Reflection and Action

• Take a breath and pause. What do you notice about your body sensations before, during, and after you listened to this conversation?
  
  

• What themes resonated with you? What aspects are different from your community's story? What were the different feelings you had as you listened to the conversation?
  
  

• Lala says that her father encouraged her not to get political but the “movement came to me.” Ardie talks about the aversion to politics in his family. How did your family patterns influence the way you engage in politics and faith? What are some movements that are coming to you? What are some realities that you cannot ignore right now? Engaging in politics can simply be understood as a way to love your neighbor. As you spend time with these realities, what do you sense is God's invitation for you to practice hope through love of neighbor and world?
  
  

• Lala says that the progressive church was there from the beginning of the resistance movement against Marcos. Ardie states that Jesus organized people to resist tyranny and the church should continue to uphold that. How can we as parishioners in our own churches remind the leadership to uphold values such as those, to support the rights of immigrants and workers against people who would exploit them?
  
  

• Lala states that she celebrates the big wins and the small wins. What are some small wins you can celebrate? Which of these small wins makes you practice hopeful for the future? Particularly during difficult times, hope comes from celebrating small wins along the way. How can you practice celebration with your faith community during these times?
  
  

• One theme in this conversation is about silence and speaking up. How do you experience the invitation to speak up? We learn that silence does not keep us safe or bring about change. How does your faith compel you to steward your voice and speak up for change in order to better love our neighbors?
  
  

• Lala and Ardie speak to the economic factors that led to the rise of authoritarianism. What parallels do you see in the US context? One challenge in the US context is individualism. As you consider economic realities, how might your comfort or safety come at the expense of others’ suffering?
  
  

• Throughout the conversation, we see the use of force and the military to suppress people. While it may be difficult to remember on the receiving end of suppression tactics, it is a desperate move. What faith practices can ground us in the vision of God’s shalom for perspective to endure suppression tactics?
  
  

• Authoritarianism is a form of tyranny, but the Bible begins with the Spirit hovering over chaos. Ardie spoke of how Jesus organized against tyranny. To what extent do you agree with that statement? If we use that lens to view the ministry of Jesus, in what ways does he resist authoritarianism, and how can we use Christ as a model?