“As we cultivate inner peace, we will begin to radiate peace around us. People will respondto our gentle, peaceful presence in a positive way, and that in turn will encourage us to love ourselves even more, be at peace with ourselves and deepen our inner journey to nonviolence. The deepening of our inner nonviolence, peace and love will lead to deeper outer nonviolence, peace and love.” John Dear
Month: January 2015
From Selma to Citizens United
From Selma to Citizens United: The Contested Struggle for One Person, One Vote
This article is so interesting and so important to read for all folks who truly rage in their hearts against big corporate spending in elections and who insist in word that there is a fairer, better way to elect good representation for the people.
a reflection after Washington D.C.
After joining the Witness Against Torture and the Hands Up coalition for 5 full days in Washington D.C. I want to say the following:
I can’t begin to feel the rage, the sorrow, the raw feelings and despair the 127 men in Guantanamo and the Black people must feel in the face again and again of violations of their rights as human beings and with such ignorance and apathy and disregard of them as persons by the white community. I am white. I am way too smug, absorbed in my own ways of living, accustomed to politeness over confrontation, to giving the benefit of the doubt to people and institutions rather than asking hard courageous questions of prejudicial practices pointed out to us by the African American community. Sinful, shameful practices continue at the expense of others who often do not hear their voices being received by the white community.
My white sense of privilege speaks through daily habits with the use of money, with my ease with traveling, in my vacation destinations, in my educational opportunities, in choices how to use time and even in my worship.
My white silence must and can be broken. I have learned that my white silence=state violence; so I must take the lead of the African American community and learn the ways of transformation. Ferguson can be a center of light, directing us like a lighthouse how to enlighten our darkened intellects and spirits and address the complicity that each of us white people is guilty of. We can, step by step, come to transformation of soul and to practical ways of living differently in loving response to our brothers and sisters of color.
Being Gospel people, disciples of the One who came for all, we cannot go about our lives now business as usual. We need each other. We need Martin Luther King. We need the Black Community to lead us to light.
a quote for the day by Daniel Berrigan
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
“I think fear does two amazing things; maybe they are just aspects of one thing. First it creates the impression that a person is facing a god, usually a god of war or god of violence; fear makes the adversary look superhuman. Secondly, it creates a new psyche in one’s self – a very disrupted, distracted, terrorized person, the opposite of a stable, self-aware person. Two aspects, one fear. If one’s soul is so enslaved as to bow to the god, one is already destroyed.”
— Daniel Berrigan – The Raft is Not the Shore
a word of inspiration from Dag Hammarskold
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
“What you have to attempt: to be yourself. What you have to pray for: to become a mirror in which, according to the degree of purity of heart you have attained, the greatness of life will be reflected.”
— Dab Hammarskjold, Markings
972: The Story of the Year: Gaza
Most of us have become so accustomed to Gaza’s suffering that we can hardly imagine a world without it. But imagine we must. During the fighting this summer, and in its aftermath, many believed the war would be a game-changer, that something would have to give — it hasn’t. Activists, intellectuals and diplomats continue to advocate, but what about the Gazans themselves? Beyond violence, what is their role in ending the siege and attaining freedom? Samer Badawi tackles the questions — and the answers — left buried in the rubble
This Palestinian blogger has a world of thoughts and facts–living in Gaza– to share with us. Please do read. WE must not give up hope and ACTION to be in solidarity with the Gazan people. Paulette
Project Peace 