“So long as men worship the Caesars and Napoleons, Caesars and Napoleons will duly rise and make them miserable.”—Aldous Huxley, Ends and Means
“Holy Story-weaver, help us to listen and respond to the cries of those who are ignored, pushed aside, and told they do not matter. May we co-weave a sacred narrative of being that bends the arc of the universe towards dignity, justice, and peace.”
—Melinda Thomas, Virtual Celtic Pilgrimage: The Wisdom of Saints Colman, Sourney, and Patrick — A Self-Study, Online Retreat
What are the ways you can attune your ears to listen and ready your hands to affirm and co-create with those who are marginalized?
The prophetic tasks of the church are to tell the truth in a society that lives in illusion, grieve in a society that practices denial, and express hope in a society that lives in despair. — Reality, Grief, Hope: Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks
“Nothing’s stronger than the will of the oppressed.”—MC Abdul, “Shouting at the Wall”
When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares. — Henri Nouwen, Out of Solitude: Three Meditations on the Christian Life
“Safety and security don’t just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear.”—Nelson Mandela
“Democracy has always been waged. In this environment, public protest becomes both more necessary and more risky. Those in power may deploy tactics from the authoritarian playbook—stoking fear, marginalizing dissent, and justifying repression. History shows that when movements stay grounded in nonviolence, discipline, and solidarity, they can expose these tactics for what they are: desperate attempts to cling to control.”—Daniel Hunter and Eileen Flanagan, “Streetwise & Steady: A Workbook for Action Peacekeepers or Event Marshals”
“I believe that order is better than chaos, creation better than destruction. I prefer gentleness to violence, forgiveness to vendetta. On the whole I think knowledge is preferable to ignorance, and I am sure human sympathy is more valuable than ideology.”—Kenneth Clark, Civilisation
“If you feel that you aren’t doing enough, you’re at least right that what you alone are doing isn’t enough. You can’t / don’t / won’t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Change-making / justice-seeking / progress is not a solo endeavor. It’s a group effort. You’re doing enough so long as you’re doing your part, however small it may seem.”—Marie Beecham
Jesus is deeply connected to the earth on which he walks. He observes the forces of nature, learns from them, teaches about them, and reveals that the God of Creation is the same God who sent him to give good news to the poor, sight to the blind, and freedom to the prisoners. He walks from village to village, sometimes alone and sometimes with others; as he walks, he meets the poor, the beggars, the blind, the sick, the mourners, and those who have lost hope. He listens attentively to those with whom he walks, and he speaks to them with the authority of a true companion on the road. He remains very close to the ground.
Pastor Michael Moore's Blog 