“UCP [Unarmed Civilian Peacekeeping] re-humanizes all sides of the conflict. For violence to be possible, the perpetrator must see the people they target as less than human (and thus lose part of their own humanity). Dehumanization is woven throughout all military training. And though armed peacekeeping has an aim of preventing violence, it largely uses the same threat of force that the violent faction of a conflict inflicts, but changes the direction of that threat of force so that the violent group also fears it. UCP adheres to an approach free from inciting fear or threat.”—Mica Stumpf, “The Future of Security”
“Oftentimes, we wait until there’s a riot, or we wait until someone’s been killed, and then we ask, ‘Well, what can nonviolence do about it?’ And there’s a lot that nonviolence needs to do in response to it, but that’s almost like asking someone to wait until you’re in a fight to start learning about martial arts and self-defense. It’s a little late in the game. A lot of the work that we try to do is what we are doing in our communities every single day so that when these heightened moments happen, we’re already grounded.”—Kazu Haga
“For every second that our organs and bones sustain us is a miracle. When those bones heal, when our wounds scab over, this is our call to marvel at our bodies—their regeneration, their stability or frailty. This grows our sense of dignity. To be able to marvel at the face of our neighbor with the same awe we have for the mountaintop, the sunlight refracting—this manner of vision is what will keep us from destroying each other.”—Cole Arthur Riley, This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us
The Easter season is a time of hope. There still is fear, there still is a painful awareness of sinfulness, but there also is light breaking through. Something new is happening, something that goes beyond the changing moods of our life. We can be joyful or sad, optimistic or pessimistic, tranquil or angry, but the solid stream of God’s presence moves deeper than the small waves of our minds and hearts. Easter brings the awareness that God is present even when his presence is not directly noticed. Easter brings the good news that, although things seem to get worse in the world, the Evil One has already been overcome. Easter allows us to affirm that although God seems very distant and although we remain preoccupied with many little things, our Lord walks with us on the road and keeps explaining the Scriptures to us. Thus there are many rays of hope casting their light on our way through life.—Henri Nouwen
Source: Henri Nouwen Society Webpage
“It has often been said that our environmental crisis is a crisis of perception. We do not readily see the patterns that would reveal our dependence on the natural world, nor are we commonly aware of the systems within which we are deeply embedded. Our attention, entrained on objects and focused on flat screens, is far removed from the dynamic and animated nonhuman world. We are as good as blind to the wonder at our feet or the daily spectacle of an ever-changing sky.”—Laura Sewall
Verse of the day
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”
– Revelation 21:4
Voice of the day
The cross represents the power that denigrates human bodies, destroys life, and preys on the most vulnerable in society. As the cross is defeated, so too is that power.
– Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas, “Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God”
Prayer of the day
Jesus, we know that the cross does not win. May we stand firm in your power that defeats death itself.
Truth may be crucified and justice buried, but one day they will rise again. We must live and face death if necessary with that hope.—Martin Luther King, Jr.
Verse of the day
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
– Luke 12:6-7
Voice of the day
I remember that I am human by constantly telling myself truths: Disability is a natural part of the human experience. Black is beautiful. My natural hair is professional. I can express all the feelings I am experiencing. I am not a machine; I’m human.
– Letiah Fraser, “Finding My Identity as an African-American Woman with a Disability”
Prayer of the day
Come help us in our humanity. help us enjoy all the beauty that is here, the sweetness that comes to us unbidden. The light that gives us eyes to see. It’s not all up to us, thank heaven.
– Kate Bowler, “a blessing for when there’s no cure for being human”
Verse of the day
There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
– Acts 4:34-35
Voice of the day
I may have limits, and I choose to live within the bounds of my fair share. When someone else needs something, I choose to give freely, because I trust that when my time of need comes, my community will share with me.
– Liuan Huska, “Living a Life of Abundance Starts with Community”
Prayer of the day
God, help us to live within the bounds of our fair shares. Be with us as we care for one another in times of need.
“Ecocide is a crime against humanity, but it’s more than that, it’s a crime against nature, it’s a crime against future generations. Ultimately and most importantly, it’s a crime against peace.”—Polly Higgins, “Ecocide, The 5th Crime Against Peace”
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