Welcome back to the Liberty Insider. 00:00:01.36\00:00:03.16 This is been an interesting discussion 00:00:03.20\00:00:05.50 with Pati Lawrence, 00:00:05.53\00:00:06.87 and before the break you were telling there 00:00:06.90\00:00:09.37 about this out of control town hall meeting 00:00:09.40\00:00:12.11 organized by Congresswoman Barragan, 00:00:12.14\00:00:14.88 a small woman, short woman being intimidated 00:00:14.91\00:00:18.15 by an angry crowd 00:00:18.18\00:00:19.51 and an individual that you thought 00:00:19.55\00:00:20.88 was almost inciting a riot until the pastor stepped in 00:00:20.92\00:00:23.95 and reminded them that this was a holy place. 00:00:23.99\00:00:26.59 This was a church and they should respect it. 00:00:26.62\00:00:29.59 And I really, in my mind at the time 00:00:29.62\00:00:31.66 was thinking of that Jesus 00:00:31.69\00:00:33.29 calming the waters, peace be still. 00:00:33.33\00:00:35.23 It was. 00:00:35.26\00:00:36.60 It was very close to that, 00:00:36.63\00:00:37.97 and the audience did quiet down, 00:00:38.00\00:00:40.64 he was able to give... 00:00:40.67\00:00:42.00 We closed the town hall at that point, 00:00:42.04\00:00:43.97 it was towards the end anyway. 00:00:44.01\00:00:45.34 Yeah. 00:00:45.37\00:00:46.71 He gave a prayer, it was silent, 00:00:46.74\00:00:48.08 everyone left orderly. 00:00:48.11\00:00:50.95 It was the Holy Spirit was in that place. 00:00:50.98\00:00:53.55 He really was. 00:00:53.58\00:00:54.92 And the Congresswoman went away 00:00:54.95\00:00:56.55 with a pretty good feeling overall, right? 00:00:56.58\00:00:58.69 Very good feeling, and not long after that, 00:00:58.72\00:01:00.66 she organized a faith leadership, 00:01:00.69\00:01:04.19 prayer breakfast. 00:01:04.23\00:01:05.79 And when I received the invite, 00:01:05.83\00:01:07.63 her district director was sure to say, 00:01:07.66\00:01:09.73 please invite all of your pastors 00:01:09.76\00:01:11.77 within her district and especially this pastor. 00:01:11.80\00:01:14.64 And so, we showed up for a prayer breakfast 00:01:14.67\00:01:18.21 and I have many pictures of her, 00:01:18.24\00:01:19.57 and he just talking as if they're just old friends 00:01:19.61\00:01:21.98 and that's how this bonding happens. 00:01:22.01\00:01:23.95 This has, this is how the relationships happen. 00:01:23.98\00:01:26.08 You don't know what's going to bring you together, 00:01:26.11\00:01:29.52 but God does. 00:01:29.55\00:01:30.89 Now these are amazing experiences, 00:01:30.92\00:01:32.52 which absolutely vindicate our pile approach, I think. 00:01:32.55\00:01:37.23 And going back to the beginning, 00:01:37.26\00:01:39.39 you took our literature, literally acted on it. 00:01:39.43\00:01:43.20 So it's a pretty good blueprint, 00:01:43.23\00:01:44.57 but the missing element for many people 00:01:44.60\00:01:46.43 is they haven't sort of 00:01:46.47\00:01:48.10 got the fire in their belly, the vision. 00:01:48.14\00:01:49.90 Well, something you'll be excited about, 00:01:49.94\00:01:53.41 I was in, I think I can say that 00:01:53.44\00:01:54.94 in Congressman Lowenthal in California, his office, 00:01:54.98\00:01:58.71 and again, Dennis Seaton, Church State Council, 00:01:58.75\00:02:01.38 our vice president of Southern Conference. 00:02:01.42\00:02:03.42 They joined me in this meeting. 00:02:03.45\00:02:04.79 We met with his district director. 00:02:04.82\00:02:06.59 First amazing thing was his district director 00:02:06.62\00:02:09.56 and I both grew up in the same area 00:02:09.59\00:02:12.03 in Seal Beach, California, 00:02:12.06\00:02:13.40 and went to the same high school. 00:02:13.43\00:02:14.76 So that was a good bonding experience. 00:02:14.80\00:02:16.90 But when I brought up 00:02:16.93\00:02:18.27 Liberty magazine to hand to him, 00:02:18.30\00:02:19.67 he said, "Oh yeah, we get that all the time. 00:02:19.70\00:02:21.60 Let me show you." 00:02:21.64\00:02:22.97 He gets up and he comes in 00:02:23.00\00:02:24.34 with his own issue of Liberty magazine. 00:02:24.37\00:02:25.71 That was really nice. 00:02:25.74\00:02:27.08 We were very happy about that 00:02:27.11\00:02:28.44 And it's worth reminding of you, 00:02:28.48\00:02:29.81 is that Liberty magazine is widely distributed 00:02:29.84\00:02:31.41 to state and federal legislators 00:02:31.45\00:02:34.72 and mayors and all the community leaders 00:02:34.75\00:02:37.62 we can think of, 00:02:37.65\00:02:38.99 a lot of lawyers, not all of them. 00:02:39.02\00:02:40.36 There's a last figure I saw is at least 00:02:40.39\00:02:43.02 200,000 lawyers in the US. 00:02:43.06\00:02:44.89 We don't yet have the ability to send to all, 00:02:44.93\00:02:47.96 but Liberty goes out to, it varies a bit, 00:02:48.00\00:02:50.63 but between 160 and 185,000, every issue, 00:02:50.67\00:02:54.24 that's a pretty wide distribution... 00:02:54.27\00:02:55.60 Yeah, so I was surprised. 00:02:55.64\00:02:56.97 So it's not uncommon to go to a government office 00:02:57.01\00:02:59.07 and to see it there on the table, 00:02:59.11\00:03:00.81 or to hear that they have been reading it. 00:03:00.84\00:03:02.71 And he had it out because he went, 00:03:02.74\00:03:04.48 picked it up and brought it right in says, 00:03:04.51\00:03:05.85 "Look, here's my issue." 00:03:05.88\00:03:07.42 Yeah. That was great. 00:03:07.45\00:03:08.78 By the way, my son has been going out 00:03:08.82\00:03:11.79 using an old word, 00:03:11.82\00:03:13.15 colporteuring, but selling cookbooks 00:03:13.19\00:03:16.89 and spiritual books door to door. 00:03:16.93\00:03:20.50 And he said, he went to one door 00:03:20.53\00:03:22.40 and got into discussion with him. 00:03:22.43\00:03:25.03 And he said, 00:03:25.07\00:03:26.40 "His father head at Liberty magazine." 00:03:26.43\00:03:27.77 And the guy says, 00:03:27.80\00:03:29.14 "Oh, yes, I see that at my dentist's office." 00:03:29.17\00:03:32.01 So these seedings of truth work. 00:03:32.04\00:03:37.45 It does, and I, it helped me greatly 00:03:37.48\00:03:39.58 I know too, 00:03:39.61\00:03:40.95 because along with the NARLA card 00:03:40.98\00:03:42.32 that I give out with the Liberty magazine, 00:03:42.35\00:03:43.92 I attended a congressional hearing 00:03:43.95\00:03:45.82 and this was historic. 00:03:45.85\00:03:47.19 I don't believe from what I read in the invite 00:03:47.22\00:03:49.26 that a congressional hearing has been held in Los Angeles, 00:03:49.29\00:03:52.03 but this was held in Los Angeles. 00:03:52.06\00:03:53.90 There were about six members of Congress 00:03:53.93\00:03:55.80 from across the country on this panel. 00:03:55.83\00:03:58.90 And the room, it was a short list of invites. 00:03:58.93\00:04:01.80 How my name got on the list could only be from God. 00:04:01.84\00:04:04.64 That's the only thing... It was a very small room. 00:04:04.67\00:04:07.08 I sat in the second row, and for some reason, 00:04:07.11\00:04:11.05 I thought I was going to meet 00:04:11.08\00:04:12.41 maybe one member of Congress, possibly, 00:04:12.45\00:04:15.08 if it was on my side to do that. 00:04:15.12\00:04:18.02 So, but I brought several Liberty magazines 00:04:18.05\00:04:19.95 and several NARLA cards. 00:04:19.99\00:04:21.82 So it was on criminal justice reform, 00:04:21.86\00:04:24.93 which is now something 00:04:24.96\00:04:26.29 that has been calling me to get involved with that. 00:04:26.33\00:04:28.10 Some community activism work I am working on, but... 00:04:28.13\00:04:30.47 I remember last this is timing it, 00:04:30.50\00:04:33.03 but recently the first debate, well, 00:04:33.07\00:04:36.00 the first and only debate between 00:04:36.04\00:04:37.64 the vice presidential candidates 00:04:37.67\00:04:40.81 Kamala Harris from California originally, 00:04:40.84\00:04:43.78 she was on about criminal justice reform, 00:04:43.81\00:04:46.01 big issue... 00:04:46.05\00:04:47.38 Yes. 00:04:47.42\00:04:48.75 Made it a national concern 00:04:48.78\00:04:50.12 by her mentioning it's problematic. 00:04:50.15\00:04:51.49 And it's pretty big in California right now. 00:04:51.52\00:04:52.85 So I've been jumping on that also, 00:04:52.89\00:04:54.22 but this was my first hearing. 00:04:54.26\00:04:55.62 And during the hearing, 00:04:55.66\00:04:56.99 I kept praying to God and saying, God, 00:04:57.03\00:04:58.36 let me just speak to one member of Congress, just one member. 00:04:58.39\00:05:01.06 I was actually invited by Congresswoman Karen Bass 00:05:01.10\00:05:04.00 because I signed up on their website 00:05:04.03\00:05:05.70 and they must have just pulled a handful of people. 00:05:05.73\00:05:08.24 My name happened to be in that pool of people. 00:05:08.27\00:05:10.84 God, only God. Only God's in that. 00:05:10.87\00:05:12.37 God's in that. 00:05:12.41\00:05:13.74 Jonah's lot was drawn, but providence. 00:05:13.78\00:05:16.71 Yeah, it was God that I would be called 00:05:16.75\00:05:19.31 for the very few to be there from the public 00:05:19.35\00:05:22.08 but I was, and I thought, God, 00:05:22.12\00:05:23.69 just let me meet her, just let me meet her. 00:05:23.72\00:05:25.65 And I kept praying just one member of Congress. 00:05:25.69\00:05:28.59 No, that day after the meeting, how... 00:05:28.62\00:05:31.13 It's still in my mind 00:05:31.16\00:05:32.49 when I look back on it's surreal 00:05:32.53\00:05:35.06 because I walked up to the table. 00:05:35.10\00:05:36.60 Now they were supposed to be rushed off 00:05:36.63\00:05:37.97 into a press conference right afterwards. 00:05:38.00\00:05:40.94 Three of them were still at their, 00:05:40.97\00:05:43.97 the panel table, picking up some things. 00:05:44.01\00:05:46.37 And I go walking up to the first one 00:05:46.41\00:05:47.78 was Congressman Hank Johnson from Atlanta. 00:05:47.81\00:05:50.31 And I handed him the little package that I had, 00:05:50.35\00:05:52.78 introduced myself, and he said. 00:05:52.81\00:05:55.12 And I said, I don't remember exactly. 00:05:55.15\00:05:57.82 I know he was at Atlanta, and maybe I just said, 00:05:57.85\00:05:59.89 you know I'd like to just call on your office. 00:05:59.92\00:06:01.72 Like, you know, and he gave me the name 00:06:01.76\00:06:03.09 of his district director. 00:06:03.12\00:06:04.46 Okay. 00:06:04.49\00:06:05.83 The next Congressman was from Nevada 00:06:05.86\00:06:08.20 who we've built a pretty good relationship 00:06:08.23\00:06:10.70 with his office since and I gave him the same thing 00:06:10.73\00:06:14.30 and he was reading the card. 00:06:14.34\00:06:15.84 He took the time to stop and read the card with me. 00:06:15.87\00:06:18.07 And he saw legislative and he says, 00:06:18.11\00:06:19.64 oh, why don't you reach out to, 00:06:19.67\00:06:21.18 he gave me her name, his legislative director in DC. 00:06:21.21\00:06:25.38 And he gave me her name. 00:06:25.41\00:06:26.98 And I said, "Okay." 00:06:27.02\00:06:28.52 The next person was Congresswoman Bass directly 00:06:28.55\00:06:32.22 because I had been on her website, 00:06:32.25\00:06:33.59 but this is the first interaction 00:06:33.62\00:06:34.96 face-to-face. 00:06:34.99\00:06:36.32 I hadn't even met any of her staffers yet. 00:06:36.36\00:06:38.46 So she's the one that put her hand 00:06:38.49\00:06:40.86 on my arm that day 00:06:40.90\00:06:42.23 when I explained to her religious liberty. 00:06:42.26\00:06:44.70 And she said, "Thank you for saying so." 00:06:44.73\00:06:48.24 And she said, "Call her office." 00:06:48.27\00:06:49.67 She gave me the name of her district director 00:06:49.70\00:06:51.61 to make an appointment. 00:06:51.64\00:06:52.97 So I left there with three members of Congress 00:06:53.01\00:06:56.04 when I asked God to just let me introduce, 00:06:56.08\00:06:57.75 let me meet one. 00:06:57.78\00:06:59.28 And what's happened since then, as you know, 00:06:59.31\00:07:01.08 we were in Atlanta for the Conscience 00:07:01.12\00:07:03.42 and Justice Convention, Congressman Johnson 00:07:03.45\00:07:06.09 was there to give a greeting. 00:07:06.12\00:07:07.52 And I was asked, they said, well, Pati, and this is how, 00:07:07.56\00:07:10.69 again, nurturing the relationships 00:07:10.73\00:07:12.23 when you get familiar with someone. 00:07:12.26\00:07:14.03 I was speaking with his district director 00:07:14.06\00:07:15.76 on and off through the weeks since I'd met them. 00:07:15.80\00:07:18.87 And she was familiar with me, 00:07:18.90\00:07:20.84 sometimes we just chit chat girl talk, and then hang up. 00:07:20.87\00:07:24.31 And what were the chances 00:07:24.34\00:07:25.67 I'd ever see him or her in Atlanta? 00:07:25.71\00:07:27.84 I'm in California. 00:07:27.88\00:07:29.28 But when I invited him to the Conscience Convention, 00:07:29.31\00:07:33.85 she said, "Oh, sure, yes, he'll do that." 00:07:33.88\00:07:36.12 And then I think 00:07:36.15\00:07:37.55 it was a couple of days before she says, 00:07:37.59\00:07:39.02 "Well, Pati, here's my cell phone number. 00:07:39.05\00:07:40.72 Here's the Congressman's cell phone number. 00:07:40.76\00:07:43.16 May I give him your number?" 00:07:43.19\00:07:44.53 And then she says, "Can we ask you a favor? 00:07:44.56\00:07:46.23 We don't have a staffer available 00:07:46.26\00:07:47.76 to meet him that day." 00:07:47.80\00:07:49.13 And he came with an old college buddy, 00:07:49.16\00:07:50.87 can you meet him, walk him in, you know, 00:07:50.90\00:07:53.40 sit him down and then walk out with him. 00:07:53.44\00:07:55.37 They're asking me if I would do what they would normally do. 00:07:55.40\00:07:57.61 I wish I was there. 00:07:57.64\00:07:58.97 There's trust, don't see you as a risky proposition. 00:07:59.01\00:08:03.51 Yeah, and, of course. For one of their team. 00:08:03.55\00:08:05.01 And so, and I did that. 00:08:05.05\00:08:06.68 I walked him in, I know you were there. 00:08:06.72\00:08:08.35 He gave his greeting, with Congresswoman Bass, 00:08:08.38\00:08:11.39 and made an appointment with her district director, 00:08:11.42\00:08:13.99 went in and here's something that I love about that meeting. 00:08:14.02\00:08:17.33 Dennis Seaton again, Church State Council, 00:08:17.36\00:08:19.59 our VP from our Southern Conference 00:08:19.63\00:08:21.70 was in attendance. 00:08:21.73\00:08:23.06 Also, I invited a pastor, 00:08:23.10\00:08:26.60 we have about eight congregations 00:08:26.63\00:08:28.00 within Congresswoman Bass' district. 00:08:28.04\00:08:30.51 I invited one of the pastors to represent her constituency 00:08:30.54\00:08:34.98 because I was told by her district director, 00:08:35.01\00:08:37.61 we really need someone 00:08:37.65\00:08:38.98 that were in the meeting from her constituency. 00:08:39.01\00:08:41.45 To justify it really in some way. 00:08:41.48\00:08:42.82 Right. 00:08:42.85\00:08:44.19 So I invited the pastor who represented constituency. 00:08:44.22\00:08:47.36 It was a wonderful meeting that we had. 00:08:47.39\00:08:49.52 We start explaining to her about our structure 00:08:49.56\00:08:52.53 in Seventh-day Adventist Church. 00:08:52.56\00:08:53.90 I started with my portfolio. 00:08:53.93\00:08:55.26 And then she stops us. 00:08:55.30\00:08:56.63 She goes, now, 00:08:56.67\00:08:58.00 you don't have to tell me anymore about 00:08:58.03\00:08:59.37 Seventh-day Adventist. 00:08:59.40\00:09:00.74 And at first I'm thinking, oh, no, right? 00:09:00.77\00:09:03.27 No, listen to this. 00:09:03.30\00:09:04.64 She says, "I grew up Seventh-day Adventist." 00:09:04.67\00:09:08.24 I grew up in Loma Linda. 00:09:08.28\00:09:09.94 Her parents were Seventh-day Adventists. 00:09:09.98\00:09:12.11 Her grandfather was Seventh-day Adventist, 00:09:12.15\00:09:14.08 worked for ADRA. 00:09:14.12\00:09:15.45 Her parents did mission work. 00:09:15.48\00:09:16.82 So she knows the whole deal. 00:09:16.85\00:09:18.55 I mean, who would have thought, right? 00:09:18.59\00:09:21.12 Then she says, so very interesting. 00:09:21.16\00:09:22.52 She left Adventism 00:09:22.56\00:09:23.93 and she's practicing, she's Jewish now. 00:09:23.96\00:09:27.00 We thought, okay. 00:09:27.03\00:09:28.36 Well, we didn't have to go on 00:09:28.40\00:09:29.73 with the structure of the church 00:09:29.76\00:09:31.10 or explaining who we are and what we do anymore, 00:09:31.13\00:09:32.53 she knew. 00:09:32.57\00:09:33.90 So we went on to the more practical 00:09:33.94\00:09:35.40 of how we could work together. 00:09:35.44\00:09:37.67 But the biggest thing that I really take from this is, 00:09:37.71\00:09:40.81 I know there's that separation between church and state. 00:09:40.84\00:09:43.55 We don't pray in members of Congress offices 00:09:43.58\00:09:46.61 or meetings with them. 00:09:46.65\00:09:47.98 We keep it separate, but because of the connection. 00:09:48.02\00:09:50.59 Well, you can pray. 00:09:50.62\00:09:51.95 That's allowed, by the way, we've had articles. 00:09:51.99\00:09:53.36 In fact I didn't know if it was allowed. 00:09:53.39\00:09:54.72 See, we've had article, 00:09:54.76\00:09:56.09 we had an article once in Liberty magazine 00:09:56.12\00:09:58.29 about the legislators in Hawaii 00:09:58.33\00:10:01.33 that they have a right within their office 00:10:01.36\00:10:03.63 and in their own private dealings 00:10:03.67\00:10:06.17 that are not official to pray. 00:10:06.20\00:10:08.44 They have a right, 00:10:08.47\00:10:09.80 even amazingly to put religious posters 00:10:09.84\00:10:12.37 on their office door. 00:10:12.41\00:10:13.74 Okay. 00:10:13.78\00:10:15.11 So was it, I didn't know that and I've never asked them. 00:10:15.14\00:10:16.48 It gets tricky at some points, 00:10:16.51\00:10:17.85 but, or in the schools, a teacher has a right, 00:10:17.88\00:10:22.08 but they have no right 00:10:22.12\00:10:23.59 in the formal teaching to be promoting religion 00:10:23.62\00:10:28.12 or that discussion 00:10:28.16\00:10:29.59 because they're paid by the state to deal 00:10:29.62\00:10:32.93 with civil matters. 00:10:32.96\00:10:34.30 But as an individual, 00:10:34.33\00:10:35.93 they don't lose their rights of religious expression. 00:10:35.96\00:10:38.57 So they have to be very careful the venue 00:10:38.60\00:10:40.90 and the way that they do it. 00:10:40.94\00:10:42.27 They still have religious practice rights. 00:10:42.30\00:10:46.37 And in these meetings, 00:10:46.41\00:10:47.74 and when I've attended meetings alone, 00:10:47.78\00:10:49.11 I never offer a prayer at the end, 00:10:49.14\00:10:51.31 but the pastor did, he says, "Can we pray?" 00:10:51.35\00:10:54.35 And she said, "Yes." We stood up. 00:10:54.38\00:10:56.02 We were in a circle and he prayed us out. 00:10:56.05\00:10:58.79 And I just thought, what a beautiful thing, 00:10:58.82\00:11:00.36 what a beautiful thing. 00:11:00.39\00:11:01.72 And, you know, to her, she says to us, she says, 00:11:01.76\00:11:05.59 this is the Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:11:05.63\00:11:07.26 that I knew growing up. 00:11:07.30\00:11:09.06 The Adventist Church back then would have never stepped out 00:11:09.10\00:11:11.83 into the public sphere like this, 00:11:11.87\00:11:13.20 and met with government officials. 00:11:13.23\00:11:14.57 So you broadened her view 00:11:14.60\00:11:16.00 and who knows this might be another exposure 00:11:16.04\00:11:19.81 that might lead to another change of mind. 00:11:19.84\00:11:22.28 You just don't know what seeds we're planting. 00:11:22.31\00:11:23.71 We don't know 00:11:23.75\00:11:25.08 when they're going to take root, 00:11:25.11\00:11:26.45 but just letting her know that this is a new day 00:11:26.48\00:11:28.68 for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 00:11:28.72\00:11:30.05 We are out in the public, 00:11:30.09\00:11:31.62 and we are building relationships 00:11:31.65\00:11:33.32 with elected officials. 00:11:33.36\00:11:37.23 One of the endearing scenes of the Old Testament 00:11:37.26\00:11:40.16 is King Solomon deciding 00:11:40.20\00:11:42.93 or cutting through the deception 00:11:42.96\00:11:45.57 and the apparent insolubility of a case 00:11:45.60\00:11:48.24 with one child and two mothers. 00:11:48.27\00:11:51.81 In some ways we're asking our modern justices 00:11:51.84\00:11:54.74 to be as salonic 00:11:54.78\00:11:56.24 or divine about their judgments. 00:11:56.28\00:12:00.52 We need to have justices who cherish justice, 00:12:00.55\00:12:05.55 and we shouldn't demean them too much by imagining 00:12:05.59\00:12:08.96 they can be bought easily and corrupted by factions. 00:12:08.99\00:12:13.60 There needs to be good order 00:12:13.63\00:12:15.13 just as there needs to be good order within the church. 00:12:15.16\00:12:18.63 Pati told the story of an almost 00:12:18.67\00:12:20.87 out of control crowd in a church 00:12:20.90\00:12:22.90 brought to order by the pastor. 00:12:22.94\00:12:25.11 That should be the role of the church, 00:12:25.14\00:12:27.58 not to incite, to riot, 00:12:27.61\00:12:30.45 not to encourage justices to move aside 00:12:30.48\00:12:34.45 from the norms of the law, but to remind people 00:12:34.48\00:12:37.55 that God expects us to be in good order, 00:12:37.59\00:12:39.95 just as the children of Israel on one occasion, 00:12:39.99\00:12:42.72 marched out with song 00:12:42.76\00:12:44.09 and prayer against the enemy in good order in holy array. 00:12:44.13\00:12:49.00 We need to face these times, 00:12:49.03\00:12:51.30 these cataclysmic times in holy array, 00:12:51.33\00:12:55.90 singing the songs of the Lord 00:12:55.94\00:12:57.87 and holding out as we do with religious liberty, 00:12:57.91\00:13:00.74 the freedom that God allows to all of his creatures 00:13:00.78\00:13:04.05 in these difficult times. 00:13:04.08\00:13:06.58 For Liberty Insider, this is Lincoln Steed. 00:13:06.61\00:13:09.18