PULSE 8

A COLLABORATION OF ADVENTIST ACTIVISTS

NOVEMBER 2024 ISSUE 8

HOW DO WE CHANGE? GREET THE GARCIA GIRLS WHY GEN Z ISN’T BUYING CHURCH “I WILL BE ON THE STREETS” ERIN BROCKOVICH BRINGS IT NO MORE BOMBING OF CHILDREN

Action Creates Hope

CONTENTS 3

NOT A BOX—A HOME

17

REVIEW

4

THE PULSE

18

GO TO HEALTH

6

INSPIRE

19

HEART AND MIND

7

we can open doors to new friends

why gen z isn’t buying church

change agents /\ counter deception

#MYCHURCHTOO

madagascar fiovana lessons

9

REVIEW

10

INTERACT

erin brockovich brings truth to power

for the love of the planet

12

BOOK CIRCLE BEGINS

13

WHO WE ARE

14

JUSTACTION

a powerful community conversation

our brazen correspondents, and more

stop funding bombing of families

15

THE PULSE israel-palestine: a new policy

how the garcia girls lost their accents

self-talk fallacies smother change

the point of everything

20 THE PULSE

exxonmobil challenged on plastics

21

KINSHIP STATEMENT

23

THE PULSE

official response to incident

not all change is good

25 JUSTICE FOR ALL “i will be on the streets”

26 REVIEW

brown’s do not be afraid

27 SPECIAL MUSIC

how can a congregation change?

29 INSPIRATION COLLECTIVE adventist voices /\ red letter christians

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3

NOT A BOX— A HOME

However it happens, your old box will turn out to be too small for who you have become. You will need a bigger one with more windows in it—something more like a home than a box, perhaps—where you can open the door to all kinds of people without fearing their faith will cancel yours out if you let them in. If things go well, they may invite you to visit them in their homes as well, so that your children can make friends.

—Barbara Brown Taylor, Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others (2019), p. 210

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Pushing Past Marketing to Equity Occasionally, a church will ask me to come help

that can mean the unequal distribution of

them with what I will call their youth problem: they

resources to people on different journeys

are aging rapidly (or at the age we all age, I guess),

through the same system (that’s why equity is

they struggle to attract young people, and they

different from equality). That’s hard work! But in

have a lot of passion for younger generations but

popular usage it’s been boiled down to mean

not a lot of skill. To their credit, they want to do the

something like “diversity” or “inclusion,” which

right thing—and I believe for the right reason—but

doesn’t say much and is probably the reason so

their sense of how to make this happen in a

many corporate DEI initiatives have stalled.

meaningful way remains underdeveloped. . . .

I know that the fumbling around we are experiencing with the youth isn’t about a lack of fun stuff to do. It is more centrally about a lack of relationship, a lack of desire to be in relationship,

It’s easier to simply focus on marketing.

and an inability to treat youth as our equals (or as better than us, as Jesus suggests in Mark 10:13-16).

In other words, it’s not a marketing problem— even though many ministries treat it as such and spend a lot of energy and resources on the fringes of “cool” and “relevant.” It’s an equity issue.

Equity is one of those words that has gained traction the in the public lexicon with generally being used correctly. The word point to how people’s lives can be improved by having the same access to resources, to the sort of basic fairness

What a bank typically means by “equity initiatives” is that they want to set up shop in a Black neighborhood, hire Black employees so it doesn’t feel weird, and create a new pipeline of Black customers. But when those new customers don’t have the same access to loans —or have to pay more to take them out—then we understand that equity really meant “urban marketing.”

Churches operate the same way. We want more of a certain type of people because it

The Pulse

feels connected to our sense of faithfulness, so we’ll work hard to show them there’s a

Pulse / JustLove Collective / November 2024 / Issue 8

6

place for them here. But when they come

fourth [Sabbath] of every month) or how

through the door, they are expected to do all

puzzling it would seem to sing “Lift Every Voice

the translating and figure out what the heck is

and Sing” in a month not named February, and

going—because church liturgies can be strange

you are closer to understanding how far we are

and inaccessible to newcomers—with the good

from this thing called equity, where everyone

news that if they do the work of becoming more

truly has an equal opportunity.

like us, then they will be fully welcomed. Sounds like marketing to me.

Church equity Equity, on the other hand, is less concerned with getting them in the door than with what happens to create a sense of safety and

If they do the work of becoming more like us, then they will be fully welcomed.

fairness once they arrive. Because a room half full of Black people (or a quarter full? What are you dreaming over there?) is impressive only if

It’s easier to simply focus on marketing.

they get to experience their ethnicity and its

That’s what the corporations do at every festival

idiosyncrasies in the same way most White

and parade, as a way of reminding you that

people get to: as a norm, as simply the way

they’d like your business, too. But we are the

things are, without much effort at all.

church, and it’s our business to create the

Many youth ministries have trouble getting

beloved community, where everyone feels

young people through the door—a marketing

whole and dignified and humanity flourishes in

problem. But what’s more important is what we

the sight of God.

do once they arrive—an equity problem.

And that “everyone” means we need to be in

Because if we need for them to act as adults,

community with people that look, think, and live

then we really haven’t done anything besides

differently than we do. Most of our spaces have

create a space for them to be more like us. And

taken that up as a marketing problem. Almost

if they have to do all the work to get

assuredly, it is something much deeper.

comfortable inside of our spaces, that’s not equity either. Equity is about the people with the power giving up some so it can be shared better. We often think equity is about giving them the space to do the work, when it’s really we who should be doing the work, not them. . . .

Think of how difficult it would be to do a hiphop themed worship next [Sabbath] (or the

—Excerpt from “Why Church Marketing Won’t Work with Gen Z” by Julian DeShazier, The Christian Century, November 2024

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InSpire I learn by going where I have to go —Theodore Roethke

COMPOUND INTEREST Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else’s life forever.

—Margaret Cho

EXPECTED CHANGE AGENTS New prophets are rising up who try to change the future, not just predict it.

MARTIN LUTHER

—Shane Claiborne

—Introduction to the 28 Fundamental Beliefs

COUNTER DECEPTION But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

—James 1:22

EDUCATION We have many lessons to learn, and many, many to unlearn.

—Ellen White

Revision of these statements may be expected at a General Conference session when the church is led by the Holy Spirit to a fuller understanding of Bible truth or finds better language.

ABIDING CONNECTION Prayer is most real when we refuse to say “Amen.”

We most love heaven when we will not end our conversations quickly.

—Calvin Miller

MOST VALUABLE Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.

—Maya Angelou

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#mychurchtoo

In the Malagasy language, fiovana means

The local communities, by contrast, are in

"change." Fiovana was a 5-year Resilience Food

this for the long haul. They are the ones who

Security Activity (RFSA) implemented in the

continue to work for the benefit of their children

three Southeastern Regions of Madagascar:

and grandchildren. Young couples, community

Vatovavy, Fitovinany, and Atsimo Atsinanana

leaders, farmers and ranchers, mothers fighting

from 2019 to 2024.

for equality. Many of them may not live to see all

As the lead interviewer and writer for this

the changes to come, but they continue to

book, I can say firsthand I witnessed incredible

believe, invest, and work. They are the heroes,

change in dozens of communities throughout

the saviors of their own story.

southeast Madagascar. Writing a book of this magnitude is hard work. It requires precise communication, detailed logistics, patient flexibility, and tireless endurance. But all of that effort pales in comparison to the work of the

I was not there as a hero, benefactor, savior, or even a humanitarian.

local communities, who shoulder the responsibility of change not for weeks or even years, but for generations.

I was in Madagascar for two weeks. Every

Changing tired tropes There is a narrative in the western world about

day we drove for hours over some of the

humanitarians and those we serve. In the

roughest terrain I’ve ever been on to reach

industry, they are commonly referred to as

some of the remotest communities I’ve ever

"beneficiaries," a term which, by implication,

been to. I had a short window of time to gather

makes us "benefactors." We give and they take.

facts, interview key stakeholders, and compile

We know best and they know little.

my notes before rushing off to the next

I don't fault the average person for thinking

community. It was as rewarding as it was

this way. As a former humanitarian

challenging. But two weeks later, I was on a

communications specialist, I know how hard we

plane, I left the country, and I came back home.

work to keep these tired tropes at the heart of

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the stories we sell. To make our donors feel like

I will let the people in the stories speak for

saviors, we show people who must be saved.

themselves, but one in particular I keep coming

Poor, dirty, uneducated. Without hope. It is

back to is Fernande, a local "Mama Miova" or

called a "need story" and I am guilty of helping

"Mother Changemaker," advocating for equitable

to craft them.

land inheritance for women. She had this to say: “Because I saw the change in my life, I want

“Mother Changemaker” advocates for equitable land inheritance for all women.

other women to experience that change in their own lives. You must change yourself before you can change others.”

"Fiovana" means "change," and I witnessed it firsthand. Not just among the people I interviewed, but in my own heart as well. You

Working on this project in Madagascar was the antidote I needed. There was no "us" and

must change yourself before you can change others.

"them" because everyone on the team was Malagasy except for me. There was no "othering" because the stories were about the triumphs of the human spirit, not about the suffering of poor people in a distant land. I was not there as a hero, benefactor, savior, or even a humanitarian.

I was just a writer

—Michael Rohm, a graduate of Union Adventist University, works with Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)

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ReView

Erin Brockovich (2000) 131 minutes Rotten Tomatoes 85% positive Rated R (language) Written by Susannah Grant Directed by Steven Soderbergh Available on Apple TV and Prime Video

ERIN BROCKOVICH Normally in this Pulse ReView space we try to uncover little-known film gems. Erin Brockovich is different—a fast-moving, legal drama blockbuster that catapulted Julia Roberts into Academy Award stardom.

Yet many miss the story’s underlying theme.

This is a film about change. How people change. How perceptions change. How communities change. How toxic, powerful corporations change. And as such, it’s a film about slow progress, the kind that often doesn’t make headlines. Door-to-door, phone-calling, showing up, Stacey Abrams-style, stubborn persistence. Taking risks. Caring what happens to victimized individuals.

The character development is impressive. Consider these characters as you watch: Erin Brockovich, odd hero Ed Masry, Erin’s boss George, Erin’s boyfriend

Brenda, law firm receptionist Theresa, “ugly shoes” lawyer Charles, creepy guy

Matthew, Erin’s son Pamela, skeptic PG&E lawyers

Any character in film or literature can be static or dynamic (how much they change), and flat or round (how much they are developed). In Erin Brockovich, time is taken to deepen interest in multiple characters

Top Ten Memorable Lines from Erin Brockovich 10. “Don’t make me beg. You can fire me if you want.”

9.

“Did you tell them that?”

8.

“Let the games begin.”

7.

“They’re called boobs, Ed.”

6.

“You might want to rethink those ties.”

5.

“We’re gonna get them, Erin, aren’t we?”

4.

“I want to know how the hell you sleep at night.”

3.

“As it turns out, I wasn’t a very good employee.”

2.

“Do they teach beauty queens how to apologize?”

1.

“We had that water brought in special for you folks.”

so that this true-to-life film gradually grows to be character-driven, not plot-driven (most “action movies”). As a fun insertion, there’s even a cameo as a restaurant server from Erin Brockovich herself.

In addition, we learn about environmental justice through “abatement orders” and “plumes of hexavalent chromium” and “immunotoxicology” and “arbitration.” The film’s viewers become students in the front row of the largest direct-action lawsuit in U.S. history. It’s enough to make you want to cheer and then fight for a daunting cause.

What does it take to hold a $28 billion corporation accountable?

(Courage, defiant optimism, creativity, and loving persistence.)

How about a $15.6 billion church?

Or a 117-member church? Or a school with 61 students?

How do we change?

—Chris Blake

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InterAct

FOR THE LOVE OF THE PLANET For thousands of years humanity has used the earth’s resources with little regard for sustainability. Over the years we have learned that stewardship of the planet requires selfimposed limits on everything from fishing, hunting, mining, logging, even farming. Sustainability is a delicate balancing act.

As we become more aware of our environmental footprint, we have to choose between old and new technologies. The whale oil of the nineteenth century gave way to fossil fuels.

Technologies that used coal and petroleum are now (slowly) being replaced by new, renewable resources.

Plug In and Drive

Here Comes the Sun

Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs), and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) all reduce the level of petroleum necessary to power our road trips. But the electricity required to power them must come from somewhere. And, depending on where we live, that means that coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, wind energy, solar energy, or hydropower are still necessary to power our vehicles. Which energy source is most available in the United States?

Solar energy, electricity captured from the sun, emits 25 times less carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour than coal-powered electricity. Since 2010 the price of electricity from solar panels dropped 85 percent. The solar industry in the United States plans to supply 30 percent of the energy produced in the country by 2030. 2 Which countries use the most energy produced by the sun?

A.

Coal

D.

Petroleum

B.

Hydroelectric

E.

Renewables

C.

Natural gas

D. Petroleum leads the list (narrowly) with 38 percent of energy consumed in the United States. That’s followed by natural gas (36 percent). Nuclear electric power, coal, and renewable energy (wind, solar, hydropower, etc.) all tie for third at 9 percent each. 1

A.

China

D.

Japan

B.

Germany

E.

United States

C.

India

A. In 2023, China built more solar panels than the rest of the world produced in 2022. So with 32.3 percent of solar energy consumed in 2022, China comes in first. The United States is next with 15.6 percent; then Japan, 7.7 percent; India, 3 7.2 percent; and Germany, 4.6 percent.

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InterAct The Answer Is Blowing in the Wind

Power Up

Wind turbine blades average 210 feet in length, with average turbine tower more than 320 feet tall—taller than the Statue of Liberty. Most of the components of wind turbines built in the United States are made in the U.S. The wind industry employs more than 125,000 full-time workers, including those in construction and manufacturing.4 But which country gets the highest percentage of its energy from wind?

Some of us are old enough to remember when batteries were single-use. Put them in, wear them out, throw them away. Those days began to disappear with recycling and the advent of rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable batteries now charge our phones, computers, toys, appliances, cars, etc. Most of those batteries— 80 percent—depend on lithium, a mineral mined in just a few places on earth. Which country has the most estimated lithium reserves?5

A.

Denmark

D.

United Kingdom

B.

Lithuania

E.

Uruguay

C.

Luxembourg

A. In 2022 Denmark produced 55 percent of its electricity from wind. That same year Latvia had the largest percent increase when its capacity grew by 75 percent. Filling out the top five were Lithuania, 45.5 percent; Luxembourg, 43 percent.

Uruguay, 35.9 percent; United Kingdom, 28.8 percent. Commercial wind power is used in more than half the countries in the world.

A.

Argentina

D.

China

B.

Australia

E.

United States

C.

Chile

C. Australia is the global leader in mining lithium, with China the leader in processing lithium.

But the country with the highest estimated lithium reserves is Chile.

Earth Friendly, People-centric While it’s fine to celebrate advances in technology that use renewable resources, let’s not forget that often these advances are simply the means to maintain a standard of living to which those of us who live in industrialized countries are accustomed. It’s also important to recall that at least half of the world’s population lives a subsistence existence. Their access to fuel, clean water, electricity, and adequate food is extremely limited. All the more reason to be mindful of our environmental footprint.

Technology developed to make our lives comfortable will eventually make life in developing countries survivable. “The Lord God took the man [and woman] and put [them] in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Gen. 2:15).

1. bit.ly/PulseEnergyFacts 2. bit.ly/PulseSolarPanels 3. bit.ly/PulseTopCounties 4. bit.ly/PulseWindPower 5. bit.ly/LithiumFacts —Stephen Chavez

JOIN US FOR A POWERFUL COMMUNITY CONVERSATION We’re diving deep into Troubling the Water by Ben McBride, a transformative book on bridging divides, dismantling injustice, and finding hope in activism.

Whether you read it or are just curious, come be part of a meaningful dialogue on how we can collectively work toward justice and reconciliation.

JUSTLOVECOLLECTIVE.ORG

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WHO WE ARE Pulse is the monthly digital magazine of JustLove Collective.

This month’s issue is edited by Chris Blake and sponsored by a generous anonymous donor. (Thank you.)

Designed by Jeffers Media.

Unless indicated otherwise all Bible references are from the New Revised Standard Version.

ALEC BLEHER

MARCIA NORDMEYER

Lives in Atascadero, California with his wife and adorable 16-month-old daughter. He is trying to make sense of the madness that is our world right now and discover how Christ would have him respond. For now, he watches, he listens, and sometimes, he writes.

Is a circulation/reference associate at Union Adventist University's library in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is happily married to Jeremy. Their two children are encouraged to read banned books.

CHRIS BLAKE Is Professor Emeritus at Union Adventist University where he taught Conflict and Peacemaking and Critiquing Film. He has also served as academy teacher, editor of Insight magazine, author of many books and articles, and pastor of two small churches.

MICHAEL ROHM Specializes in on-the-ground storytelling, feature writing and film production, with projects that include the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh, gender equality in Madagascar, hurricane response in Abaco and Grand Bahama, and community development in the remote mountains of Peru. His short films include sex trafficking in Thailand and ADRA's global education advocacy campaign.

DILYS BROOKS Serves as the campus chaplain of Loma Linda University, where she assists students, faculty, and staff to accept Christ’s call to become change agents in the world, including speaking truth to power on behalf of those who are “othered.”

LAUREN WEBB Is assistant book editor at Signs Publishing Company, near Melbourne, Australia.

STEPHEN CHAVEZ Retired after a career as a parish pastor, then as a staff member of Adventist Review. He was president of Associated Church Press and is Director of Church Relations for Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International.

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JustAction

JOINT LETTER CALLS ON US SENATE TO BLOCK ARMS SALES TO ISRAEL No More Bombing of Civilians October 22, 2024 Dear Senators, We, the undersigned organizations [including more than 30 religious entities], urge you to cosponsor and vote in favor of the four joint resolutions of disapproval introduced by Senators Sanders, Welch, and Merkley regarding several specific major arms sales to the government of Israel.

The joint resolutions of disapproval would suspend particular transfers of types of weapons that the Israeli government has used in strikes that have killed thousands of civilians, including aid workers and journalists, in Gaza over the last year. Independent human rights and conflict monitors have thoroughly documented the Israeli military’s use of weapons from the United States in attacks that have killed Palestinian civilians. President Biden has described Israeli government attacks as “indiscriminate.” The joint resolutions of disapproval would block certain sales of joint direct attack munitions (JDAMs) and tank shells, which the Israeli military has repeatedly used in attacks that have killed civilians in densely populated areas. The resolutions do not implicate missile defense systems.

Israeli military attacks have killed more than 40,000 Palestinians and decimated Gaza’s hospitals, schools, critical infrastructure, and residential housing. Human rights organizations have concluded that the Israeli military has repeatedly violated international humanitarian law. Humanitarian groups have stressed that Israeli forces continue to restrict the delivery of humanitarian aid as hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are on the precipice of starvation and suffering from the spread of deadly diseases, including polio.

As part of a larger escalation in Lebanon, the Israeli military has invaded South Lebanon and is carrying out airstrikes around the country, including in densely populated areas of central Beirut. These strikes have put civilians at grave risk and have killed over 2,000 people, destroyed critical infrastructure, an displaced 1.2 million people. According to human rights organizations, these operations have included apparent violations of international humanitarian law.

Continued arms transfers to the Israeli government are contrary to U.S. law and the Biden administration’s own arms transfer policy, which include restrictions on arms transfers to any country based on human rights, international humanitarian law, and humanitarian assistance criteria. For example, U.S. law prohibits military aid to governments that restrict the delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance. As demonstrated by the National Security Memorandum 20 process, the Biden administration has not complied with these standards.

The Senate will soon have the opportunity to demonstrate that it opposes further suffering and stands for the rule of law and the protection of civilians by supporting the joint resolutions of disapproval introduced on September 25. We endorse Senator Sanders, Welch, and Merkley’s resolutions and urge all Senators to cosponsor and vote in favor of their passage.

JustAction

SIGN THIS PETITION If you want to sign your name to petition the U.S. to cease arming Israel until the wanton slaughter of children and other civilians ends, visit here.

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A NEW POLICY LAUNCHES

Aimed at Reforming Middle East Policy A coalition of Americans usher in a new chapter for U.S. politics and policy on Israel/Palestine.

October 16, 2024 WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Former U.S. government officials Josh Paul and Tariq Habash, who resigned from government positions over fundamental disagreements with U.S. policy on Israel/Palestine, announce the launch of A New Policy and A New Policy PAC to represent the majority of Americans who seek change in U.S. policy toward the Middle East.

“The past year has shown us just how deeply damaging our policy in the Middle East is—to the region, and to America,” said Josh Paul, a former Director in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. “We’ve spent billions of taxpayer dollars while sacrificing national interests and global credibility, the safety of all people in the region has been compromised while Palestinians, in Gaza in particular, endure immeasurable suffering, and now we’re on the brink of a regional war.”

A New Policy is unique as it focuses on relationship-driven, policy-oriented lobbying, while its partner organization, A New Policy PAC, will direct financial support to political

The Pulse

campaigns. The organizations’ singular focus will be on foreign and domestic policy towards Israel/Palestine, including bolstering civil rights protections in the U.S. to enable continued debate. A New Policy is not affiliated with any specific political, ethnic or religious identities; as such, it can provide a broad platform through which Americans across all political parties can engage and make their voices heard.

This past year has brought unimaginable suffering to Palestinians in Gaza.

“This past year has brought unimaginable pain and suffering to Palestinians in Gaza. For decades, elected officials have compromised American interests in favor of funding Israel’s continued oppression of Palestinians,” commented Tariq Habash, Former Policy Advisor and Political Appointee in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development. “American voters are

Pulse / JustLove Collective / November 2024 / Issue 8

clear: they do not want to be complicit in this humanitarian catastrophe and a majority want an end to the transfer of lethal weapons that are used to kill Palestinian civilians. Elected officials have not kept up with the sea change in public opinion and A New Policy will work to close this gap.”

A New Policy believes that U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestine should: Advance American national security and foreign policy interests in the Middle East, and should contribute to peace and prosperity for all Americans.

Reflect American values in our policy toward the Middle East, including freedom, equality, and human rights, and should enhance the health, security, welfare, and prosperity of all peoples.

Comply with American and international law, including laws, regulations and policies equally governing the transfer of arms to all countries in the Middle East, including Israel.

In pursuit of a just peace, A New Policy supports Palestinian freedom, equality and human rights, and believes in the Palestinian right to selfdetermination. A New Policy also supports an end to all forms of U.S. support for illegal settlements and, fundamental to the right of Palestinian freedom, an end to Israel’s occupation. Moreover, the U.S. should ensure its role in any diplomatic or state-building process does not create incentives for the use of violence.

A New Policy believes that the U.S. government should equally apply our laws that restrict U.S. assistance and arms transfers to countries and units that violate human rights; and, when they occur within those restrictions, A New Policy will push to condition U.S. arms transfers on Israeli compliance with human rights laws, as well as use the leverage provided by our security assistance to achieve progress toward a just and lasting peace.

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16

A hopeful vision Relying on foundational American values as our guiding principles, A New Policy will promote a hopeful, forward-looking vision that advances liberty, equality and human rights in Israel and Palestine.

Hardline lobbies have spent decades setting up political incentives that have skewed American politics, and by extension, American society away from a rational and moral policy in the Middle East. Meanwhile, there is no equivalent set of organizations promoting a fair and just policy centered on human rights and American interests and values. A New Policy will be the voice for that just and balanced approach.

Americans do not want to be complicit in this humanitarian catastrophe.

As a nondenominational, nonsectarian, nonpartisan American organization, A New Policy will educate members of Congress on related foreign policy, legislative, and regulatory matters, and will lobby government officials to urgently pursue long-overdue policies that reflect our American values, interests, and voter preferences, as well as comply with U.S. laws. A New Policy works in partnership with organizations across the political spectrum.

For more information, visit anewpolicy.org

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ReView

GREET THE GARCIA GIRLS Change is in the air, and lots of it. Change

innocent happy times and the universally

we choose, change that is forced upon us,

applicable lessons learned in young adulthood

cyclical changes, political changes, hormonal

and adolescence.

changes, changes we crave, changes we loathe.

The Garcia family, members of the

Good or bad, change is here whether we want it

Dominican Republic’s high society, find

or not.

themselves narrowly escaping with their lives

When asked to review a book about how we

and immigrating to the United States. We

change, I was more than happy to select How

witness their acclimation to American life,

the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents (1991) by

tested ties to Dominican roots, and their

Julia Alvarez. Novels are, for me, a change of

longing to feel “normal.” The four young girls’

pace and I gladly welcomed this mosaic of

traumatic cultural displacement is further

stories about the Garcias into my quiet

seasoned by the intentional racism that greets

moments of calm.

them after enrolling in the local Christian schools.

Some readers may struggle with Alvarez’s

We witness their longing to feel “normal.”

reverse-chronological storytelling; however, I found that the unique style gave the intimate feeling of watching a collection of home movies rather than one singular film.

PS: This is now, in some places, a banned book.

As if flipping through a family photo album,

That, too, is a change.

we first meet the Garcia family and their four adult daughters, establishing that their story ends well. In reverse chronology, we gently step back in time uncovering the layers of family history that shaped the four daughters into the women we first met in the beginning.

Alvarez shares the lighthearted highs of

—Marcia Nordmeyer

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Go to Health

SELF-TALK FALLACIES SMOTHER CHANGE Call them The Shabby Seven. When the mind reverberates with anxious misgivings, we can feel our hope and future constricting. Unwarranted thoughts consume mental health.

How might these fallacies impede progress? Which one do you most tend toward? What can anyone do to conquer them? (Avoid the fallacy of helplessness.)

Feel free to share responsibly.

1. Fallacy of Perfection

5. Fallacy of Approval

The belief that worthwhile communication

It is vital in life to gain the approval of every

should be able to handle every situation

person

2. Fallacy of Catastrophic Expectations

6. Fallacy of Overgeneralization

Assumption that if something bad can happen, it is going to happen

3. Fallacy of Causation Irrational belief that emotions are caused by others rather than by one’s own self-talk

a. Basing a decision on insufficient information b. Exaggerating shortcomings

7. Fallacy of Shoulds The inability to distinguish between what is and what should be

4. Fallacy of Helplessness Satisfaction in life is determined by forces beyond your control —Fallacy concepts from Looking Out/Looking In by Ronald B. Adler and Russell B. Proctor II

Pulse / JustLove Collective / November 2024 / Issue 8

Heart and Mind Face to face, in liminal space, God asks each person, “What happened with your life on earth?” Three salient options appear.

Point to ourselves—bravado.

“I was . . .”

“I thought . . .”

“I accomplished . . .”

Point at others—blame.

“They caused me to . . .”

“They mistreated me . . .”

“They wouldn’t . . .”

Point toward Jesus—blessing.

“Jesus was the prime cause of every good and gracious thing.”

“His Spirit encouraged, guided, humbled, and freed me.”

“He is the reason I’m here.”

Bravado, blame, or blessing.

To choose and acknowledge one, forever and now, is the point of life.

—Chris Blake

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California filed a groundbreaking lawsuit

executives, in which they seem to admit that

against ExxonMobil yesterday, alleging the

plastic recycling is not effective, yet publicly

company spent decades deceiving the public

claim the opposite, NPR's Laura Sullivan says. In

about whether plastic could be recycled.

response, the company released a statement

Despite knowing that recycling plastics was

asserting that recycling does work and that

technically and economically challenging, the

California is trying to shift the blame onto them

company still promoted recycling as a viable

due to its own recycling challenges. The state

option. The lawsuit calls out ExxonMobil's

wants Exxon to pay billions of dollars and to

attempt to blame the public for a plastic crisis

reeducate the public that the vast majority of

the state’s top prosecutor says the company

plastic isn’t recyclable and is just trash.

created. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state has spent over $1 billion each year to manage its plastic waste problems.

The state wants Exxon to admit that most plastic isn’t recyclable.

The attorney general's staff have uncovered numerous internal documents between the oil company and industry

The Pulse

—Brittney Melton, for National Public Radio’s “Up First” on September 24, 2024

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RESPONSE TO KINSHIP INCIDENT Silence is not an option.

It is inexcusable for anyone to be subjected to sexual abuse. We are saddened and angered when we learn that anyone has encountered or experienced such an ordeal. And we acknowledge and support those who tell their stories of abuse. To do so takes an enormous amount of psycho-emotional strength.

For individuals of any age—but especially for children—it can be challenging to articulate what happened. Many often don’t even possess the vocabulary to express what they’ve been through. And even when someone has the words, it still requires time, a safe space, and a welcoming community to begin the work of repair and moving toward healing.

It's heartbreaking to learn that anyone has encountered or experienced sexual advances or assault at the hands of anyone. This becomes even more egregious when the perpetrator is a trusted family member, church sibling, or a trusted spiritual leader—clergy, church staff, or ministry team member.

Everyone in our faith community should be safe from abuse—especially our children.

We stand with the families of countless children and adults who have experienced sexual violence.

We want you to know that your story matters. Sharing your story is a powerful step toward healing, accountability, and justice. We encourage you to do so. As you are able. When you are ready.

Remember, you are not alone. Here are some resources to support your storying and healing.

Resources In the USA

Child Help Hotline National Sexual Assault Hotline: Confidential 24/7 Support

In Australia and New Zealand Survivor Services :: Adsafe GET SUPPORT :: Adsafe

Training Sexual Abuse Response Training

We at JustLove Collective support SDA Kinship's efforts in providing safe spaces to support LGBTQ+ people, especially our children. Given the recent specific events outlined below, we strongly encourage SDA Kinship to submit to an external investigation of their process and procedures for the reporting of childhood sexual abuse (CSA).

Please read the following statement from SDA Kinship.

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STATEMENT FROM THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST KINSHIP INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS October 10, 2024 Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International (SDA Kinship) is an affirming and inclusive community for LGBTQIA+ current and former Seventh-day Adventists and their families, friends, and allies.

In March 2024, three members of SDA Kinship’s Board of Directors received a report of an unethical sexual encounter between a pastor and a Kinship member that occurred at the European Kinship Meeting in September 2023. The member made a report to the Hanseatic Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, where the pastor was employed at the time. When the conference leadership received the report, they followed their protocol for allegations of sexual misconduct by pastoral staff, which includes an investigation, interviews, and confidentiality. Kinship commends them for this process. The president of SDA Kinship followed the counsel of Kinship Germany and the Hanse Conference to not make public statements during their investigation. The pastor resigned shortly thereafter and is no longer involved in Kinship Germany’s activities or communication.

SDA Kinship is devastated that this incident occurred, and that Kinship’s values of safety, community, and respect were not upheld. The pastor behaved unethically and reprehensibly. He has been removed from membership with SDA Kinship. In a safe community, all members share a responsibility to one another. His actions do not represent the care or ethics Kinship expects from its members and from people in positions of power, and do not align with the type of community Kinship seeks to foster.

Because SDA Kinship prioritizes the safety and trust of all members—especially youth—Kinship’s Board of Directors is committed to leading with the following actions within the next six months.

1. Complete an internal review of all policies and protocols regarding allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct at Kinship-sponsored and associated events. These policies and protocols will be updated in accordance with best practices in order to prioritize community members’ safety and dignity.

2. Provide training on safeguarding and mandated reporting to Kinship’s Board of Directors, leadership team, and regional coordinators.

3. Update and expand the Code of Conduct that covers all Kinship leaders and members in all Kinship spaces and events, whether virtual or in-person.

4. Offer workshops and ongoing education to all members on topics related to personal health and community safety, including consent, sexual abuse, and mental health.

Kinship’s Board of Directors cares about the survivor and their family and will support the local leadership of Kinship Europe, who has the most direct engagement with the people involved. SDA Kinship has a responsibility to provide education and support to LGBTQIA+ current and former Seventhday Adventists, their families, friends, and allies. Members worldwide will be able to register for the resources mentioned above when they are available.

When we are in community, what happens to one affects all of us. Kinship encourages you to seek support from a credentialed mental health professional if learning of this incident has triggered or harmed you in any way.

Kinship’s Code of Conduct applies to all Kinship leaders and members as well as attendees at Kinship events. Report any unethical actions or behavior to info@sdakinship.org. All reports will be taken seriously and handled according to Kinship’s stated policy.

—SDA Kinship Board of Directors

Pulse / JustLove Collective / November 2024 / Issue 8

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NOT ALL CHANGE IS GOOD This morning began with a CNN headline story by fact checker Daniel Dale, titled “Six days of Trump lies about the Hurricane Helene response.” Dale noted that Republican nominee for president Donald Trump has been one of the chief sources of the disinformation that has badly hampered recovery efforts.

Trump has claimed that the federal government is ignoring the storm’s victims, especially ones in Republican areas, and that the government is handing out only $750 in aid (in fact, the initial emergency payment for food and groceries is $750, but there are multiple grants available for home rebuilding up to a total of $42,500, the upper limit set by Congress). He has also claimed—falsely—that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is out of money to help because the administration spent all its money on Ukraine and undocumented immigrants.

Trump’s lies are not errors. They are part of a well-documented disinformation strategy to overturn democracy by using modern media to create a false political world. Voters begin to base their political decisions on that fake image, rather than on reality, and are manipulated into giving up control of their government to an authoritarian. Russian

political theorists who were key to the rise of Russian president Vladimir Putin after the collapse of the Soviet Union called this manipulation “political technology.”

MAGA Republicans insist on the right to lie, considering any factchecking “censorship.”

They developed a series of techniques to pervert democracy through this virtual political reality. They blackmailed opponents, abused state power to help favored candidates, sponsored “double” candidates with names similar to those of opponents in order to split the opposition vote and thus open the way for their own candidates, created false parties to further splinter the opposition, and, finally, created a false narrative around an election or other event that enabled them to control public debate….

Media is the enemy Steve Bannon became the chief executive officer of Trump’s 2016 campaign. He then

Pulse / JustLove Collective / November 2024 / Issue 8

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served as chief strategist and senior counselor for the first eight months of Trump’s term, during which he worked to put MAGAs in power across the administration and across the country.

“The Democrats don’t matter,” Bannon told a reporter in 2018. “The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with sh*t.” Keeping listeners constantly trying to defend what is real from what is not destroys their ability to make sense of the world. Many people turn to a strongman who promises to create order. Others will get so exhausted they simply give up. As scholar of totalitarianism Hannah Arendt noted, authoritarians use this technique to[WEL2] destabilize a population. . . .

In his autobiography Mein Kampf, or “My Struggle,” Adolf Hitler wrote that people were more likely to believe a giant lie than a little one because they were willing to tell small lies in their own lives but “would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods.” Since they could not conceive of telling “colossal untruths…they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.” He went on: “Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation.”

people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.”

Finally, create a false narrative around an election.

The U.S. Office of Strategic Services had picked up on Hitler’s manipulation of his followers when it described Hitler’s psychological profile. It said, “His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong;

The Big Lie The MAGA movement is now based in the Big Lie. Its leaders refuse to admit that Trump lost the 2020 election. Trump’s running mate, Ohio senator J.D. Vance, two days ago actually said Trump won, and as media figures more frequently ask the question of MAGA lawmakers, they continue to dodge it, as Arkansas senator Tom Cotton did today on NBC’s Meet the Press, and as House speaker Mike Johnson did on ABC News’s “This Week.”

Russia, Iran, and China generate 20% to 30% of political content and comments on U.S. social media.

Now, though, their lies about the federal response to Hurricane Helene show that they are completely committed to disinformation….

MAGA Republicans insist on the right to lie, considering any fact-checking “censorship,” a position to which Vance pivoted when Minnesota governor Tim Walz asked him if Trump won the 2020 election. MAGA Republicans have created an alternative political reality, aided in large part by the disinformation spread on social media by X owner and Trump supporter Elon Musk.

They continue to be aided by foreign operatives, as well. This morning, on CBS’s Face the Nation, Senate Intelligence Committee member Mark Kelly (D-AZ) warned, on the basis of information he has heard from the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the National Security Agency, that Russia, Iran, and China are generating about 20% to 30% of the political content and comments on [U.S.] social media.

—Heather Cox Richardson, historian “Letters from an American” October 6, 2024

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“I will be on the streets”

With all the rank xenophobia and racism

Trump wants mass deportations of

coming from the Trump campaign this week,

undocumented immigrants. He is now including

stuff that’s been simmering under the surface all

Haitian migrants in this plan, spreading lies

along but now raging to the forefront, I believe

about their criminality and various other ways

we have officially reached the point where we

they are hurting “good” American citizens. You

can start determining where people would have

think he’ll stop there? Who’s the next

stood if they had lived in early 1930s Germany.

“undesirable” on Trump’s list? What he is

If Trump and Vance’s rhetoric isn’t too much

suggesting is ethnic cleansing.

for your moral sensibilities now, Hitler’s wouldn’t have been either. Remember: Those Germans didn’t have the Holocaust or the Kristallnacht or the concentration camps or the mass executions to judge Hitler by. Those didn’t exist and no one at the time imagined that horror. All

I believe we can now determine where people would have stood in 1930s Germany.

they had was the rhetoric of a supposed populist, the vile and dishonest things he was

I for one will not stand for it. To all my

spewing about Jews and other “undesirables”—

undocumented neighbors, if Trump is somehow

people he hated for the color of their skin or

elected and he starts trying to send federal

their cultural heritage alone.

agents to round you up, I WILL be on the streets

If I seem extreme or alarmist, I invite you to

standing between you and them. If I have to

look for yourself at what Trump and his allies are

take rubber bullets, pepper spray, fire hose

saying. Watch their clips, read their words. Yes, I

blasts, or arrest . . . well, I know I’ll be in good

have forced myself to watch his rallies and yes,

company.

it is as painful you’re imagining it is. I cannot sit through an entire rally, but I’ve watched plenty of uninterrupted minutes.

—Alec Bleher, Facebook post on September 17 (U.S. Constitution Day)

Pulse / JustLove Collective / November 2024 / Issue 8

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ReView Do Not Be Afraid

By Nathan Brown Pacific Press Publishing Association 2025 Adult Devotional

Among the new offerings for next year is Do Not Be Afraid, a devotional book by Signs Publishing book editor and JustLove Collective’s own Pulse teammate Nathan Brown.

Contributions to the devotional line-up by authors from the South Pacific are rare, which makes this book a noteworthy achievement, as well as a source of encouragement for the year ahead. Do Not Be Afraid explores the most repeated command in the Bible in its various forms: “Do not fear,” “Be not afraid,” “Fear not,” “Be courageous,” “Do not worry,” and more.

However, the book is not limited to these verses.

Rather, Brown uses these biblical assurances as a foundation to tell again—afresh—the greatest story of hope and courage. In a world where fear is both an acute response to the terrors and terrible circumstances caused by sin and an exploited tactic used by sinful people, God wants us to know that “an enemy has done this” (Matthew 13:28).

Through Jesus, God is bringing everything that creates fear to an end. Our hope and courage are founded in His justice, mercy and love. While the theme of Do Not Be Afraid was inspired by an in-depth study of the Gospel of Luke as part of a graduate study program in 2017, Brown’s sensitive exploration of fear, courage and hope testifies to his sustained empathy and advocacy for those who suffer.

His insights were further shaped by the circumstances in which he wrote, including a family illness, a friend’s death, and other challenging life experiences.

Nathan’s insights on hope were shaped by a family illness and a friend’s death.

Courage and hope are essential if we are to respond to our personal problems and the challenges in the world around us. Do Not Be Afraid reminds us that God’s plan is beautiful, the cause is noble—and that courage is worth cultivating so we can show others what God is really like. Available on its own and in a box set with Ellen White’s Conflict and Courage*—a book that explores complementary themes—Do Not Be Afraid is a book worth investing in for yourself and as a gift for others.

*(A Brown and White set. —Ed.)

—Lauren Webb

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Pulse / JustLove Collective / November 2024 / Issue 8

HOW CAN A CONGREGATION CHANGE ITS CULTURE?

Envision Less Structure and More Organism A woman recently told me she had been asked to be a trustee at the

and time. Besides, as Peter Steinke says,

congregation where I am now an interim

“There’s no universal treatment for

pastor. “I turned it down,” she said,

every organism—or congregation.”

“because I don’t like working with structures.”

Special Music

change: It takes persistence, patience,

She might benefit from a change of

Four Rs of church culture What is church culture? It consists of

metaphor: congregations are living

the things that churches do habitually,

organisms. They need tender, loving

reflexively, without necessarily thinking

care from all those concerned—pastors,

about them. Culture is hard to legislate.

lay leaders, ordinary folk serving a

It’s not something that can be put into

multitude of roles or simply showing up

bylaws, a constitution, or a

for worship.

congregational handbook.

Church structure is important. But

David Brubaker is an organizational

church culture matters, too: It’s what

consultant who has worked with

makes any organization a living

congregations for nearly 40 years.

organism. Think of structure as the

Drawing from David Augsburger, he

skeleton and culture as the circulatory

offers four “R” words to identify

system. In a healthy organization, the

organizational culture, each of which is

two must be compatible.

expressed in both formal and informal

Interim pastors intervene in

ways:

congregations facing troubles or dealing

Rules, from standard operating

with the departure of a long-term

procedures to unspoken taboos

pastor, and they often recommend

Roles, from organizational charts to

structural changes. But structural

more casual understandings people

changes do not necessarily change the

share

culture. Congregational culture takes a

Rituals, from worship and other

long time to change. It’s like turning a

ceremonies to informal celebrations

ship around—you have to do it slowly, or

and laments

it might capsize. So longer-term pastors

Roots, from official history

are probably in a better position than

documents to deep but unnamed

interim pastors to bring about cultural

emotional ties

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Pulse / JustLove Collective / November 2024 / Issue 8

Brubaker asks organizations like churches how

one congregation three times, hoping it might

their culture has changed over time.

provide a spiritual home for us. On the third

Organizational culture is so hard to change,

Sunday, I asked a friend from that congregation,

says business theorist E. H. Schein, “because it

“How long does it take to feel part of this

represents the accumulated learning of a group

congregation?”

—the ways of thinking, feeling and perceiving

“It took us a year,” he replied.

the world that have made the group

Back in the car, I told my spouse, “I don’t

successful.” What’s more, “the important parts

have a year to make this change.” We didn’t go

of culture are essentially invisible.”

back again.

How is a congregation’s culture made

Congregational discernment and decision

visible? One way is how it treats and cares for

making is one area where some restructuring

pastors. Another is how its pastors work with

might actually help with cultural change. One

lay leaders and nurture their gifts. Both

simple technique for improving discernment: In

elements are part of the culture.

congregational meetings, no one can share their own perspective without first saying what

What stories does a congregation tell about itself, and who are the storytellers?

they heard the previous speaker say.

Congregations that want and need cultural change need to keep asking these questions: Who are we as a people?

What is God calling us to be, to do? What are we here for?

Does an atmosphere of criticism and gossip

What promptings of the Spirit suggest

prevail in the congregation, or one of

some changes in our life and mission?

affirmation and encouragement? I know of one

Cultural change in a congregation demands

congregation said to have “a culture of carp”—

wise, spiritual, and skillful leadership—along with

as in complaining, not fish. What stories does a

good structure. It also needs congregants who

congregation tell about itself, and who are the

ask themselves, How is my participation in this

storytellers? Whose voices matter more, both

church caring for it as a living organism?

officially (in congregational meetings) and unofficially (at coffee hour)?

What do congregations do to build internal relationships? What do they do outside their four walls as mission to the community and the broader world?

Who uses the church kitchen? Moreover, who controls it? In some church buildings, this is the most contested territory there is. My daughter was once told, “You don’t belong in here”—while using her own congregation’s kitchen for an official church function.

How long does it take?

How long does it take newcomers to feel at home in a congregation? When my spouse and I made a geographical move 11 years ago, we visited quite a few churches. We went back to

—This condensed article by Richard A. Kauffman appeared in The Christian Century, September 2024 issue.

Pulse / JustLove Collective / October 2024 / Issue 7

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INSPIRATION COLLECTIVE Podcasts We Just Love

A House on Fire: This Adventist Peace Fellowship podcast series is based on the excellent book on race and racism

Adventist Voices: Weekly podcast and companion to Spectrum designed to foster community through conversation

The Social Jesus Podcast talks about the intersection of Jesus, faith, and social justice today

Pulse / JustLove Collective / October 2024 / Issue 7

30

INSPIRATION COLLECTIVE

Red Letter Christian Podcast: Christian commentary on the way of Jesus in the world today

Adventist Pilgrimage: A lively monthly podcast focusing on the academic side of Adventist history

Just Liberty: A fresh, balanced take on religious liberty—where justice and liberty meet

Pulse / JustLove Collective / October 2024 / Issue 7

31

Gratitude As we launch, we are particularly grateful for every contribution to JustLove Collective. Donations are tax-deductible. Though we are a global movement of volunteers, we do need to pay for expenses related to this magazine and to the Summit. For more information, please see our website at justlovecollective.org

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