“The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice.” (Ezekiel 22:29)
#AbolishICE is the moderate position.
This isn’t immigration policy; these are crimes against humanity.
It is so refreshing to see an elected official speaking and acting with integrity and a firm commitment to the good of all those he serves.
The US immigrant population generated more in taxes than they received in benefits from all levels of government every year from 1994 to 2023.
The Cato study provides the first-ever 30-year analysis of the fiscal effects of immigration on government budgets.
https://ow.ly/jy8a50Y8kM3
i have just gotten off a productive call with sauron where i laid out our requests
- nazgul bodycams
- morgul knife must remain sheathed unless suspect is determined to be carrying the one ring
- shelob will be the new point of contact
I went to Minneapolis last week. What I saw was horrifying and inspiring in equal measure. Gift link to my latest column: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/o...
The new king *has* come, and he *will* reign in justice and righteousness. So the question I’m left with is: What does it look like to live as a citizen of *that* kingdom, rather than a citizen of Herod’s kingdom?
Full recording: youtu.be/xeHA4lq6ZWk?...
SoundCloud link in bio. 6/6
In recording a cover, I thought about the Herods of our day; those who cannot stand any threats to their power, wealth, or self-image. Herod does not fear God. Herod is not constrained by law. Herod would rather kill innocents than risk losing his throne. But Herod’s power can’t last forever. 5/6
b/c Joseph is warned in a dream. But the other children of Bethlehem become victims to Herod’s rage and pride.
Several years ago, singer & songwriter Liz Vice wrote new lyrics to the classic “Away in a Manger,” telling the story of Jesus & his family’s escape into Egypt. 4/6
They do not: warned in a dream, the magi take a different route home. But Herod is undeterred. W/o knowing where in Bethlehem the child & his family are living, Herod’s solution is to kill all toddler & infant boys in town, age 2 & under. Jesus & his family escape as refugees to Egypt, 3/6
But the story isn’t so simple. Earlier in their journey, the magi inadvertently inform King Herod that a new king has been born. Narcissistic, power-hungry & ruthless, Herod pretends that he too wants to worship this child Messiah & orders the magi to report back once they have found him. 2/6
🧵Yesterday, 1/6, is celebrated in the church calendar as Epiphany or Día de los Reyes Magos, remembering the visit of the magi to the baby Jesus (Matt. 2). The magi’s visit is hope-filled: a group of wealthy gentile scholars (possibly rulers) follow a star to a new king, worship him & bring gifts.
My top books of 2025: 1) Reveille for Radicals by Saul Alinsky; 2) The Church and the Political Problem of Our Day by Karl Barth; 3) Charlie Martz and Other Stories by Elmore Leonard; 4) Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson; 5) Music Makers by Timothy Duffy
2025 #books in review📚
I finished 122 books in 2025, 15 of which were re-reads. Most of my theology reading didn’t make the list because e.g. while I read a lot of commentary on the Book of the Twelve, I didn’t read any single volume cover to cover. These were my top five:
Thread
resources re: ICE presence in North Carolina, distribute widely if you feel like it. all love to my community, no love to the people who said "but what is fascism really? historically, blah blah, name-calling gets us nowhere" when we were all saying "these people are fascists"
linktr.ee/apply_heat
Trump’s nominee to the US export bank has withdrawn amid scrutiny of his close familial ties to Russian banks and Putin-linked oligarchs. Bryce McFerran had no previous government experience but gave $1 million to Trump’s campaign.
Google's Gemini AI tells a Redditor it's 'cautiously optimistic' about fixing a coding bug, fails repeatedly, calls itself an embarrassment to 'all possible and impossible universes' before repeating 'I am a disgrace' 86 times in succession
I'll admit, I was skeptical when they said Gemini was just like a bunch of PhDs. But I gotta admit they nailed it.
This week, I’ve been thinking about the often unsung efforts of humanitarian workers: those who are on the front lines of disaster relief, displacement crises, and development work. Here are some personal reflections: open.substack.com/pub/amberdia...
#WorldRefugeeDay2025 #humanitarianworkers
These stories make my stomach turn. This man helped the U.S. during the war in Afghanistan—at great personal risk.
The Trump administration then revoked his parole, and his wife & children learned of his arrest by watching it online.
Cruelty for the sake of it.
Thank you so much!
Awesome! I met Daniel last year when we were both in a panel discussion organized by World Relief; I really admire the work MCC is doing!
An honor to write on #immigration policy & #theology for the Mygration Christian Conference blog. Confused by ”America First” rhetoric? See how immigration, of all types, is good for the U.S.—and why Christians ought to defend immigrants even if the benefits weren't so clear: tinyurl.com/adpmcc0525
My wife Sarah has written a really excellent piece for Plough on what Christians owe strangers in need, drawing upon her own experience working with refugees and upon the history of Christian thought. Alas — a very timely piece right now. ⚓️
what a time to be teaching Thomas Hobbes, am I right theorists?!
Praying for you and Harrison.
If you want to know how to help, it's money. The resettlement orgs will continue to do the work (or at least World Relief will) if they have the funds to be able to.
Oh my good heavens.
2/2 I also like to compile playlists as “bonus content” for Bible studies when possible — please feel free to share your ideas! Sheryl Crow’s “Redemption Day” was one of the first on the list, so I decided to record a quick cover today.
soundcloud.com/amberdiazmusic/redemption-day-cover
I’m slowly putting together a short study on the minor prophets for my small group later this spring. Over & over, these prophets warn the people of God that punishment is coming because of their 1) idolatry and 2) oppression of the marginalized, including the poor & the stranger. 1/2
