Lois Capps is my congressional representative. She is a person of faith who speaks from and acts out of that faith. I've always been pleased how she has been willing to come to clergy meetings and interfaith gatherings and share in discussion.
I remember after 9-11 I was president of the local clergy association and we were asked if Lois could speak at our memorial service for those lost in that tragic event. We said no, we didn't want it politicized. Now she could have stayed away, feeling as if her presence wasn't wanted. But no, she was there, in the front rows, even though we chose not to have her speak. I respect that!
Our event Sunday wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for Lois and her office. Her aid-- Karin Quimby -- has been our leader and encourager. That permission has been so helpful.
Lois speaks on the California Democratic Party blog of her impressions of our gathering Sunday. Here is a taste, and then I encourage you to read the rest
here:
On Sunday, June 3, I participated in the California Democratic Party Interfaith Outreach Summit in Goleta, near Santa Barbara. This summit was attended by more than 250 people of faith, elected leaders, Democratic activists, and interested community members.
The goal of the summit was to identify common values and to encourage people of faith to speak out on critical moral issues of our time. The interfaith leaders who organized the summit invited us to join with them in drawing on our faith traditions to bring voices of hope and conscience to the moral issues that affect public policy.
I believe the faith community is an integral part of the Democratic Party’s work on issues including the environment, poverty, health care, immigration and foreign policy. How we respond to these issues as a state and as a nation reflect our values.
Comments