Last week, Pastor Paul stood where two nations meet, and divide. At the U.S.–Mexico border, he witnessed fences and rivers that separate. And yet, from the overlook on Scenic Drive, it looked like one community, one people, one shared horizon.

What he encountered wasn’t just geography, it was humanity: stories of resilience, heartbreak, faith, and fierce hope.

Read Pastor Paul’s reflections from the Borderlands—a powerful glimpse into what it means to be a neighbor, a Christian, and a person of compassion in a world that builds walls.

Coming this Summer:

We’ll be sharing resources to help you lead conversations and reflections around border justice. Plans are also underway to organize future trips to the Borderlands.

Stay tuned for updates—and join us in this journey of justice, faith, and solidarity.

President Trump has sent a request to rescind more than $8 billion in U.S. foreign assistance funds that Congress had recently appropriated to support people in need around the world. The request seeks to further cut funding for critical humanitarian aid and global health programs such as U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an effective U.S. government HIV/AIDS program that has provided medicines and care to 25 million people living with the condition.  .

If approved by Congress, the president’s rescissions request will codify his administration’s extensive cuts to programs that have sustained and saved millions of lives for decades. The result will be increased rates of preventable deaths, global poverty, the spread of infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance, and more instability and violence. U.S. foreign aid takes up less than one percent of our budget but saves millions of lives in poor countries. 

Christian guidance in Lutheran social teaching emphasizes we are called “to serve others and to walk with people who are hungry, forgotten, oppressed, and despised” (ELCA social statement The Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective, p. 4). We exemplify God’s love when we serve our neighbors and advocate for the wellbeing of all, especially those on the margins of society.  

Email your members of Congress and ask them to reject President Trump’s request to rescind $8.3 billion in foreign aid. These funds should be spent on the life-saving programs for which they are intended. Customize your message in your words and reflections. Thank you for your advocacy.

Governor Lombardo has signed AB 96, which requires that the master plan in counties with a population of 100,000 or more (currently Clark and Washoe Counties) include a heat mitigation element. The heat mitigation element must outline strategies such as creating public cooling spaces, providing public drinking water, and adding shade over paved surfaces.

https://www.socalsynod.org/in-response-to-national-guard-presence-in-los-angeles

The Senate is preparing for a final vote on the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) that would fundamentally dismantle America’s social safety net through bureaucratic barriers and cost-shifting rather than direct cuts. The legislation forces states to shoulder massive new SNAP food assistance costs while imposing work requirements that would strip Medicaid and healthcare from 13.7 million recipients, including working parents.

Rather than responsible fiscal policy, this bill creates a maze of requirements designed to push vulnerable people out of programs they desperately need – all while increasing the federal debt by a net $3 trillion dollars to pay for wider tax cuts. In a time of wider economic uncertainty, this is not a moment to be cutting safety net programs designed to help people jump back on their feet during a crisis. Faith communities must speak out against legislation that creates barriers to basic necessities while claiming fiscal responsibility.  

Your experiences and values and the perspectives of your congregation and social ministries will add impact when you customize your letter  Also consider these regional figures to cite how Medicaid, SNAP and other cuts would impact your state.

Thank you for your advocacy!