Against Empire, A Table: Announcing our New Community Resource Guide

A message from Javney Mohr:

This Advent, we are called to remember the political reality of the Nativity: that the Christmas story is, irreducibly, a story of a Palestinian child born not into royalty, but the contexts of poverty and political terror. Our Saviour entered the world not in a palace but under imperial occupation, born to a Palestinian refugee mother and father fleeing state violence. That sacred story of colonial displacement, ethnic erasure, and engineered scarcity frames our calling today as we witness parallel systems of suffering – from the ongoing genocide in Gaza to the indignity of houselessness faced by so many in our city and communities. These are not separate tragedies, but connected fruits of a colonial capitalist world-system which maintains Western hegemony through the exploitation of Indigenous lands and life, and impoverishment – from Turtle Island, Sudan, to Palestine. 

Guided by those on the frontlines of injustice who teach us the true meaning of Christmas, and in solidarity with all peoples resisting erasure, we offer a practical tool for local sanctuary: a comprehensive resource list of local support services – from shelter, food, and mental health to safety from violence and crisis care. Find the list on our outdoor entrance and indoor bulletin boards, and anytime by emailing the church office. 

May this resource be one small way we incarnate the defiant hope of Christmas and love as politic. In the face of empire, we choose collective care, and in the shadow of the cross, we build networks of survival and liberation.

(The Support Guide is produced to help our unhoused community members find the services they need to quite literally survive being without a place to call home and rest their heads. The guide also supports service providers by coordinating information, and helps members of the public understand what kinds of services are available in our community.)