good morning. welcome to mosaic i am ron swisher. its always a privilege to host mosaic. on behalf of my cohosts elizabeth eggdale greetings and happy new year to all of you. and we wish you the best and hope for the best for you this coming year. my late colleague and good friend hugh barrels was the producer for many years here over 30 would ofend the year as well as begin the year asking us to discuss some of the s on that also impacts

us politically and socially numerous occasions i thought of that theme and i thought of my good colleagues and friends to come and talk about some of those top stories. so i am pleased to welcome, again, jim hopkins from lake shore baptist. >> good to be here. >> great to a have you in oakland. and dale witherspoon in eastern hill united methodist church in richmond. >> good to be here and happy new year. >> when i asked you, you come. and i am glad for that. >> yeah. >> so let's begin with some of the stories. let's go with you jim what are some of the top stories. >> i he doesn't know howpolitical we are supposed to get but one of the top stories is the commitment of trump's president trump's evangelical base to support him. and even in the face of his very uneies relationship with en withs proclito racist things and even with the inhumanity of some of his

policies. they hang in there and find narratives to support hem. he is our cyrus you know he is aappointed by god and king and who can question god's appointments. that's a real. >> over 80% i think. >> yeah. >> what do you think that is? >> i think people -- okay, so this is probably self-serving, but power is intoxicating and the will to be in power and find ways to create narratives that support people that we like being in power and support policies be it anti-abortion, or antijail lgbt or white supremacy and it's god's will we have to bow before god's will. and it really is a divorce between faith and ethics and these are not separate realms. with a we believe is got to be

dwhash we believe has to be shaped by what we believe and how we live has to be shaped by what we believe and i real divorce there. >> okay. those who we differ on that we probably wonder are we reality same bible? >> you know are -- was eat this year that then attorney general sessions a good methodist i might add., quoting romans 13 to say we got to follow the policies with the president that this is god ordained. and people say that's in the bible but you read the whole of the bible, there's love trump and justice trumps some of thosepolicies. >> well, you got us off to good start. >> you did. he did. he did. >> didn't mix any words. >> i was going with another story but i think following on.

>> right. >> jeff sessions is i think what's going on at the border, and the family separations. the whole question around immigration and what does it mean to welcome the training stranger. hebrews 13 welcome the stranger for you maybe entertaining angels a sign of who we are as a nation. that's how we treat widows and orphans. and so what's going on down at the border, the deaths of children, the separation of children from their parents, that's traumatizing and it's going take years for those kids to get over that. but, we talk about family values. this has nothing to do with family values. and so, i think that the church is divided to folks that want immigrants here and those that don't. and so how we place bels s ann't as human, ai we hasaabout

how we treat immigrants? they are our brothers ancestors and he think that pairmont that issue is not going's way. and so, we have to contue to not be divide and not be divided but to care for the least of these. >> i appreciate you deal dealing with such subjects and him aton the great play it says speak less and smile more. so you don't offend anyone. but, i think it speaks less but listen more and be willing to face the issues even though you might i'll ate folks so i a-- alienate folks. we will come back. >> okay. >> we have interesting things to say thank you for being with us. >> all ri year as we look at some of the top stories of the past year as well as into the new year. jim hopkins and dale

witherspoon.

welcome back to mosaic. as we have been talking about top stories in religious toreies that impact us politically, socially and many aspects of our life with jim hopkins of lake shore baptist and dale witherspoon of easter

hill united methodist church. where do we go from here now? chaos and community as dr. king would say. >> i was thinking of the tree of life jewish synagogue back inpittsburgh. and the murder of 11 of the wore shp attendees. and you know, we had a few years ago, mother emanuel and this is. >> north carolina. >> south carolina. >> south carolina. >> and it was, you know, we were they go those were the exceptions and now it seems to be coming the rule that our places of worship were safe and sacred places but they are being violated. there's act or shooter trainings taking place around the nation. need to be be training our parishioners or ushers or greeters members of our church how to prepare for church. we come to find peace we come

to find strength and we come to find comfort. and now we are on edge. is that going to happen to us? and so, the hate speech, the enboldened of people can go and do the shootings if they don't like a congre gracious is trying to help somebody that they don't like. >> that's something. >> so this is we are in a new day. >> you remember one of the hopeful things that came out of there out of that event was the muslim community in support of the synagogue. >> yeah. >> raising over $120,000. >> yes. >> to give to them. >> yeah. and just the interfaith response in general. i mean, and the power in the pittsburgh interfaith community, and people commented on that, wow, be you really responded to each other, and a number of folks from pittsburgh said yeah, because we had done a lot of hard work before that with getting to know each other and working together, so the bonds the ties that bind were in place when a crisis like

that comes, we just called on the network that was already in place. and i have taken that to heart because none of us know when something like that is going to happen. in fact, in our communities to have the community in place, the interfaith community that can respond in love and kindness and support is important. >> that's right. >> we had temple beth el in richmond and had an interfaith service, and it was marvelous to have people from various faiths traditions to come and stand in solidarity with our jewish brothers and sisters to build a new relationship and say, we stand with you. we are feeling your pain. we felt some of that pain in our own communities and so, out of the evil comes some good. >> yeah. likewise. temple beth abraham in oakland toast hosted an interfaith service and it was powerful. >> i saw one of the stories make a shift a little bit ise b

gave the sermon at wedding was one of the stories. >> yeah. >> his great sermon on love. >> yeah. >> and made him the news maker of the year in that sense. i am doing a wedding a couple months so i may steal some of his ideas. >> he's got a i think his book is one of his books is about five years old called crazy christians. called to follow jesus and we used that book in our bible studies this fall. >> okay. >> and at lake shore. and what one what did the disciples do they? they followed him with their feet where the feet go says everything about you. >> that's good. >> some of the other stories you think of when we. >> well, u you know, sadly, the sexual abuse scandals by clergy. catholics are the ones in the news but dale and i were talking coming in here, it's not just the catholics. clergy misuse their power and a

lot of people end up hurt. and that's been getting a lot of press and a lot of attention and. >> do you think that will change in 19 -- they have the 0 policy i think tolerance. is that going to be be implemented you think be our churches and catholic as well as protestant? >> i certainly hope so. but, you know, clergy particularly male clergy, misusing their powers is one of the oldest stories in the history of humanity. so, don't want to be naive. >> right. but. >> but it's getting a lot of attention, policies are in place and people are on guard. so hopefully. >> yeah. yeah. >> i think you know the me too movement is not just outside of the church. the me too movement is inside the church as well. and so i think as we address these issues of sexual abuse

and sexual harassment in the church, and people feel empowered to come and share the hurt and pain and feel empowered to share their stories we can have healing. we can have some healing and stand as a united front to say no more, no mort. >> that he good. >> jesus fiercest condemnations were on those that would misuse their power to hurt the vulnerable, the children and the women and that whole passage if you are right hand offends you cut it off. that has a lot to do with the misuse of sexual power. >> hypocrisy of religious leaders, you know,. >> i he doesn't know maybe power is a gift but with power comes responsibility, and we can't abuse the power. helping people to understand power they have, that they may not think they have, the privilege they have, they may not think they have.

so i think we have to have those kinds of conversations about power and privilege. >> yeah. i mean i love the definition of power that power is simply the ability to act but how do we act? >> that's good. that's good. we talked about the evan jell cans but -- evangelicals but i want to mention one who died and may include two in the ne that's reverend billy graham, and reverend eugene peterson. >> yeah. oh, yeah. >> he was by the message. >> yes. >> and billy graham was 99. so let's talk about them as i think. >> james cohen. >> james cone that's right. great theology. >> very good. excellent. excellent. >> all right. >> we will be back in a few minutes so please join us thank you.

woman: it's not my first time bartending so... man: it's a sausage party in here. woman: it's fine, i'm very familiar. man: cause you're a sexy girl, sam. last thing, totally last thing, is that the music when momo kicks it into high gear, is going to get a little bit loud in here, so your customers are going to have a hard time hearing you, so you may want to... (inaudible whispering) woman: what? >> yeah, i'm watching it too. i see them every day. >> the curtains, they're always drawn in this place.

>> i know. >> that guy, it seems like he's in charge of them. i don't know, i don't feel very good about this. >> we have to report this. >> yes, absolutely. . welcome back to mosaic. before the break i mentioned

two individuals reverend billy graham and reverend eugene peterson and i was remind that james cone also died. your reflections on those three. >> he think eugene peterson for me particularly because of his traps lation the message which we use a lot in sermon preparation and bible study is wonderful translation that helps to bring the scriptures alive in a contemporary way. even sometimes we may get a little stagnant and we have heard some of the old stories and think we know them, but what eugene peterson's translation it brings a new way of interpreting the scriptures and he was a very prolific author and teacher. >> absolutely. >> and so he will be greatly missed. >> absolutely. >> i loved his book about jeremiah. >> okay, yes. >> along obedience no run with horses. >> run with horses. wild horses. >> yeah. and my favorite peterson quotes

is the life of faith is made for pilgrims not for tourists. >> i used him lately this past sunday, his introduction to isaiah. and he talks about isaiah has, is salvation -- alization symphony with three movements. judgment, comfort, and hope. >> yes. >> and he breaks that down. >> yeah. >> what about billy graham? >> well you know, belly graham's preaching picked up the three symphonies the three movements very well and graham was the evangelical a lot of us want to be. he was growing, he was changing, he was aware, be a and he we-being the world serious lin and offer the promise no matter who you or where you are you can have a living relationship with the

creator. and. >> amen. >> that's good news. that's what evangelical civil about knees not ashamed of the gospel and brought many people into the feat and this conversion you know to give your life over to jesus that you would be made whole that you would be made new. and so, around the world billy graham was known around the world. >> 5 # countries he preached -- 53 countries preached over 250 million people. >> yeah. >> i heard amos brown talking about him and one of aooms' amos from third baptist san francisco. >> right. >> early memories he think it was this albamma. graham personally removing the colored only signs from seating sections at one of his rallies or crusades there. >> guess when? i think 1948. >> yeah. well. >> it was certainly before brown versus board of education. >> 48 and so, he refused to

preach to segregated audiences. james comb. >> father of black liberation theology. and it's a reminder we are not called to be enslaved but to be free. and so how do we work for that freedom? how do we work gns oppression and work against injustices and so, a strong powerful voice in the black church and in theology. >> period. >> period. >> because all that led to liberation movements for women and for gays and for. >> latin americans. >> yeah. >> and to white christians it was the call to recognize, lament and repent. look at the way your theology has led to the killing the lynching of so many innocent people. your theology has supported white supremacy in its cruelest harshest most inhumane expressions and you all got

work to do. >> yeah. yeah. >> dr. king's birthday is coming soon. and you mentioned three words that come out of 18 i thought it was significant. >> yeah. so, different sources have their word of the year for the year gone by. and different sources lifted up three words of the year this year. misinformation, toxic, and justice. and if you read dr. king's letter to birmingham jail he talks about misinformation, you're an outsider invited into cause trouble he said no we belong here. and that this is the toxic situation that he limits the fact that they are more concerned about the troubles in the streets that than the injustice that people are addressing. and they are called the only remedy to this misinformation and toxic situation is justice justice for all. >> we have one minute in this

segment left. what about you? >> i think 2018 we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the death of martin luther king. and it's a reminder ill have mu achieve his beloved community. >> a long way to go. >> i love the way he says that injustice anywhere is. >> yeah. >> injustice everywhere. >> every where. so. >> it's important to have that commitment to everyone who ever they are. >> and like comb he what pretty strong words to white christianity. his letter to birmingham jail was addressed to white moderates. you folks need to get on board. >> what are you doing here? >> why are you here. >> yeah. so we have one more segment and you fellows have been great. i appreciate your input. >> thank you. >> i hope you feel the same out there because they have really hit some real serious topics that have impacted our life. se nuts last segment here on mosaic. thank you.

during the br ntioned christianity in other parts of the world like in china, and korea maybe. china in particular. say a little bit about that. >> the fastest growing christian movement are in the continent of africa and in china. and in china, there's a lot of

house churches and people have been afraid to come out and witness because of the being purse cuteed but china is banning online bible studies. china is removing pictures of jesus and replacing them with governmental leaders. and so people are being purse cute for standing up for their faith but thy they think it's in line with james and martin luther king talking about it's the church and following theteachings of jesus bringing about the liberation to bring about freedom to help understand that we are all people made in the image of god that are worthy of our dignity and respect. and so, people get -- we were talking about power earlier. it is no different than whathappened in jesus' time when he was born and king h he errod. people in power get threatened and they want to eliminate people and keep people enslaved. and so, there's power in the movement of jesus to rise up and to become liberated.

>> that is excellent. >> there's knavetive in a lot of american christianity that somehow middle class christians in the u.s. are persecuted and that narrative just because somehow we get frowned out because we say merry christmas or something that's not persecution. persecution is egypt and china and persecution is christian in syria when they are very lives are on the line. some of the oldest christian communities may not survive because of the attacks they are under. and when you are babies are starving because of your faith that's persecution. >> thank you. >> excellent. yes. >> i talked about some traumatic conversion experiences in the scriptures you know for moses to isaiah, to even paul and i know that people say sometimes they would like to have some of those conversion experiences i said look what they had to do in a lot of suffering, service, sacrifice. so, before you want that,

realize what's called upon grac >> yes. a lot of folks have lifted up in the last year dietrich bon hoffer is one of the models for modern christianity and he said cheap grace no. take up your cross, faith. >> yes. >> and so. >> well, paco and mike bruce who help us put this always together, i like to ask them to extend another 30 minutes but we can't. and i am going to call you back because you guys always have something to say that helps us all. thank you. >> good to be here. >> thank you. >> good to be here. >> blessings to you in the new year. >> keep the feat my brother. >> amen. >> keep hope alive. >> this is ron swisher. i would like to tell you tony morris and i had a biographer on her and she wrote a book on jazz and said jazz is about history, memory, and imagination. and she felt that all writers

should have that as she was teaching a course on writing and creative writing i think all of us need to have history, some memory, and imagination. >> yes. >> thank you for jog am ron swisher. cvs pharmacy.

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reeve from the cbs bay area studios, this is kpix5 now is. >> now on kpix five news remembering a fallen hero as a community gathers to mourn the loss of officer natalie corona. >> plus, it's the longest government shut down in u.s. history, and this morning help for bay area federal workers. >> let's take the rhetoric out. is it the wall, is that what it comes down to? what is it about? >> the issue is president of the united states. >> and phil grist the congressman on the shut down. it's 6on this sunday january 13th. thanks for joining us i am devin. >> and we will see rain and it's going to be around for a while the good news is if you

haveplan