WHAT MOTIVATES US.

Pursuing justice, mercy and humility is hard, especially today. It requires more supporting a set of values or changing a few behaviors. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his community modeled a set of principles that are important to us — serving without reciprocation, suffering without retaliation, and reconciling without domination. Borrowing from the monastic traditions, living differently in the world, for us, requires a serious leaning into the threefold virtues of justice, love and humility.

JUSTICE

  • Justice honors the God-given worth and image in every person, especially the vulnerable. At its core, justice is about right relationships—relationships that work. Injustice is about relationships that don’t, leaving people marginalized, oppressed, or exploited.

  • We live justice through what Walter Brueggemann calls “covenantal neighborliness” — making room for people who are excluded so that peace and joy become tangible. We can “make room” by standing up for someone who is being mistreated, understanding the deeper issues that cause injustice, or welcoming people who feel left out.

MERCY

  • Mercy is covenantal, steadfast love-in-action that keeps showing up for others, especially the vulnerable. Mercy is a durable commitment that doesn’t just feel compassionately, it bears burdens and seeks to bring change.

  • We practice mercy through generosity, advocacy, forgiveness, and presence, even when it costs us.

HUMILITY

  • Humility is s a posture of receiving one’s life as a gift. From that posture of gratitude, we seek to give ourselves to others so that justice and mercy can flourish.

  • We live humbly by standing with all people, especially the vulnerable, as image-bearers whose rights inform our conduct. We believe attention, listening and learning are the hallmarks of humility.