VEJ Interfaith Prayer Breakfast to be official launch of statewide "RISE UP for Justice" campaign

The Voices for Earth Justice Interfaith Prayer Breakfast on the National Day or Prayer (May 2) will serve as the official launch for the 30-day statewide “RISE UP for Justice” campaign.

“People and planet are so tightly tied together,” said VEJ executive director BT Irwin. “When you start talking about one, you end up talking about the other. The way we treat the planet tells us a lot about how we treat people. How we treat people tells us a lot about how we treat the planet. All are in need of justice and you just can’t choose one and ignore the other. That’s why we’re so pleased to launch the ‘RISE UP for Justice’ campaign at the Interfaith Prayer Breakfast on May 2.”

The Rise Up for Justice campaign will call people of faith from across the state to devote the month of May to prayer and action against five “evils” in society:

• Systemic racism
  
• Poverty
  
• The “war economy”
  
• Ecological devastation
  
• Distorted morality
  

Statewide leadership for the “RISE UP for Justice” campaign comes from The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. The Poor People’s Campaign traces its roots to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, 1968 campaign of the same name. That campaign sought to mobilize Americans against what Dr. King called “The Three Evils of Society”: Systemic racism, poverty, and the “war economy.”

Organizers of the new Poor People’s Campaign added ecological devastation and distorted morality to the original “Three Evils.”

Participants in Michigan’s “RISE UP for Justice” campaign will coordinate prayer, conversation, and action around each of the five “evils” over five weeks. VEJ will help lead the statewide focus on “ecological devastation.”

“The planet is not separate from us,” said Rev. Cass Charrette, one of the organizers for the “RISE UP for Justice” campaign. “Let us feel ourselves rooted in the planet and reverberate that energy out into the world. Humanity is called to assist God in the co-creation of a new consciousness that is life-sustaining. Each of us is an influencer of this light and play a vital role in the actions it will take to create a responsible, caring, just world.”

At the Voices for Earth Justice Interfaith Prayer Breakfast on May 2, clergy from different faiths will offer prayers for people and planet. Rev. Faith Fowler, a pioneer in urban environmental and social justice work, will offer keynote remarks. Chef Annabel Cohen will serve a breakfast with options for most religious diets. “RISE UP for Justice” organizers will share their plan and vision for the campaign. Proceeds from ticket sales support VEJ’s interfaith environmental education, outreach, and volunteer programs.

Guests may reserve their seats in advance at voices4earth.org/breakfast. While VEJ suggests a donation of $35, guests may reserve their seats for as little or as much as they like. Reservations may also be made over the phone at (313) 355-6042.