Thursday, March 5, 2026: Important Announcements and Station 6 Reflection:

Announcement #1: 

Our dear friend Melva Freeman has been having a hard time. Please remember her in your prayers. You might like to send her a card or note: Her home address is 300 Enterprise Dr, Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Apartment #306. I'm sure she would be delighted to hear from us.

Announcement #2:

Reminder about Sunday Liturgy: Please remember we change our clocks this weekend and will meet at 4:00 at Christ Church United Methodist (not at 2:00 as we have been doing through the early dark days) Please remember we will have a Full Potluck so bring your best!

  

Announcement #3:

Today at 10:00Topic: Witnessing ‘Neighborism’ amid the U.S. Federal Government Siege of Minnesota

Description: “Operation Metro Surge” – the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s historic immigration enforcement action – brought unprecedented turmoil to Minnesota.  As state-sanctioned violence and disregard for basic rights surged, it was met by an unexpected wave of resistance led by, among others, hockey moms, small business owners, and faith leaders.  Along the way, many discovered a renewed sense of purpose, courage, and love.

SPEAKER: Greg Darr, Minneapolis resident and Vocations Minister for the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. Greg is a returned Maryknoll lay missioner with over two decades of experience in community building and vocational ministry. Having served in Maryknoll ministries in Kenya and the United States, Greg brings a unique perspective to current events in his home state of Minnesota.

THIS WEBINAR WITH FEATURE:

• An introduction to "Neighborism": Applying Adam Serwer’s (“The Atlantic”) newly-coined term “Neighborism” to real-life examples of individuals and communities coming together to protect and help one another in the face of state-sanctioned violence and widespread abuse of rights.

• Video and Social Media Footage: See firsthand accounts and footage curated from social media and personal sources that weave a narrative of shock, anger, resistance, mutual support and, ultimately, faith stemming from the actions of ordinary people to protect and support neighbors who are labeled as “monsters” and “garbage” by the U.S. president.

• Q&A Session: An opportunity to discuss how these examples of resistance and compassion can be applied within your own community.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android using this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/w/81030299707?tk=XWcvCmO4V0og57Cxu6qajBsQLcVHw5jRKTX1YfXAy8A.DQkAAAAS3chAOxZfMEVla3MyNlIzU3AtV1ZFanZhTExRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA&pwd=XnOTfjOH6ZmF4FXXc8ezblgf9Xvkr9.1&uuid=WN_MneD6K8XTyWBXKK-fafEkw

Passcode:716595

Phone one-tap:

+16699006833,,81030299707#,,,,*716595# US (San Jose)

+16694449171,,81030299707#,,,,*716595# US

The Sixth Station: 

Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

Scripture: Isaiah 53:2-3

He had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

PRAYER: 

We remember all those medical workers, social workers, and other professionals who, like Veronica, metaphorically wipe the faces of others through their attention to physical and psychological need. We pray for them as they accompany our immigrant brothers and sisters. Give us courage to always give the loving attention needed to the stranger, foreigner, and outcast.

Reflection

Veronica boldly stepped out of the crowd to wipe Jesus’ face of blood and sweat. She wasn’t afraid to be seen with him. She didn’t care that he was the most hated man on earth that day. She noticed his need, and she went to him. Jesus was the same way. He made a habit of going out of this way to engage with people on the fringe of society–no matter who they were or what they were like. He never avoided people. He never ignored them. And he invites you to act in the same way. Who are those people in your life? And how might we be called to notice them today?

Story

I am a family medicine doctor who works with medical students to write medical affidavits for people seeking asylum through an organization called Physicians for Human Rights. In the over 8 years I have been involved with this organization I have been let in to the world of individuals who have experienced extreme, unimaginable trauma. Perhaps the most memorable individual I have had the privilege of knowing is Simon from Cameroon. 

Simon experienced discrimination from an early age for being part of the English-speaking minority. In later years he joined peaceful protests only to witness mass killings, torture, and to be tortured himself. He had numerous scars from the physical violence he endured, and clearly displayed features of post-traumatic stress disorder. I was recently asked to update Simon’s affidavit, five years after our initial conversation and I immediately remembered him. 

Just as I was during our first encounter, I was brought to tears by the authenticity of his personhood and his incredible resilience. He has a job, a home, and a life here in the United States, but is still reminded daily through family, friends and social media of the ongoing tragedy in his home country. While my ultimate goal is to help people gain asylum, I also hope our program allows those who have experienced this trauma to truly feel seen and heard, and also to convey the value of this to future physicians.

- Dr. Cristin Adams, Medical University of South Carolina, Asylum Clinic

Dr. Adams works with various legal organizations in the North Carolina region, including CLINIC Affiliates, to provide medical affidavits for asylums seekers’ cases.