In the past, I’ve described Fools Mission as a “radical” social experiment; yet I’ve recently come to think differently about that language. The original sense of the word radical comes from French and Latin: “of or pertaining to the root, having roots.” One possible image is a return to foundational ideas or principles in the … Read more
The prophet Isaiah said, “The wolf shall live with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat; The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.” The following essay was written by Victoria Battistini, the 10-year-old daughter of Ivonne Battistini—both members of the … Read more
Theatre of the Oppressed workshop with Jiwon Chung Sunday, October 1, 2017, 1:00–5:00 PM in Redwood City, CA Register here A diverse crowd of citizens and non-citizens fills the sanctuary at the UU Fellowship of Redwood City, California for a workshop on Theatre of the Oppressed. Fifty people are learning about this innovative approach to … Read more
I was so pleased to be invited to deliver a sermon at the worship service of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Sunnyvale, California on August 7, 2016. In light of the results of the 2016 election, I felt motivated to post it here, as well. I hope that you find some comfort and hope, along … Read more
Editor’s Note: Fools Mission is delighted to include this essay by Sam Dennison, Resident Fool with the Faithful Fools Street Ministry in San Francisco. Last month Sam won the Great American Thinkoff, a debate contest held annually in New York Mills, Minnesota. She defended the “Yes” position in response to the proposition that “Wealth Inequality … Read more
In Trickster Makes This World: Mischief, Myth, and Art, author Lewis Hyde brings to life the playful and disruptive side of human imagination as it is embodied in trickster mythology. One of the characters, from Native American mythology, is Coyote. Over and over again, Coyote turns the tables on his predators and escapes becoming prey. … Read more
As the holiday season draws to a close here at Fools Mission , we reflect on the old and dream of the new. Our consciousness-raising multicultural ministry has brought together young and old, rich and poor, citizens and immigrants, privileged and underprivileged. We build community among people who would otherwise be unlikely to get to … Read more
Fools Mission recently participated in a bus tour of San Mateo County organized by Rev. Deborah Lee at CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice). The concept behind the tour was a perfect match for our own mission: to raise consciousness by bringing people together across class, race, language, culture, and immigration status. Over … Read more
What if we decided to melt ICE? Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the deportation machine that takes about 400,000 undocumented people out of the country each year. That’s the quota they have, and the quota they make. Forget all about deporting the “bad guys” long touted by the Obama administration. They deport the people … Read more
On Thursday evening, June 5, ten adults from the neighborhoods of Redwood City gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Redwood City for a Tenants’ Rights workshop sponsored by Fools Mission . The workshop was led by Shirley Gibson, Directing Attorney for the HomeSavers Project at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. (Shirley … Read more
Sometimes things become clear all at once. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does there is an impact. On Saturday, January 11, 2014 I attended a diversity training event sponsored by the North Fair Oaks Youth Initiative. There were about 40 young people, some leaders and six fools present. The training was presented by … Read more
Before you find yourself in 3R mode (reflexive reaction of revulsion) at the title of this article, I’m sharing a link here to one of the finest think pieces on poverty that I’ve read in awhile. The author is Tressie McMillan Cottom, an African American scholar who describes herself this way on her website at … Read more
