“If the 21st century wishes to free itself from the cycle of violence, acts of terror and war, and avoid repetition of the experience of the 20th century—that most disaster-ridden century of humankind, there is no other way except by understanding and putting into practice every human right for all mankind, irrespective of race, gender, faith, nationality or social status.”—Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize lecture, 2003
“No one has much love for politics, but most of us do care about people. And I want to suggest that loving our neighbors as ourselves means we cannot ignore the local and national policies that affect their lives and their ability to thrive.”—Shane Claiborne, Rethinking Life: Embracing the Sacredness of Every Person
“Dear sisters and brothers, the so-called world of adults may understand it, but we children don’t. Why is it that countries which we call ‘strong’ are so powerful in creating wars but are so weak in bringing peace? Why is it that giving guns is so easy but giving books is so hard? Why is it that making tanks is so easy, but building schools is so hard?”—Malala Yousafzai, 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Lecture
Verse of the day
Thus says the Lord: Act with justice and righteousness and deliver from the hand of the oppressor anyone who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place.
– Jeremiah 22:3
Voice of the day
War is not healthy for children and other living things.
– Lorraine Schneider
Prayer of the day
God of justice, let us fight against war and oppression, to protect those who are most vulnerable.
Verse of the day
How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.
– 1 John 3:17-18
Voice of the day
Our moral compass compels us to act — Jesus compels us to act and to extend our hands in compassion to those who are hungry. Inaction is simply not an option for us.
– Eugene Cho, “Jesus Is Hungry in Gaza. Will We Feed Him?”
Prayer of the day
God, compel us to love not just with words but with action, that we may respond to hunger and suffering with the compassion you command and the courage our faith requires.
“King, Gandhi, and others in their lineage are often seen as something between dreamers and martyrs. Perhaps those descriptions are apt, but they were more than that, too: They were realists. They were clear about their ends, and the methods they embraced followed from the world they sought to build. A world we should still seek to build.”—Ezra Klein, “Imagining The Nonviolent State”
Verse of the day
So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!
– James 3:5
Voice of the day
No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.
– Dead Poets Society (1989)
Prayer of the day
God, help us to speak with care and courage, knowing that even the smallest word or idea can ignite change and transform the world.
Each individual Christian and each community of Christians has a unique call. Everybody can’t do everything. You get out and do what the gospel is saying… There are some people who go to prison, who develop a whole nonviolent strategy around that. There are people who live very simple lives of prayer. Some live in monasteries, some as hermits, some in families. There are doctors and lawyers who live as witnesses. There are people who use their wealth to bring about things that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. We have to get in touch with what is our unique vocation, to be a sign of hope in the world without being fanatical and thinking that everyone should do what we do. I need to trust that God will do God’s work through me if I am faithful to my vocation.
“The greatest challenge of the day is: How to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us.”—Dorothy Day
Verse of the day
No one can serve two masters, for a slave will either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
– Matthew 6:24
Voice of the day
When morality comes up against profit, it is seldom that profit loses.
– Shirley Chisholm
Prayer of the day
God, help us choose you over profit, and give us the courage to serve justice when wealth tempts us to look away.
Pastor Michael Moore's Blog 