CHICAGO (February 2, 2016) 鈥� What can be done to bridge the gap between an understanding of social justice learned in the classroom and the application needed on the streets of Chicago? How can the academy, the community, and the church come together to engage issues of justice?
These are the questions that drove the 10 萝莉社 students who make up the Programming Team to put together a new conference. They鈥檙e calling the event , a name taken from Scripture: 鈥淎nd what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy聽and to walk humbly with your God鈥� (Micah 6:8). After several months of planning, the students are inviting community members as well as their peers to join them for the conference on Friday and Saturday, February 5颅鈥�6.
鈥淔or both the academy and the church,聽it is often easy to separate theology/theory and application/praxis,鈥� the team says. 鈥淚t is our hope to bridge the divide between the intellect and the heart, by creating a space where millennials and the broader church can interact with contemplative activists, who see the primacy of mercy and justice as a tangible expression of their spirituality.鈥�
The conference, which will be hosted on North Park鈥檚 campus, is free and open the public. 鈥淲e鈥檙e able to engage everyone, whether it鈥檚 university students, the church, the community,鈥� said Stefanie Cortez, a sophomore member of the Programming Team. 鈥淏eing in a city as diverse as Chicago, we鈥檙e hoping to engage a wide spectrum of people from all walks of life in a conversation. With that conversation, we can take an action.鈥�
The schedule of the event reflects this turn from conversation to action. Friday鈥檚 programming focuses on learning: a prayer breakfast, lectures, panels, and a celebration of the arts. Speakers include Rev. Marshall Hatch, Father Michael Pfleger, Rev. Sandra Van Opstal, Reesheda Washington, Rev. Dominique Gilliard, North Park鈥檚 provost and president, and staff of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Saturday鈥檚 schedule will engage attendees in practicing justice. The morning starts with a prayer walk through the neighborhood lead by clergy, and the event closes with a call to action, facilitated by local organization Communities United and North Park’s Faith and Justice group. The closing session will focus on justice reinvestment, a data-driven approach to improving public safety, reducing corrections and related criminal justice spending, and reinvesting savings in strategies that can decrease crime and reduce recidivism.
鈥淎s students, we quickly get lost in the justice conversation,鈥� said Abigail Page, a junior and member of Programming Team. 鈥淲e鈥檙e busy with classes. We鈥檙e maybe 20 years old. We don鈥檛 necessarily feel like we can do a whole lot. But we have a very important role as future leaders. This conference is a great opportunity to practice that.鈥�
Students and community members are welcome to attend single sessions throughout the day. Attendees can register for free or at the door. The Love Mercy Do Justice Conference is a collaboration between the Love Mercy Do Justice mission priority and North Park鈥檚 .
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