To the Beloved Women Across Our Network,

I want to acknowledge the hard work of the many women across Faith in Action, our staff, allies, and supporters who wear many important hats. These hats include the title of Organizer, Director, Manager, Leader, but no title more important than the often-thankless role of Mother, Mom, Godmom, and mother-figure. You all provide so much power and courage to your families, the young people of your communities and to the work of creating a more just world. For that, we are tremendously thankful.

I see you, I appreciate you, and value your commitment to equity and the love you pour into all the work that you do.

It is because of this love that Faith in Action has been able to persevere through hate. It is because of your love and hard work that people across the nation have wrap-around services when they return from incarceration, that mothers and fathers have received stays of deportation, that 1.4 million more people in Florida can vote and that people believe that faith still plays a role in their lives. It is your unwavering love you inject into all that you do that I – and all of us at Faith in Action am so thankful for. It is because of all of you that we stand so strong.

As I searched for scriptures that could best convey the challenging moment we’re in as a nation – and the need to lead with the love and power that Mother’s around the country exhibit everyday – the following spoke to me and I hope warms your heart just as it did mine.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.