Kith and Kin-dom
"Faith" and "Family" belong to everyone
Texas Impact has been taking some flak on Facebook because of our post promoting Family Matters: Faith Days at the Capitol, coming up March 16-18. Based on the nature of the flak, folks apparently assume any event that includes the words “faith” and “family” must be a conservative Christian affair.
That’s not accurate. No religious or political team has a monopoly on those terms, so let’s just clear up the confusion about what Texas Impact and our partners mean by “family” and “faith.”
What are “Family Matters?” Economic justice, racial justice, climate justice, human rights and civil liberties. Equitable access to education, childcare, healthcare, housing, and jobs. A livable planet, now and for all the descendants in our human family. Practicing our faiths (or declining to practice any faith) and living our lives without fear of persecution. These issues—and more—are matters for all kinds of families, all over our state.
What are “Faith Days at the Capitol?” Faith Days at the Capitol is a conference for Texans of faith and conscience to learn about how the legislature works, get up to speed on the legislative session, and engage with lawmakers about issues of concern to their families and communities. We’ll be focusing on a subset of Texas Impact’s “Free, Safe, and Flourishing” legislative agenda, and we’ll post a Family Matters legislative agenda soon, so stay tuned.
What faiths are included? The event is open to anyone. Texas Impact’s formal membership includes more than a dozen faith traditions and denominations, but we don’t limit any of our events or offerings to those groups.
It hasn’t escaped our attention that conservative Christian organizations also use the terms “faith and families.” There’s an event with that name at the Texas Capitol just ten days before our event, and some of our social media detractors seem to have confused the two events. Clicking through to the respective event pages should be enough to clarify that they aren’t related.
The excellent reference book World Scripture: a Comparative Anthology of Sacred Texts notes that “all religions recognize that individuals are nurtured and in turn give of themselves within the context of family and community,” and point toward “a common vision for the family of humankind.” The faith traditions that make up Texas Impact’s membership affirm the importance of families—and acknowledge that “family” can mean different things to different people in different circumstances.
Rabbi Abby Soslund writes in My Jewish Learning, “What we are left with is the ever changing nature of the Jewish family. As it evolves, so do we, finding new ways of connecting and celebrating together, and making sure that in today’s census, every type of mishpacha counts.” That’s good counsel for all Texans.