Humans are the Only Animals on Earth That Are Homeless Understanding the Teachings of Jesus through the lens of Joseph Cardijn, Thomas Merton, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer The Paradox of Human Homelessness I want to begin with a striking observation that may seem simple, yet carries profound theological weight: humans are the only animals on earth... Continue Reading →
“Let’s turn hope into action” By Julie Peller, Ph.D.
Green Junction Pope Leo’s message on the YouTube video “Let’s turn hope into action” begins with “God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that He created and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters. What will be our answer?” (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QxEJovcQsZU) In response, the Laudato Si... Continue Reading →
“When the Mirror Speaks: Why Racism Is a White Problem”
Thomas Merton saw racism as a white person's problem because he believed it was born of white society's spiritual sickness—its illusion, moral blindness, and structural complicity in oppression. His analysis, especially in Letters to a White Liberal (1963) and Seeds of Destruction (1964), shifted racism from being seen as the "Black man's problem" to being recognized as a crisis within white... Continue Reading →
“Faith Against Idols: Racism and White Christian Nationalism through the Eyes of Thomas Merton, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Joseph Cardijn”
"Faith Against Idols: Racism and White Christian Nationalism through the Eyes of Thomas Merton, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Joseph Cardijn" Let me start with a question that should keep us all up at night: What happens when our faith stops following the Gospel and starts bowing down to the idols of race and nation? This is... Continue Reading →
Growing corn is a major agricultural enterprise but not necessarily for eating: By Julie Peller Ph.D.
Green Junction Growing corn is a major agricultural enterprise in parts of the United States. According to the USDA, nearly a billion bushels (1 bushel = 1.24 cubic feet) of grain corn were harvested in Indiana, accounting for 6.7% of the 14.9 billion bushels collected in 2024 in the entire United States. In 2023, about... Continue Reading →
The Revolution Jesus Preached: Living the Sermon on the Mount Today
Insights from Thomas Merton and Joseph Cardijn Let's start with a question that has haunted contemplatives and activists for two thousand years: What if we actually lived the Sermon on the Mount? Not just studied it. Admire it from a safe distance. Or turning it into comforting spiritual quotes for social media. But lived it... Continue Reading →
“Throwaway plastic has corrupted us.” by Julie Peller Ph.D.
Green Junction A recent article in the New York Times (NYT) was titled “Throwaway plastic has corrupted us.” Cheap plastic materials are the basis of our throwaway society. Plastics are made from gas and oil, and since they are highly subsidized by taxpayers, plastic materials are cheaper than other materials. The recent federal One... Continue Reading →
Standing Against the Darkness: What Cardijn’s Courage Teaches Us Today
Standing Against the Darkness: What Cardijn’s Courage Teaches Us Today There’s a story from our Church’s history that keeps me awake at night—not because it’s frightening, but because it’s convicting. Picture this: It’s July 1924. While many Catholics across Italy, Belgium, and France are quietly (or not so quietly) cheering on Mussolini’s consolidation of power,... Continue Reading →
The High Seas Treaty is a powerful testament to multilateralism. By Julie Peller Ph.D.
Green Junction After several decades of negotiations, the United Nations adopted an international treaty in 2023 to protect the oceans. Last month, the High Seas Treaty cleared its final step toward becoming international law, with the required 60 countries signing on. The law will ensure the protection of huge areas of the ocean that... Continue Reading →
Who Is My Neighbor? Who Is My Enemy?
Who Is My Neighbor? Who Is My Enemy? I wonder how many times Joseph Cardijn sat with this question. How many sleepless nights did he spend wrestling with it? How many times did he challenge his followers to sit with it as well? Your Neighbor: The Worker Nobody Sees For Cardijn, the answer was clear... Continue Reading →
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