Riverside Weekly Actions | June 4, 2026
The Kingdom is for those who have been rejected
A politician recently posted: “Homosexuality does not belong in America. Happy Nuclear Family Month.”
It’s a statement built on a familiar assumption: that some people belong and some people don’t.
Some families are celebrated.
Some identities are tolerated.
Some people are pushed to the margins.
Religion has often been recruited to support that worldview.
Jesus had other ideas.
When Jesus opens the Sermon on the Mount, he doesn’t bless the powerful, the respectable, or those who fit neatly into society’s expectations. He blesses the poor in spirit, those whose dignity has been diminished, whose belonging has been questioned, whose lives have been treated as expendable.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The kingdom, Jesus says, belongs to the very people the world has rejected.
Our nation has rejected Queer folx, Trans folx, Black, Brown and Indigenous folx, undocumented folx… and have said that we don’t belong here.
But Jesus lays a simple claim: If Heaven is for those rejected, then America is too.
The kingdom of heaven is already breaking through every time we fight against this narrative for the basic human rights of everyone who has been marginalized and the right for everyone to exist here safely.
Check out these ways we can stand in solidarity with the “poor in spirit” today:
Updates on Delaney Hall
Our siblings in detention at Delaney Hall are on day 14 of their Labor and Hunger strike, protesting the unsafe and degrading conditions of their detention. The letter cites overcrowding, unsanitary facilities, inadequate medical care, poor food quality, and restricted access to legal counsel.
Before taking any action, we encourage you to read the letters posted by our siblings detained on hunger strike and labor strike:
1. https://www.lahuelga.com/elgrito
2. https://www.lahuelga.com/comunicado
3. https://www.lahuelga.com/sos
4. https://www.lahuelga.com/freedom
Support their protest by getting involved in these actions:
Reach out to your Senator today to tell them to Defund ICE and stand with immigrants at Delaney Hall! Click here to take action:
https://secure.ngpvan.com/eoMyiRpGB0yblV6eigvM9Q2
How you can take action/more to read:
Tell your member of Congress to REJECT money from ICE corporate contractors: No Palantir Blood Money! https://secure.ngpvan.com/IiMV979luE64JjD2dVRCnA2
DONATE to support the First Friends Bond Fund to help detainees win release: BOND FUND https://firstfriendsnjny.org/bondfund/
Check out this Delaney Hall toolkit: bit.ly/from-delaney
Join us as we protest Citizens Bank:
Citizens Bank is bankrolling the country’s two largest prison companies that are earning record profits operating dozens of ICE detention facilities.
Join Manhattan West Side, Chelsea, Village and Brooklyn residents as well as thousands of people across the country on Saturday, June 6th to send Citizens Bank a clear message: financing private prison and immigration detention facility operators The GEO Group and CoreCivic is bad for business.
More information here: Volunteer Opportunities, Events, and Petitions Near Me · De-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition on Mobilize
Can’t get involved protesting, come and coalition build with us!
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR1) has dramatically increased funding for ICE while slashing support for climate action, clean energy, green jobs, and other investments that help communities thrive. It is an immoral law, and it must not stand.
As people of faith, we know our nation must invest in dignity, justice, and a livable future, not division, detention, and environmental destruction. Recent events at Delaney Hall have highlighted the growing threats facing immigrant communities throughout our region, while climate change continues to drive displacement and deepen inequality globally and here in New York City.
Join GreenFaith, Riverside Church, and faith leaders, organizers, and community members as we explore the connections between climate change, migration, racial justice, and economic inequality; hear from frontline leaders; and help build New York City’s multi-faith leadership in the Covenant for Our Future campaign, a multi-faith effort to repeal HR1.
Together, we will prepare for Covenant’s National Week of Action this August, strengthen the movement to repeal HR1, and advance policies that protect the dignity of migrants, safeguard creation, and build a just future for all.
RSVP now to save your spot at the summit: The Earth Cries Out: A Faith Summit on Immigration + Climate Justice Tickets, Wednesday, June 17 • 9 AM – 5 PM | Eventbrite