Why We Published Our Cover Story in English and Spanish | Sojourners

Why We Published Our Cover Story in English and Spanish

Waj / Shutterstock
Waj / Shutterstock

“And the Word became flesh.” To be sure, these are Advent words, God doing a new thing in the flesh-and-bone mystery of God among us. As editors, we’re reminded how these words speak to the incarnational dimension of our work: shepherding stories of faith and justice into your hands — words we hope will encourage you and challenge you, yes, but also inspire you to act.

In our cover story, Maria-Pia Negro Chin, a bilingual journalist based in New York, tells the story of Latino and Latina Christian leaders who are transforming the way the church understands what it means to do justice and love mercy. Consider: While the conversion stories of many Christians involve “discovering” the biblical call to social justice, for many Latino and Latina Christians, justice has always been an integral component of their faith.

“You cannot be a Latino pastor and not address the undocumented, not address the school system, not address salaries in urban or rural environments,” says Fuller Theological Seminary vice president Juan Martínez. “It hits you in the face every day, and we have to address the consequences.”

Taking our cue from these leaders whose understanding of justice is rooted in a multilingual, multicultural context, we published the cover story in both English and Spanish — a first for Sojourners. For English-only speakers, we hope this serves as a reminder that our own perspective is limited. For those who regularly navigate multiple languages and cultures, especially Latino and Latina Christians, we hope you’ll continue to heed the challenge of Bishop Minerva Carcaño: “It is our responsibility to be a voice for justice and to be able to sit at the table with others.”