es importante seguir las directivas de nuestros respectivos gobiernos–– distanciamiento social, quedarse en casa, lavarnos las manos, tratar de evitar que los más vulnerables se enfermen y con la esperanza de evitar sobrecargar nuestros sistemas de atención médica– sabemos que todo está en las manos de nuestro Señor y Salvador. • LEE MAS
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Actually We Can
by Chalice Overy
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Growing up, there was a short phrase that almost always drew my mother’s rebuke: “I can’t!” Looking back, I imagine it frustrated her because she knew that, in most cases, it just wasn’t true. She knew that most of these tasks I was giving up on before I even began could actually be accomplished with a little focus and some practice. And she was right. That’s been my big discovery in the US federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic--we actually CAN! We CAN find trillions of dollars. We CAN take drastic, culture-shifting measures. We CAN give people access to health care, and eliminate copays. We CAN suspend interest on student loan payments. We actually can! • READ MORE
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Solo en inglés.
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Chronicles of Survival
by Leticia Bonifaz Alonso
In Comitán you do not have to ask for fresh products to be delivered to your home. From time immemorial, "the basket makers" have come to your house offering you products (fruits, vegetables, flowers, seeds, legumes, sweet herbs), which they themselves cut or collect, hours before, in their orchards and cornfields. In times of the pandemic, the basket makers have had some difficulties because the departure times of public transport are further spaced and the number of passengers has been restricted in order to guarantee, as far as possible, a healthy distance. Some communities initially took very strict measures regarding people going in and out, but being unable to make it economically, they have to be lax about mobility bans. • READ MORE
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Crónicas de supervivencia
por Leticia Bonifaz Alonso
En Comitán no tienes que pedir que te lleven productos frescos a domicilio. Desde tiempos inmemoriales pasan a tu casa "las canasteras" ofreciéndote productos (frutas, verduras, flores, semillas, leguminosas, hierbas de olor), que ellas mismas cortan o recolectan, horas antes, en sus huertos y milpas. En tiempos de pandemia, las canasteras han tenido algunas dificultades porque se han espaciado los tiempos de salida del transporte público y se ha restringido el número de pasajeros para poder garantizar, en lo que cabe, la sana distancia. Algunas comunidades tomaron, al inicio, medidas muy estrictas respecto de la gente que sale y entra, pero al no poder ahogarse económicamente, tienen que ser laxas en las prohibiciones de movilidad. • LEE MAS
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CORONAVIRUS AND THE WAYUÚ PEOPLE
by Ivonne Elena Díaz
The arrival of COVID-19 in La Guajira was a matter of time. It did so on March 25, the date on which the National Institute of Health made the first report of a positive case. In addition to the alarm generated by the spread of the disease in the Colombian territory, there was the fear of its arrival in one of the least prepared areas to face it and where one of the most vulnerable populations in the country lives: the Wayuú. • READ MORE
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EL CORONAVIRUS Y EL PUEBLO WAYUú
por Ivonne Elena Díaz
La llegada de la COVID-19 a La Guajira era cuestión de tiempo. Lo hizo el pasado 25 de marzo, fecha en que el Instituto Nacional de Salud realizó el primer reporte de un caso positivo. A la alarma generada por la expansión de la enfermedad en el territorio colombiano, se sumaba el temor de su arribo a uno de los departamentos menos preparado para afrontarla y donde habita una de las poblaciones más vulnerables del país: los wayuú. • LEE MAS
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COVID-19 In Mexico: Is there A reason to fear?
by Hortensia Picos Lee
What is God's response to fear? If the spirit of fear overcomes us, then we must trust and love God completely. Once we have learned to put our trust in God, we will not be afraid of things that come against us. We will be like the psalmist who confidently said: “…let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” (Psalm 5:11). • READ MORE
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COVID-19 en México: ¿Hay Razón para Temer?
por Hortensia Picos Lee
¿Cuál es la respuesta de Dios al miedo? La respuesta está en Su Palabra. Si el espíritu de temor nos vence entonces necesitamos confiar y amar a Dios completamente. Una vez que hayamos aprendido a poner nuestra confianza en Dios, ya no tendremos temor de las cosas que vengan contra nosotros. Seremos como el salmista que con confianza dijo: “…alégrense todos los que en Ti confían. Den voces de júbilo para siempre, porque Tú los defiendes. En Ti se regocijen los que aman Tu nombre” (Salmo 5:11). • LEE MAS
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COVID-19: A Respite and Challenge for Planet Earth
by Hortensia Picos Lee
As the COVID-19 outbreak spreads throughout the world, governments of different countries have adopted measures of confinement and suspension of activities to prevent its spread. This has given us a look into nature long hidden by smoke and pollution. However, international experts and environmentalists have warned that this "respite" to the planet is only temporary. John Sauven, CEO of Greenpeace UK, stated that no health crisis or economic downturn or other type of disaster will give us a safer and more environmentally friendly world. • READ MORE
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COVID-19: Respiro y Desafío para el Planeta
por Hortensia Picos Lee
A medida que el brote de COVID-19 fue avanzando por el mundo, los gobiernos de distintos países comenzaron a adoptar medidas de confinamiento y suspensión de actividades para evitar su propagación, mismas que nos regalaron postales de la naturaleza hace tiempo ocultas por el humo y la contaminación. Sin embargo, expertos internacionales y ambientalistas han advertido que este “respiro” al planeta es sólo temporal. John Sauven, director ejecutivo de Greenpeace Reino Unido, afirmó que ninguna crisis de salud ni recesión económica u otro tipo de desastre, nos va a regalar un mundo más seguro y respetuoso con el medio ambiente. LEE MAS
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Doing Church During a Pandemic: An Interview with Gail Hill
by Rubén David Bonilla Ramos
from Baptist Peacemaker, Volume 40 No 3
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BPFNA-Bautistas por la Paz staff member Rubén David Bonilla Ramos interviews Rev. Gail Hill, president of the BPFNA-Bautistas por la Paz Board of Directors, about how church life has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Gail is pastor of Chico First Baptist Church in Chico, CA. • READ MORE
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Solo en inglés
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Faith in the face of the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Philip Kakungulu
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Faith – that quest for significance and security, both in the here and now and the hereafter, in transcendence – is intrinsic to being human. Even the most avowed atheists will acknowledge that deep within their sense of being, there is a hunger and thirst for relationship with something beyond them. The most obvious is the human longing for love because there is something transcendent about love. The human quest for meaning from transcendence, in the face of a monstrous and inexplicable natural disaster, catastrophe or plague, is therefore a natural instinct. It is the way to cope or deal with the panic, fear and uncertainty created by the catastrophe; faith is an essential part of human arsenal for fight or flight. • READ MORE
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Solo en inglés.
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God and Covid-19
by Bob Tiller
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Christians have relied so frequently on the words “save” and “saved” that we regard God as a great rescuer who pulls us back from the abyss, the lifeguard who grabs us when the waves are too threatening. We feel sad, rejected and angry when bad stuff happens, especially widespread and long-lasting bad stuff like the corona virus, and we blame God for allowing it to go on. I believe that it is time – indeed, it is long past time – to give up this view of God. • READ MORE
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Solo en inglés.
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INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN THE FACE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, A CASE FROM COLOMBIA
by Hortensia Azucena Picos Lee
The spread of COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated an already critical reality for many Indigenous peoples: a situation of deep inequalities and discrimination, a condition of systemic vulnerability aggravated not only by the presence of the virus, but also by conflicts and associated violence to scarcity and extreme need for resources, especially drinking water and food. • READ MORE
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LOS PUEBLOS INDÍGENAS ANTE LA PANDEMIA DEL COVID-19, UN CASO DE COLOMBIA
por Hortensia Azucena Picos Lee
La propagación del COVID-19 ha exhibido y exacerbado una realidad ya crítica para muchos pueblos indígenas: una situación de profundas desigualdades y discriminación, una condición de vulnerabilidad sistémica agravada no sólo por la presencia del virus, sino también por los conflictos y la violencia asociada a la escasez y a la necesidad extrema de recursos, en especial agua potable y alimentos. • LEE MAS
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It’s TIME TO LEAD WITH RACIAL EQUITY: A statement ON DISPROPORTIONATE COVID-19 CASES AND DEATHS IN BLACK AND LATINX COMMUNITIES
by Race Forward
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As early regional and national data on race becomes available, it is devastatingly clear that Black, Latinx, and Native communities are being hit the hardest by this pandemic. People of color are more likely to be working in “essential” jobs, and therefore are at much greater risk of exposure to COVID-19. Health inequities, seen in preexisting conditions such as hypertension, obesity, diabetes, asthma, lack of access to quality health care, and underemployment are all factors that increase COVID-19 complications in patients of color. Coronavirus kills, and structural racism is its accomplice. • READ MORE
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Solo en inglés.
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Llamada de atención a la solidaridad de Rubén
por Rubén David Bonilla Ramos
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In Spanish only.
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Hola amigos/as. Varias cositas importantes. • LEE MAS
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MEDITATION: WALKING WITH JESUS
by Brian Crisp
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The following walking meditation is divided into sections correlated with each of the senses and punctuated by prayer. The pace and distance of the walk is negotiable. You may want to print out the reflection or have it to reference on your Smart Phone. Allow your walk, if you can, to be spontaneous and unfold at its own pace. • READ MORE
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Solo en inglés.
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No Turning Back
by LeeAnn McKenna
from Baptist Peacemaker, Volume 40 No 3
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“Normal” is not our destination. This virus has irrevocably severed our future from our past. And what arrives is up to us. • READ MORE
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Solo en inglés.
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Saddling Up Anyway
by Mike Gregg, Pastor
Royal Lane Baptist Church, Dallas, TX
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Although our building is closed, the church as a helping people is still wide open. In this time, people are hungry and they are scared that they cannot feed their kids. Faith communities and faithful people have an opportunity to respond. And so, a local restaurant owner and an Imam have come together to “saddle up” and make sure everyone eats. My brother-friend, Imam Azhar Subedar, of the Islamic Association of Collin County Plano Masjid and Ram Mehta, the owner of In-Fretta Pizza and Pasta in Plano, saw the hunger in our communities and it scared them. Those on the edge of poverty are having to choose between paying rent or putting dinner on the table. These two friends, a Sikh and a Muslim, had the courage to remedy one of those choices. They decided that everyone eats. They decided to begin distributing thousands of free meals to anyone who needed it. • READ MORE
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Solo en inglés.
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Ser Comunidad Latina durante esta pandemia
por Jessica Torres Torres
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In Spanish only.
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Me encontraba en Puerto Rico, en una reunión del Consejo Directivo de BPFNA-Bautistas por la Paz, cuando nos enteramos que en EUA(Estados Unidos de América) y sus territorios comenzaba una cuarentena por el COVID-19. Muchas preguntas nos surgieron, como también comenzamos a recibir llamadas de familiares preocupados. Mi hijo, quien estaba en Indianápolis, Indiana, me envió fotos del viaje que hicieron al supermercado para comenzar la cuarentena, encontraron estantes vacíos, ningún vegetal, ninguna carne, ni pan. • LEE MAS
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Sierra Norte de Veracruz and La Huasteca
by Hermann Bellinghausen
Amid constant bad news and terrifying figures from the Covid-19 pandemic, reasonably hopeful experiences emerge, where community organizing and food autonomy, amid deprivation and distance, keep away the spread of the virus. This is the case of the Nahua, Otomi and Tenek communities in the northern mountain range (Sierra) of Veracruz and the Huasteca, in an area where the states of Hidalgo and Puebla also meet. • READ MORE
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Sierra Norte de Veracruz y La Huasteca
por Hermann Bellinghausen
En medio de constantes malas noticias y cifras aterradoras por la pandemia del Covid 19, surgen experiencias razonablemente esperanzadoras, donde la organización comunitaria y la autonomía alimentaria, en medio de la privación y la distancia, mantienen a raya la propagación del virus. Es el caso de las comunidades nahuas, otomíes y tenek de la sierra norte de Veracruz y la Huasteca, en una zona donde también confluyen los estados de Hidalgo y Puebla. • LEE MAS
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Stories of solidarity in times of COVID-19
by Hortensia Azucena Picos Lee
As is often the case in a crisis, this coronavirus pandemic has revealed the true character of many people. Although there are many negative and discouraging stories, there are also countless inspiring stories that have emerged in the past few weeks of people doing what they can to help others, including neighbors and friends, as well as complete strangers. One of those inspiring stories occurred in the city where I live: Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico. • READ MORE
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Historias de solidaridad en tiempos del COVID-19
por Hortensia Azucena Picos Lee
Como suele ser el caso en una crisis, esta pandemia de coronavirus ha revelado el verdadero carácter de muchas personas. Aunque hay muchas historias negativas y desalentadoras, también hay innumerables historias inspiradoras que han surgido en las últimas semanas de personas que hacen lo que pueden para ayudar a otros, incluidos vecinos y amigos, así como a completos extraños. Una de esas historias inspiradoras ocurrió en la ciudad en donde vivo: Tampico, Tamaulipas, México. • LEE MAS
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To Move Past Coronavirus, We Must All Be in This Together
by Jim Hopkins (from ethicsdaily.com)
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This hope is important because, amid the COVID-19 crisis, loud voices pit the generations against each other, saying there is a choice between medical care for all and a prosperous economy. We need to reject these voices. There is no need to pit public health against economic health. There is no need to infer the more vulnerable to disease are an unwanted drain on our national treasure. Instead, we need to emphasize the only way to transcend the current crisis is a fierce devotion one to the other. • READ MORE
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Solo en inglés.
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Women peacebuilders respond to COVID-19
from Kairos Canada
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Advising remote communities on how to protect themselves from COVID-19 and assisting women who are experiencing an increase in gender-based and domestic violence are a few of the ways that KAIROS’ Women of Courage: Women, Peace and Security partners are responding to the pandemic. They are also providing women with psychosocial and legal support via phone and online, and regularly checking in online with local women peacebuilders. • READ MORE
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Solo en inglés.
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VIDEO RESPONSES
We CAN Do Something
From Chalice Overy, Associate Pastor
Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh NC USA
This pandemic has demonstrated that we can actually do A LOT when we have the will to do it. When powerful people and industries are vulnerable, we find the money and the votes--we find a way. But what about when it comes to the poor? Can we muster the will and the courage for those who are the most vulnerable? Find more from Chalice at prostitutesandtaxcollectors.com.
Intentional Optimism
From Chalice Overy, Associate Pastor
Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh NC USA
Resmaa Menakem talks about working out the trauma we hold within our bodies through our bodies. I've been practicing! Music: Optimistic, Sounds of Blackness