Because We Believe ... We Act

MFSA 2025 Lent Devotional: Week 6

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Speak out for those who cannot speak, and for the rights of those abandoned by others.

Speak out, issue decrees, vindicate the rights of the homeless and the hungry.

– Proverbs 31:8-9 The Inclusive Bible Translation

Methodist Federal for Social Action | April 9, 2025

I went to Mexico recently to drop off supplies for migrant families. Afterward, I stopped by Abby’s Bakery, a small business that had just been raided. It was closed. Families were traumatized, scared. I held them in prayer that day—and I still do.

This work of loving our neighbors, especially our migrant siblings, is deeply important to me. The policies we see today are hurting families and entire communities. Sometimes, the fear is so heavy, but we know we are not alone. Many of us will keep showing up. Because we believe… we act.

Not long ago, mixed-status families organized a vigil. The signs people brought said things like “Families belong together,” “Silence is complicity,” and “The United Methodist Church supports Immigrant Rights, Civil Rights, Human rights!”

At that vigil, I saw heartbreak, but I also saw incredible courage. And I was inspired by the young people who led the way, using their voices to protect and advocate for their communities.

I’m grateful every day for the people who stand in this work with me—for those who donate supplies, make calls, organize, document, and pray. I carry your encouragement with me when advocating for policies that reflect our shared values. And I hold you in gratitude when I meet young soldiers at the border who just want to go home, or when I see kids growing up too fast in a system that was never built to protect them.

This Lent, I invite you to remember that faith is action. It’s being present. It’s telling the truth. It’s standing alongside those who are most at risk and saying, “You are not forgotten. We’re with you.”

  • How can you use your voice to amplify those who are often unheard?
  • What does faithful action look like for you this Lent?

God of justice and love,Thank you for walking with us into the hard places.Thank you for every person who refuses to turn away.Strengthen our hearts when we feel tired,And remind us that compassion is a sacred act.Help us to keep showing up—for each other, and for you. Amen.

Deaconess Cindy Andrade Johnson is a humanitarian advocate who has worked with migrants. She lives with her husband, Mike Johnson, on the US/Mexican border in Brownsville, Texas. Her home church is Travis Park United Methodist Church. Cindy is currently working as a consultant in the following areas: education, cultural competence, migration, and missiology.