Ears to Hear, Hands to Act
How do we follow Jesus when our siblings are suffering and when unjust systems demand our resistance?
Jesus often spoke as though listening were a moral act. In the parable of the sower, the same seed is scattered generously, but it lands on different kinds of ground. The difference is not the Word itself, but what happens after it is heard. Some let it skim the surface of their lives. Others receive it with joy, until the cost becomes real. Still others allow fear, comfort, and distraction to choke its growth. And then there are those who listen with their whole bodies, who let the Word sink in, take root, and bear fruit.
Jesus calls these people the ones with “ears to hear.”
To have ears to hear involves being informed AND being courageous to interrupt. It is to allow the cries of the wounded world to reach us, unsettle us, and rearrange our priorities. It is to refuse the temptation of spiritual numbness when suffering feels distant or politically inconvenient. Jesus’ justice always begins with attention, but it never ends there.
Today, the cries are unmistakable. They rise from Gaza, where children and families endure devastation that demands not only our grief but our moral clarity. They rise from immigrant communities here at home, targeted, terrorized, and traumatized by federal overreach that fractures families and instills fear as a governing tool. They rise from neighborhoods where policies strip people of healthcare, food, clean air, and dignity, while wealth and power are hoarded by a few. These are not separate stories. They are woven together by systems that prize domination over care and profit over life.
The question Jesus places before us is simple and piercing: what kind of hearers will we be?
“Let anyone with ears to hear, listen.” And then, let us respond starting with the actions below.
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Congress is far too close to continue funding DHS and ICE’s operations while winning modest reforms to ICE practice. We must push to STOP ICE and claw back not only additional funding but all $170 billion funding appropriated in the so called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ for DHS. Here’s How:
Call: Senator Gillibrand (212) 688-6262 & Senator Schumer (212) 486-4430
Script:
“Hi My name is _______________ and I’m one of Senator Gillibrand/Schumer’s constituents living in __________, New York. I’m calling to ask the Senator to stand up and support Immigrant New Yorkers. Defunding ICE doesn’t go far enough, I am calling with three asks:
Dismantle ICE & Stop funding it and its private contractors entirely.
Hold ICE Accountable: disarm them, de-mask them, and let people sue them.
Get ICE off our Streets and out of our Courts. All through our country and in New York, people are standing up with moral courage — will Senator Gillibrand/Schumer do the same?”
Feb 5, 7-8:30pm: Bronx Power Metro-IAF Rally
Dozens of churches, mosques, non-profits and associations are forming a new Bronx power organization. Together, with Metro power to win truly affordable housing, safer streets, better schools, mental health care services, and employment opportunities for everyone. Come witness the founding of your new organization and a better Industrial Areas Foundation, Bronx residents will finally have the future for our families.
This evening centers the cries of our Palestinian siblings and the ongoing genocide in Gaza, even amid a fragile ceasefire. We will hear analysis and testimony from journalists, organizers, and movement leaders including Jake Romm, Mahmoud Khalil, Sharif Abdel Kouddos, Laila Al-Arian, and members of the Palestinian Youth Movement.
We have witnessed enough devastation and we need to name the systems that enable it: political lobbies, weapons manufacturers, media complicity, and an international order unwilling to enforce accountability.The night will close with revolutionary Palestinian music from the Palestinian Youth Choir, alongside Sami Abu Shumays and musicians, reminding us that culture and resistance are inseparable.
Tickets are free. Any donation you choose to make will support the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) and their life-sustaining work with children and families in Gaza.
Register here and arrive early (doors open at 6:30pm):
Feb 15: Covenant for Our Future: A Community Conversation 
The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) cuts healthcare, food assistance, clean energy, and worker protections while directing billions to fossil fuel corporations and the wealthy. In response, GreenFaith and a multifaith coalition are advancing the Covenant for Our Future, a moral vision rooted in shared religious values: feeding the hungry, healing the sick, welcoming migrants, caring for creation, protecting democracy, and holding the powerful accountable.
Join us for a community conversation about what faithful resistance and moral leadership look like in this moment. Together, we will explore how communities of faith can educate, organize, and engage elected officials, and identify concrete actions we can take to work toward a just, compassionate, and sustainable future for all.
Place and time: South Hall, 1:30pm
“Train the Trainer” with Hands Off NYC
Are you interested in organizing your community/block/workplace to protect ourselves and our neighbors? Have you attended a Deportation Defense training? Are you interested in joining the team of Deportation Defense trainers?
Join the 2-day train the trainer on both the classic “Hands Off NYC” curriculum and other relevant trainings like community orientations.
Day 1: Sat, 2/28 from 10-4 PM Day 2: Sun, 3/1 from 10-2 PM
Location is TBD, probably downtown Manhattan. Please attend both days.Lunch will be served.
More information and registration here: https://www.mobilize.us/handsoffnyc/event/896883/
Save the Date
Community Weekend with Hands Off NYC Feb 20-22
The Riverside Church will host a Community Weekend event on Feb 21. Save the Date and look out for details in our next newsletter. For other events near you, check out:
https://www.handsoffnyc.com/community