The Solidarity Economy & Church
In solidarity with working people on Labor Day weekend, a cohort of BLC folks report back to the church about their experience going through the “Solidarity Circles” course run by Vanderbilt University’s program in Religion & Justice. (Image from bioneers.org)
SPEAKER NOTES
The Solidarity Economy and Church
Intro
- I shared a couple weeks ago about a cultural norm at meetings with our partners ONE Northside — community organizers for economic justice here on the Northside of Chicago.
- If someone upfront at a ONE Northside meeting shares about an experience or stat or anecdote that is unjust or dehumanizing or about a failed societal promise, someone in the audience might yell, “that ain’t right!” to affirm the person upfront. And then the person upfront will affirm the affirmation right back, “that ain’t right!” (Or everyone might affirm it back if we’re all moved to do so.)
- I mentioned that I’m giving full permission to anyone in our church to try to incorporate this as a cultural norm here.
So, to give us some practice, on this Labor Day weekend, let me read various stats I bring to the church from time to time about the state of things for common working people in America right now.
- In the US today, the wealthiest 1% control 40% of all wealth*.*
- The ratio of CEO salary to avg worker salary is 398:1
- Over 41 million Americans are living in poverty according to census data
- BUT the poverty line is set at $31,200/year for a family of four…
- Think about that… can you survive on $31,000 as an individual in a city like Chicago? That’s $2600/month?
- So there are millions more of us who are not officially considered poor, but who are functionally poor,
- In Illinois, over 389,000 people are under-housed, in inadequate conditions.
- Several research studies indicate that at least 60% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck
- Since 1970, average wages for Americans have gone up 80%, but the Consumer Price Index has gone up 500% in that time, and the average in-state tuition and fees for one year at a public university has gone up 2580%!
- The federal minimum wage remains $7.25/hr, and only four states have a minimum wage of at least $15
Art project
- Our art project for kids (and grown-ups too) over here at the table is a community protest sign that reads “that ain’t right” and the stats I’ve just read will be added to it to surround those words.
- Come on over and help out during our message this morning!
Solidarity Circles crew
- So if you’re passionate about addressing all that common working people are up against, everyone in our church is invited to be a part of our Solidarity Team that meets regularly to organize.
- Get on the list on our small-group community page on our website (or join another contact list)
- Some of the folks on our Solidarity Team are involved by being our liaisons with ONE Northside, who I mentioned.
- Some of the folks on our Solidarity Team have been working on a specific project of facilitating more mutual aid in our community.
- Some of the folks on our team aren’t leading anything; they’re just there because they are the kind of people who show up! That’s great too!
- In particular, though, today, I want to highlight 5 individuals on our Solidarity Team.
- Who, over the last year, have been going through a course called “Solidarity Circles” run by Vanderbilt University’s program in Religion & Justice
- This has been a significant time commitment and came with a tuition that everyone helped cover
- The program is designed to teach faith communities broad based community organizing skills — to help them get in the fight for a Solidarity economy that works for all, not just the few on top
- The idea is: Yes, in today’s moment, we need to fight for political democracy, for sure. BUT what about economic democracy?! Why do we all, in the realm of business and employment and our workplaces, accept dictatorship as appropriate?! We celebrate CEOs at the top of massive hierarchies as though that’s the dream! That’s not democracy!
- This is less talked about! And faith communities are filled with common working people who are perfectly positioned to be leading talking about this!
- So, although they will all downplay it, every single one of them, for their leadership of our whole church in our efforts, let’s give a hand to…
- Drew Heneghan, Ashley Karls, Kelly Leatherman, Aaron Maurer, and Mark Scrimenti.
- Let me invite up in person… Drew, Aaron, and Mark.
- Kelly, we’ll hear from as well, in writing.
Transition: So, you all have been out in front of the rest of us in the church trying to learn about what a church can do to contribute to a solidarity economy, and I’ve brought you up here to report back to us.
Questions
- One thing we’ve learned about what a church can do is story-telling: So tell us about your specific experience as a working person, and how what you’re up against is connected to what everyone is up against in our not-democractic economy?
- Kelly: I’ve started unlearning the idea that it is our individual failure when we are overcome by an oppressive system. Instead, what we do have individual choice over is how we build community, how we maintain our hope, and how we cultivate resilience to ultimately fight back through solidarity. I think a lot of people relate to this struggle and feeling of powerlessness.
- What have you learned or re-learned about God or faith or church in this experience connecting the solidarity economy to faith?
- Kelly: One of my biggest learnings from the solidarity circle experience is the envisioning of a God that is not omnipotent, but is just as involved in the struggle as the working person. This isn’t just a God that you reach out to for far away grace, but instead a God that is actively listening and present to our experiences. That godliness through solidarity and joint struggle is a new version of God I can’t wait to keep understanding.
- Vince: God as worker, not CEO (Creation, Jesus the day laborer)
Summarizing… So what can a church do? What can people in our church do?
- Story-telling about how our lives our more similar to the poorest and most marginalized among us, than the richest. Many of us will have privilege, and that’s important to point out of course, BUT when it comes to power over our labor, over our job security, most common working people are in the same boat, regardless of unearned privilege. And we’ve got to tell those stories to find a deep solidarity; otherwise we’ll be pitted against each other by the powers that be!
- Participate with ONE Northside
- Encourage Mutual aid here (Discord)
- Neighboring Sunday
- Participate with our Solidarity Team