Participants:
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI200488B
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00:01 Welcome back to the Liberty Insider.
00:03 This is been an interesting discussion 00:05 with Pati Lawrence, 00:06 and before the break you were telling there 00:09 about this out of control town hall meeting 00:12 organized by Congresswoman Barragan, 00:14 a small woman, short woman being intimidated 00:18 by an angry crowd 00:19 and an individual that you thought 00:20 was almost inciting a riot until the pastor stepped in 00:23 and reminded them that this was a holy place. 00:26 This was a church and they should respect it. 00:29 And I really, in my mind at the time 00:31 was thinking of that Jesus 00:33 calming the waters, peace be still. 00:35 It was. 00:36 It was very close to that, 00:38 and the audience did quiet down, 00:40 he was able to give... 00:42 We closed the town hall at that point, 00:44 it was towards the end anyway. 00:45 Yeah. 00:46 He gave a prayer, it was silent, 00:48 everyone left orderly. 00:50 It was the Holy Spirit was in that place. 00:53 He really was. 00:54 And the Congresswoman went away 00:56 with a pretty good feeling overall, right? 00:58 Very good feeling, and not long after that, 01:00 she organized a faith leadership, 01:04 prayer breakfast. 01:05 And when I received the invite, 01:07 her district director was sure to say, 01:09 please invite all of your pastors 01:11 within her district and especially this pastor. 01:14 And so, we showed up for a prayer breakfast 01:18 and I have many pictures of her, 01:19 and he just talking as if they're just old friends 01:22 and that's how this bonding happens. 01:23 This has, this is how the relationships happen. 01:26 You don't know what's going to bring you together, 01:29 but God does. 01:30 Now these are amazing experiences, 01:32 which absolutely vindicate our pile approach, I think. 01:37 And going back to the beginning, 01:39 you took our literature, literally acted on it. 01:43 So it's a pretty good blueprint, 01:44 but the missing element for many people 01:46 is they haven't sort of 01:48 got the fire in their belly, the vision. 01:49 Well, something you'll be excited about, 01:53 I was in, I think I can say that 01:54 in Congressman Lowenthal in California, his office, 01:58 and again, Dennis Seaton, Church State Council, 02:01 our vice president of Southern Conference. 02:03 They joined me in this meeting. 02:04 We met with his district director. 02:06 First amazing thing was his district director 02:09 and I both grew up in the same area 02:12 in Seal Beach, California, 02:13 and went to the same high school. 02:14 So that was a good bonding experience. 02:16 But when I brought up 02:18 Liberty magazine to hand to him, 02:19 he said, "Oh yeah, we get that all the time. 02:21 Let me show you." 02:23 He gets up and he comes in 02:24 with his own issue of Liberty magazine. 02:25 That was really nice. 02:27 We were very happy about that 02:28 And it's worth reminding of you, 02:29 is that Liberty magazine is widely distributed 02:31 to state and federal legislators 02:34 and mayors and all the community leaders 02:37 we can think of, 02:39 a lot of lawyers, not all of them. 02:40 There's a last figure I saw is at least 02:43 200,000 lawyers in the US. 02:44 We don't yet have the ability to send to all, 02:48 but Liberty goes out to, it varies a bit, 02:50 but between 160 and 185,000, every issue, 02:54 that's a pretty wide distribution... 02:55 Yeah, so I was surprised. 02:57 So it's not uncommon to go to a government office 02:59 and to see it there on the table, 03:00 or to hear that they have been reading it. 03:02 And he had it out because he went, 03:04 picked it up and brought it right in says, 03:05 "Look, here's my issue." 03:07 Yeah. That was great. 03:08 By the way, my son has been going out 03:11 using an old word, 03:13 colporteuring, but selling cookbooks 03:16 and spiritual books door to door. 03:20 And he said, he went to one door 03:22 and got into discussion with him. 03:25 And he said, 03:26 "His father head at Liberty magazine." 03:27 And the guy says, 03:29 "Oh, yes, I see that at my dentist's office." 03:32 So these seedings of truth work. 03:37 It does, and I, it helped me greatly 03:39 I know too, 03:40 because along with the NARLA card 03:42 that I give out with the Liberty magazine, 03:43 I attended a congressional hearing 03:45 and this was historic. 03:47 I don't believe from what I read in the invite 03:49 that a congressional hearing has been held in Los Angeles, 03:52 but this was held in Los Angeles. 03:53 There were about six members of Congress 03:55 from across the country on this panel. 03:58 And the room, it was a short list of invites. 04:01 How my name got on the list could only be from God. 04:04 That's the only thing... It was a very small room. 04:07 I sat in the second row, and for some reason, 04:11 I thought I was going to meet 04:12 maybe one member of Congress, possibly, 04:15 if it was on my side to do that. 04:18 So, but I brought several Liberty magazines 04:19 and several NARLA cards. 04:21 So it was on criminal justice reform, 04:24 which is now something 04:26 that has been calling me to get involved with that. 04:28 Some community activism work I am working on, but... 04:30 I remember last this is timing it, 04:33 but recently the first debate, well, 04:36 the first and only debate between 04:37 the vice presidential candidates 04:40 Kamala Harris from California originally, 04:43 she was on about criminal justice reform, 04:46 big issue... 04:47 Yes. 04:48 Made it a national concern 04:50 by her mentioning it's problematic. 04:51 And it's pretty big in California right now. 04:52 So I've been jumping on that also, 04:54 but this was my first hearing. 04:55 And during the hearing, 04:57 I kept praying to God and saying, God, 04:58 let me just speak to one member of Congress, just one member. 05:01 I was actually invited by Congresswoman Karen Bass 05:04 because I signed up on their website 05:05 and they must have just pulled a handful of people. 05:08 My name happened to be in that pool of people. 05:10 God, only God. Only God's in that. 05:12 God's in that. 05:13 Jonah's lot was drawn, but providence. 05:16 Yeah, it was God that I would be called 05:19 for the very few to be there from the public 05:22 but I was, and I thought, God, 05:23 just let me meet her, just let me meet her. 05:25 And I kept praying just one member of Congress. 05:28 No, that day after the meeting, how... 05:31 It's still in my mind 05:32 when I look back on it's surreal 05:35 because I walked up to the table. 05:36 Now they were supposed to be rushed off 05:38 into a press conference right afterwards. 05:40 Three of them were still at their, 05:44 the panel table, picking up some things. 05:46 And I go walking up to the first one 05:47 was Congressman Hank Johnson from Atlanta. 05:50 And I handed him the little package that I had, 05:52 introduced myself, and he said. 05:55 And I said, I don't remember exactly. 05:57 I know he was at Atlanta, and maybe I just said, 05:59 you know I'd like to just call on your office. 06:01 Like, you know, and he gave me the name 06:03 of his district director. 06:04 Okay. 06:05 The next Congressman was from Nevada 06:08 who we've built a pretty good relationship 06:10 with his office since and I gave him the same thing 06:14 and he was reading the card. 06:15 He took the time to stop and read the card with me. 06:18 And he saw legislative and he says, 06:19 oh, why don't you reach out to, 06:21 he gave me her name, his legislative director in DC. 06:25 And he gave me her name. 06:27 And I said, "Okay." 06:28 The next person was Congresswoman Bass directly 06:32 because I had been on her website, 06:33 but this is the first interaction 06:34 face-to-face. 06:36 I hadn't even met any of her staffers yet. 06:38 So she's the one that put her hand 06:40 on my arm that day 06:42 when I explained to her religious liberty. 06:44 And she said, "Thank you for saying so." 06:48 And she said, "Call her office." 06:49 She gave me the name of her district director 06:51 to make an appointment. 06:53 So I left there with three members of Congress 06:56 when I asked God to just let me introduce, 06:57 let me meet one. 06:59 And what's happened since then, as you know, 07:01 we were in Atlanta for the Conscience 07:03 and Justice Convention, Congressman Johnson 07:06 was there to give a greeting. 07:07 And I was asked, they said, well, Pati, and this is how, 07:10 again, nurturing the relationships 07:12 when you get familiar with someone. 07:14 I was speaking with his district director 07:15 on and off through the weeks since I'd met them. 07:18 And she was familiar with me, 07:20 sometimes we just chit chat girl talk, and then hang up. 07:24 And what were the chances 07:25 I'd ever see him or her in Atlanta? 07:27 I'm in California. 07:29 But when I invited him to the Conscience Convention, 07:33 she said, "Oh, sure, yes, he'll do that." 07:36 And then I think 07:37 it was a couple of days before she says, 07:39 "Well, Pati, here's my cell phone number. 07:40 Here's the Congressman's cell phone number. 07:43 May I give him your number?" 07:44 And then she says, "Can we ask you a favor? 07:46 We don't have a staffer available 07:47 to meet him that day." 07:49 And he came with an old college buddy, 07:50 can you meet him, walk him in, you know, 07:53 sit him down and then walk out with him. 07:55 They're asking me if I would do what they would normally do. 07:57 I wish I was there. 07:59 There's trust, don't see you as a risky proposition. 08:03 Yeah, and, of course. For one of their team. 08:05 And so, and I did that. 08:06 I walked him in, I know you were there. 08:08 He gave his greeting, with Congresswoman Bass, 08:11 and made an appointment with her district director, 08:14 went in and here's something that I love about that meeting. 08:17 Dennis Seaton again, Church State Council, 08:19 our VP from our Southern Conference 08:21 was in attendance. 08:23 Also, I invited a pastor, 08:26 we have about eight congregations 08:28 within Congresswoman Bass' district. 08:30 I invited one of the pastors to represent her constituency 08:35 because I was told by her district director, 08:37 we really need someone 08:39 that were in the meeting from her constituency. 08:41 To justify it really in some way. 08:42 Right. 08:44 So I invited the pastor who represented constituency. 08:47 It was a wonderful meeting that we had. 08:49 We start explaining to her about our structure 08:52 in Seventh-day Adventist Church. 08:53 I started with my portfolio. 08:55 And then she stops us. 08:56 She goes, now, 08:58 you don't have to tell me anymore about 08:59 Seventh-day Adventist. 09:00 And at first I'm thinking, oh, no, right? 09:03 No, listen to this. 09:04 She says, "I grew up Seventh-day Adventist." 09:08 I grew up in Loma Linda. 09:09 Her parents were Seventh-day Adventists. 09:12 Her grandfather was Seventh-day Adventist, 09:14 worked for ADRA. 09:15 Her parents did mission work. 09:16 So she knows the whole deal. 09:18 I mean, who would have thought, right? 09:21 Then she says, so very interesting. 09:22 She left Adventism 09:23 and she's practicing, she's Jewish now. 09:27 We thought, okay. 09:28 Well, we didn't have to go on 09:29 with the structure of the church 09:31 or explaining who we are and what we do anymore, 09:32 she knew. 09:33 So we went on to the more practical 09:35 of how we could work together. 09:37 But the biggest thing that I really take from this is, 09:40 I know there's that separation between church and state. 09:43 We don't pray in members of Congress offices 09:46 or meetings with them. 09:48 We keep it separate, but because of the connection. 09:50 Well, you can pray. 09:51 That's allowed, by the way, we've had articles. 09:53 In fact I didn't know if it was allowed. 09:54 See, we've had article, 09:56 we had an article once in Liberty magazine 09:58 about the legislators in Hawaii 10:01 that they have a right within their office 10:03 and in their own private dealings 10:06 that are not official to pray. 10:08 They have a right, 10:09 even amazingly to put religious posters 10:12 on their office door. 10:13 Okay. 10:15 So was it, I didn't know that and I've never asked them. 10:16 It gets tricky at some points, 10:17 but, or in the schools, a teacher has a right, 10:22 but they have no right 10:23 in the formal teaching to be promoting religion 10:28 or that discussion 10:29 because they're paid by the state to deal 10:32 with civil matters. 10:34 But as an individual, 10:35 they don't lose their rights of religious expression. 10:38 So they have to be very careful the venue 10:40 and the way that they do it. 10:42 They still have religious practice rights. 10:46 And in these meetings, 10:47 and when I've attended meetings alone, 10:49 I never offer a prayer at the end, 10:51 but the pastor did, he says, "Can we pray?" 10:54 And she said, "Yes." We stood up. 10:56 We were in a circle and he prayed us out. 10:58 And I just thought, what a beautiful thing, 11:00 what a beautiful thing. 11:01 And, you know, to her, she says to us, she says, 11:05 this is the Seventh-day Adventist Church 11:07 that I knew growing up. 11:09 The Adventist Church back then would have never stepped out 11:11 into the public sphere like this, 11:13 and met with government officials. 11:14 So you broadened her view 11:16 and who knows this might be another exposure 11:19 that might lead to another change of mind. 11:22 You just don't know what seeds we're planting. 11:23 We don't know 11:25 when they're going to take root, 11:26 but just letting her know that this is a new day 11:28 for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 11:30 We are out in the public, 11:31 and we are building relationships 11:33 with elected officials. 11:37 One of the endearing scenes of the Old Testament 11:40 is King Solomon deciding 11:42 or cutting through the deception 11:45 and the apparent insolubility of a case 11:48 with one child and two mothers. 11:51 In some ways we're asking our modern justices 11:54 to be as salonic 11:56 or divine about their judgments. 12:00 We need to have justices who cherish justice, 12:05 and we shouldn't demean them too much by imagining 12:08 they can be bought easily and corrupted by factions. 12:13 There needs to be good order 12:15 just as there needs to be good order within the church. 12:18 Pati told the story of an almost 12:20 out of control crowd in a church 12:22 brought to order by the pastor. 12:25 That should be the role of the church, 12:27 not to incite, to riot, 12:30 not to encourage justices to move aside 12:34 from the norms of the law, but to remind people 12:37 that God expects us to be in good order, 12:39 just as the children of Israel on one occasion, 12:42 marched out with song 12:44 and prayer against the enemy in good order in holy array. 12:49 We need to face these times, 12:51 these cataclysmic times in holy array, 12:55 singing the songs of the Lord 12:57 and holding out as we do with religious liberty, 13:00 the freedom that God allows to all of his creatures 13:04 in these difficult times. 13:06 For Liberty Insider, this is Lincoln Steed. |
Revised 2021-01-27