“At its simplest, justice is the way God intended for things to be.”

-Kyle Meyaard-Schaap

Dame una fe sencilla

“Give Me a Simple Faith”

Lyrics by Santiago Benavides

Translation by Julián David Salinas

Excerpt from the song:

Give me a simple faith

That sits at the table of the poor,

That rejoices in gladdening hearts,

And that weeps also with their sorrows.

A faith like that, similar to you.

Simple, just like your coming to earth was,

Just as your peasant stories were,

Just like your home in Palestine was.

Give me a simple faith

That does not give place and space to lie,

That can’t live with injustice,

And doesn’t keep silent about what it knows gives life.

Simple, like your compassionate look,

Like those villages traveled,

Like the love that led you to give your life.

Spanish/Portugues Song

When did your justice journey start?

I admire my older brother a lot. I was 17 years old when he came home from a semester abroad in New Zealand and announced to the family that he was a vegetarian. When he shared why, he connected dots for me that had never been connected for me before between global food production, land rights, environmental destruction, and human exploitation and oppression. He connected the kind of person I wanted to be with the choices that I make every day. It’s a connection that has grown stronger and stronger as I’ve had my own encounters with injustice.

What does justice sound like to you?

To me, justice sounds like a belly laugh. No sound to me better reflects joy, delight, fulfillment, and right relationship than a knee-slapping, eye-watering laugh.

What is your hope for justice in your context?

I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a city that is deeply racially segregated. One of the most polluted waterways in Michigan runs behind my backyard. Affordable housing is in short supply. My hope for justice here is not just that these injustices would be remedied but also that it would be my neighbors and I who do it. I hope that barriers of suspicion and distrust can be dissolved as neighbors build meaningful relationships. I hope that all of us can come to see that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. I hope that we can all come to see that if our neighbor is oppressed, if our neighbor is poisoned, if our neighbor is unhoused, then so are we all.

Francis's story

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ASJ Supporting Students’ Learning in Honduras

By Elizabeth Hickel • April 29, 2025

Earlier this month, The Banner published a story written by Our Shared Ministr y by Karina Guevara and Elmer Salinas . The authors showcase the work that ASJ-Honduras is doing to help and support students in Honduras. Karina and Elmer tell the story of Genesis Garcia, an 8-year-old, whose family struggles to find consistent jobs. "Genesis Garcia Baquedano is 8 years old and lives with her older brother, Anderson, and their parents in Honduras. Her parents work hard to support their family. Genesis’s father is a painter who struggles to find consistent work, and her mother is a street vendor who spends long hours away from home." According to Karina and Elmer, although Genesis is a good student, she was struggling with reading, writing, and math. This is where the ASJ-Hondurans' program, Strong Communities , comes to be a blessing. "Through God’s grace, Genesis and her family were able to join the Strong Communities program facilitated by World Renew’s local partner, Association for a More Just Society (ASJ, because the Spanish translation is Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa). Through the program, Genesis attended academic support sessions, where she impressed her tutors with her perseverance and enthusiasm. Now, Genesis’s teachers praise the program for the significant progress Genesis has been making at school." We are blessed to be able to help kids like Genesis and her family to be able to achieve their dreams and goals. You can read the full story HERE and learn more about the ASJ-Honduras Strong communities program HERE