Sacred spaces? Not in the factory farms of America, suggested Sandra Richter, speaker for Thursday of Torrey Conference. She implied that the Sabbath Soul is aware of its connectivity to society around. Specifically, connections with the marginalized: the illegal immigrant, the orphaned, the widow — and the chicken.

Sandra Richter is a professor of Old Testament at Wesley Biblical Seminary with a research emphasis on the application of Deuteronomy and today’s environmental issues. She incorporated much of this research in her talk Thursday night. Judging from the audience’s response, not everyone saw the connection between Sabbath and the ideas of creation care in society.

How does your understanding of the Sabbath Soul influence your participation in the broader social structures around you?

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