good morning. welcome to mosaic. i am ron swisher. it's always a privilege to host mosaic on behalf of high cohost elizabeth eggdale and 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 who was producer here for many years over 30 and cohost he would often end the year as well as begin the year asking us to discuss the top stories of

religion that also impacts us politically and socially. numerous occasions and i thought of that theme and thought my good colleagues and friends totalk about the top stories so i am pleased to welcome again jim hopkins from lake shore baptist. >> good to be here. >> and great to have you in oakland. and dale witherspoon of richmond. >> good to be here and happy new year. >> i am glad that you when i asked you you call. i mean you come. and i am glad for that. >> yeah. >> so let's begin with the stories. let's go with you jim what do you think some of the top stories of the last year. >> i he doesn't know how political we are supposed to get but one of the top stories is the resolute meof trump's president trump's evangelical base to support him. even in the face of his very iewn easy relationship with the

truth. even with his proclivity to racist things and even with the inhumanity of some of his policies, they hang in there and find narratives to support him. he's our cyrus and you know he is appointed by god. he is the king and sounds like a king and how who can question god's appointments. that's a real. >> over 80% i think. >> yeah. >> why do you think that is. >> i think people -- okay so this is probably a little self- serving but power is intoxicating and the will to be in power and find ways to create narratives that support people we like being in power, and support policies be it anti- abortion or antijail, bglt or white supremacy. we find ways to support that and it's god's will. we have to bow before god's will and it's a divorce between

faith and ethics. and these are not separate realms. what we believe is got to be shaped about how we live and how we live got to be shaped by what we believe and i he see a divorce there. >> okay. those who we differ on that we probably wonder are we really -- reading the same bible? >> if you are -- was it this year that then attorney general sessions a good methodist i might add, quoting romans 13 to say we got to follow the policies of the president here that this is god ordained. and people say that's in the bible but you read the whole of the bible, there's a love trump and justice trumps some of those policies. > you got us off to good he did. he did. >> didn't mix any words.

>> no. i was going to go another story but following on jeff sessions, i think what's going on at the border and the family separations. the whole question around immigration, and what does it mean to well come stranger you know. hebrews 13 says well come stranger for you may be entertaining angels. a sign of who we are as a nation is how we treat the widows and orphans. and so, what's going on down at the border, the deaths of children. separation of children from their parents, and that's traumatizing. and it's going to 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, he think that the church is divided. folks that want immigrants here and those that don't. and so, how we place labels on folks and don't see them as

human. and so i think we have to what is the bible say about how we treat immigrants. they are our brothers and sisters. and so i think that pair mont and that issue is -- pairmont and that -- paramount and thatissue is not going away and we have continue to not be divided but care for the least of these. >> i appreciate you both dealing with tough subjects right off and ham i will tonight great play hamilton great play says speak less and smile more so you don't offend anyone. but, i think it's speak less but listen more and be willing to face the issues even though youmight i'll ate folks so he appreciate you folks and you guys going right at it. so we are going to come back. >> all right. >> we have interesting things to say. thank you for being with us. please join us in this new 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. wwe superstar john cena: patriotism. it inspires passionate debate and is worn like a badge of honor. and with good reason. because it means love and devotion for one's country. but what really makes up this country of ours? it's the people. to love america is to love all americans. this year patriotism shouldn't just be about pride of country. it should be about love. love beyond age, sexuality, disability, race, religion,

and any other labels. because love has no labels. welcome back to mosaic as we have been talking about topstore and religious stories that impact us politically socially with jim hopkins of

lake shore baptist and dale witherspoon of easter hill united methodist church. where do we go from here now is this chaos the community as dr. king would say. >> i was thinking of the tree of life jewish synagogue back in pittsburgh. and the murder of 11 of the worship attendees. and you know we had a few years ago, mother emanuel and this is. >> north carolina. >> south carolina. and it was you know we were thinking those were the exceptions. and now it seems to be coming the rule that these are places of worship where we are safe and sacred places but now they are being violated. there's active shooter trainings taking place around the nation now. who would have thought of that aining opars or ushers and greeters members of the church how to our

church. we come to find peace and 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 being emboldened people can go and do the shootings if thedon't like the congregation trying to help somebody they don't like. >> isn't that something. >> yeah. 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 and support of the synagogue. >> yeah. >> raising over $120,000. >> yeah. >> 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. 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 that ties

the bindwere in place when crisis like that comes. we just called on the network that was already in place and itook that to heart because none of know. >> none of us know when that will happen. our communities to have the community in place the interfaith community that can respond in love and kind and support is really important. >> we had temple bethell in richmond and had a interfaith and it was marvelous to have people from fareous faiths to come stand in solidarity with our jewish brothers and sisters to say we stand with you and we felt the pain in our own communities. and so, out of the evil comes good. >> leek wise. temple beth abraham in oakland hosted a interfaith service, and powerful. >> i saw one of the stories make a shift a little bit is

thebishop michael curry who gave the sermon at the wedding was one of the stories. >> yeah. >> his great sermon on love and made him the news maker of the year in that sense. >> yeah. >> i am doing a wedding couple months so i may steal 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 followjesus and we use that book in our bible studies this fall at lake shore. really good stuff. what disciples of juiceous do they followed him with his feet. where your feet go says everything about you. >> that's good. some of the other stories you think of. >> sadly, the sexual abuse scandals by clergy. and the catholics are the one 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? they have the zero policy i think tolerance is that going to be implemented do you think by our churches and catholics as well as pros sanity? >>i certainly hope so. but, you know, clergy particularly male clergy misusing power is one of the oldest stories in the history of humanity. so, don't want to be naive. >> right. >> but, it's getting a lot of attention policies are in place, and people are on guard. so, so hopefully. >> yeah. >> he think you know the me too movement is not just outside of the church. >> right. >> 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 their hurt and pashare their stories. we can have healing. we can have some healing and stand as united front to say no more. no more. no more. >> that's good. >> jesus somebody said 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 the with misuse sexual power. >> high pock sigh of religious leaders, you -- hypocrisy of religious leaders. >> yeah. >> maybe you can say power is a gift but power comes responsibility and be we can't abuse the power and so helping people to understand power that 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 those kinds of conversations about power and privilege. >> yeah. i mean, i he love the definition of power that act? >> that's good. we talked about the evangelicals but i want to might even include two in the next section. >> okay. >> and that's reverend billy graham and reverend eugene peterson. >> yeah. yeah. >> peterson went by the message billy graham was 9 9. so let's talk about them. >> i may add james coh. >> very good. excellent. >> all right. >> we will be back in a few minutes so please join us thank you.

welcome back to mosaic. before the break i had mentioned two individuals as rest reverend billy gram and reverend eugene peterson and he was remind that james cohen died your reflects on those three. >> he think eugene peterson for me particularly because of his translation the message, which we use a lot in sermonpreparation and bible study is a wonderful translation that helps to bring the scriptures alive in contemporary way. even sometimes we may get a little stagnant and we have heard some of the old stories and think we know them burks with eugene peterson's translation, it brings a new way of interpreting the scriptures. he was a proa liveic author and teacher so he will be greatly missed. >> absolutely. >> i love the book about

jeremiah. >> okay, yes. >> along obedience and run with horses. >> run with horses, yeah. wild horses. >> yeah. and one of my favorite speert -- peterson quotes is the life of faith is made for pill brims nor to the. pilgrim not for tourists. >> i used him lately this past sunday is introduction to isaiah and atalks about isaiah is salvation a salvation symphony with three movements. judgment, comfort, and hope. >> yes. >> and he breaks that down. >> yes. >> yeah. >> what about billy graham. >> well you know, billy thsy an movements very well. and graham was the evangelical a lot of us want to be. he was growing and changing and he was aware. he took the well-being of the

world seriously. and he offered this promise that no matter who you are, no the creator. and. >> amen. >> and that's good news and that's what evan jellism is all about. >> >> he was not afraid of the gospel and brought many people into the faith and conversion to give your life over to jesus that you would be made whole and that you would be made new and so around the world. billy gram was known around world. >> 52 countries he preached. >> yeah. >> over 215 million people. >> yeah. >> we heard amos brown talking about him and one of amos from third baptist in san francisco. >> right. >> one of the early memories that i think was in alabama, the graham personally removing the colored only signs from seating session sections at one of the rallies or crusades.

>> and 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 cohen. >> the 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 the freedom and against oppression and injustices. a strong powerful voice in the black church and in theology. >> period. >> because all that his theology led to liberation movement. >> for women and gays and for. >> latin america. >> latin america and, yeah. >> and to white christians it was the call to recognize larksment 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 some work to do. >> yeah. yeah. >> dr. king's birthday is coming soon. and you mentioned three words that come out that i thought was significant. >> 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 and you are an outsider invited into to cause trouble he said no we belong here. that this is the toxic situation that he laments the fact they are more concerned about the troubles in the streets than the injustice that the people are addressing. and the only remedy to this

misinformation and toxic situation is justice. justice for all. >> we have with one minute in this segment left. >> 2018 we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the death of martin luther king. and it's a reminder that we still have much work to do to achieve his beloved community. >> uh-huh. >> a lock way to go. >> i love the way he says injustice anywhere is. >> yeah. >> injustice everywhere. >> everywhere. >> it's important to have that kind of commitment to everyone who ever they are. >> and pretty strong words to white christianity, his letter to birmingham jail was addressed to white moderates saying you need to get on board. >> why are you doing here. >> why are you here. >> we have one more segment and you fellows have been great appreciate your input. >> thank you. >> i hope you feel the same out there because they have hit some real serious stoppics that

have impacted our life. please join us in that last segment and here on mosaic. thank you.

during break we mentioned christianity in other parts of the world. like in chd ic. say a little t that dale. >> the fastest growing christian movements are in the continent of africa and in

china. have beeidto come out s a lot and witness because of being persecuted. but china is banning online bible studies. china is removing pictures of jesus and replacing them with governmental leaders. and so people are being persecuted for standing up for their feat but think it's in line with james cohen and martin luther king. it's the church and following the teachings of jesus helping to bring about liberation and bring about our freedom to help understand 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. and it is no different than what happened in jesus' time when he was born and king herrod people in power are threatened and want to eliminate people and keep people enslaved. and so, there's power in the movement of jesus to rise up

and to become the greatest. >> excellent. >> there's a native in a lot of american christianity that somehow middle class ri in the united states 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. persecution is china and christians 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 when your babies are starving because of your faith, that's persecution. >> that's excellent i talked about traumatic conversions from moses ah to even paul, and i know that people say sometimes they would like to have the conversion experience. look what they had to do. a lot of suffering and service

and sacrifice. so, before you want that, realize what'd called upon you to do. >> not so cheap grace. >> it's costly. >> yes. a lot of folks in the last year dietrich bon hoffer is one of the needed models for modern christianity and he said cheap grace, no, take up your cross, faith. >> yes. >> 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. but i am going to call you back because you guys always have something to say that helps us all. >> thank you jim. inarching you dale night great to be here. >> bless you in the new year. >> keep the faith. >> keep hope alive. n swisher. i would like to say that tony morris and i we had a biography on her recently and she wrote a book on jazz and said jazz is about history, millionry and

imagination and she felt that all writers should t she was aching a course some history, some memory and imagination. >> yes. >> thank you for joining us. i am ron swisher.

live from the cbs bay area studios, this is kpix5 news. >> the barricades rup and stage is set. kamala harris is hours away from kibe off the presidential campaign in oakland the city where she was born. >> and thousands of abortion opponents take to the streets in san francisco confronted by counter demonstrators along the way. it's 6 a.m. this sunday january 27th guide morning i am melissa caen. >> and i am julie watts and we will get start with a check of the forecast. we are off to a chilly start. santa rosa 39 but across the board we are slightly warmer this morning than yesterday morning. and because frankly we have a few more clouds helping to insulate us in most spots. 5