15 October 2026

SOJOMAIL FROM SOJOURNERS 15OKT26

By Betsy Shirley
Editor in Chief, Sojourners

Ms. Rachel’s song “Hop Little Bunny” has 143 million views on YouTube. About 75 of those were me.

I learned about Ms. Rachel the way most aunties do: from watching the prolific YouTuber mesmerize my two-year-old niece. The songs in Ms. Rachel’s channel land somewhere between “Baby Shark” and Taize chants for toddlers: simple, repetitive lyrics that worm their way into your soul. Add hand motions and affirming, age-appropriate wisdom (For example, on potty training: “This whole thing is new / But you are amazing / I believe in you!”), and kids are transfixed—at least, until the grown-ups in the room need a break from the sweet, sing-songy rhymes.

I was surprised, then, when Sojourners colleagues mentioned Ms. Rachel in a conversation about genocide in Gaza. Rachel Griffin Accurso is not just a genius creator of toddler content; she is also a Christian whose faith has inspired her to speak out against anti-Black racism and in support of Palestinian children. In one clip that especially provoked critics, Ms. Rachel plays with Rahaf, a little girl from Gaza who lost both her legs in an Israeli air strike.

For Rev. Gerlyn Henry, this sets Ms. Rachel among the biblical prophets: “She took a child who state violence had tried to make invisible and placed her center stage, forcing millions of people to look at the human cost of the genocide in Gaza.” But being prophetic was never just about public advocacy. Henry points out that there’s also something prophetic about tactics that “may seem basic,” but gently, firmly, and yes, repetitively, say otherwise.

Elsewhere this week:

Saving the evangelicals? Bonnie Kristian’s new book argues that evangelicals have been unfairly critiqued. Sojourners’ Mitchell Atencio had some questions.

Aslan’s pronouns: Here’s everything we know about Greta Gerwig’s Narnia, including the director’s favorite C.S. Lewis book and Meryl Streep’s, uh, mane role.

A hunger for justice: We’re all too familiar with the kind of Christianity that quietly (or loudly) supports injustice. So…what’s the opposite?

Flamenco-inspired forgiveness: Laurel Mathewson sees a 34-year-old Spanish pop star through the approving eyes of a 16th-century Spanish mystic.

Awkward prayers: To the question “Have you prayed about it?” many faith and justice leaders would answer “yes.” Yet so would Pete Hegseth. Where do we go from here?

Destroying the Ring (camera): “When my wife and I moved into our new house, one of the first things we did was tear out the surveillance system,” writes Rose Marie Berger.

And one more thing: Last week, I described pumpkin spice hummus as “questionable,” but one reader wrote back and said: “You might be surprised.” While I suppose that’s true, I still can’t bring myself to “taste and see,” but I appreciate the reminder to leave room for new perspectives. Keep it coming!

Ms. Rachel Is Simply Prophetic

How do we teach children to say basic but radical things so that we can change the future?

Read the full article

Community Notes

This email from Judith Mangubat in Washington, D.C. in response to the article “‘We’d Rather Be Prepared’: Faith Leaders Organize Ahead of Tense Midterms” has us thinking about ways to get involved in the upcoming midterm elections:

I became a pollworker more than 30 years ago and served in various roles; including ballot clerk, ADA voter assistance, IT technical advisor, precinct captain, and early voting site coordinator. De-escalation and conflict resolution skills are indispensable for each role; robust support and instant communication networks among precincts, election administrators, and public safety teams are extremely important.

We want to hear what you’re doing to help during this election season. Are you planning to vote? Give a ride to someone so they can vote, too? Proudly display your “I voted” sticker? Help work at a polling station? Hit reply to this email and let us know.