Tag: peace

And So It Is Christmas

And so it is Christmas.
Well…
At least almost.
But the closer we get the busier it will become.
At least for me.
And, maybe for you, as well.
So, today is the day to take a moment to write.

For years,
More than half my life,
The days and weeks leading up to Christmas were a whirlwind of deadlines, people, creativity and responsibility.
Now, it is much less hectic.
My only responsibility now is to show up.
And, to do my best to be present to the moment.
And, to the mystery.
And, in my very ordinary, very human ways
To lay claim the promise
Of the sacred in our midst
Wrapped up
In your life and in mine.
And, to refuse to give up on the promise
Of Peace on Earth.

So, to all of you
To those who will read this
And to those who never will
To all who stand within that circle of the Family of God
The circle of the Human Family
May we hold onto the promise
And hold onto the dream
That, one day that dream will be today.
And, to all who celebrate…
May you have a wonder-filled Christmas.

An Advent Prayer

O God,
What if you are more a verb than a noun.
More an action than a being.
And what if the same is true about Advent
As we begin that journey to Christmas.
Then, maybe instead of Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas
This becomes our wish for ourselves, each other and the world in which we live.
To be peace.
To be hope.
To be light.
To be God with us.
What if, O God…

Words

This morning I heard these words spoken out loud.
Not once, but several times.
Some of them said our loud over and over again.
Justice.
Peace.
Joy.
Enough.
A place for all.
Loved…as in I am and you are.
Church (or another place to worship) may not be for everyone.
I know all too well how judgmental and insular and narrow churches can be.
But for me, one of the things I value about the church I attend is the language.
Words I don’t hear anywhere else.
Said out loud.
Words which stand counter to so much of what we hear
In the news.
And, on our social media feeds.
And, in the midst of our daily round.
Words which remind me and challenge me and turn me towards what I desire and hope for.
Not just for myself.
But for us and for all.

MLK Day 2021

I wrote (and spoke) this several years ago, but thought it might be worth revisiting today.

Last night I was privileged to attend the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Banquet hosted by Antioch Baptist Church. At the end of the evening I was asked to give the Benediction. Here it is.

As we depart,
Both individually and collectively
Be who you are called to be.
In any and in all the ways you can
Seek justice.
Resist evil.
Stand strong against Death.
And all Death’s works and wiles.
Add your voice.
Move your feet.
Extend your hands.
And because it just might
Hold on to that long arc of history like your lives depend on it.
And pull
With as little or as much strength as you have
So that together we might help it continue to bend in the direction of justice.
And of peace.
And of hope.
And of promise.
For you and for me.
For us and for them.
For all of the children of God.

So, having been nourished by this evening’s gathering
Its words and its witness.
Go now and be Peace.

Amen.

St. Patrick’s Day

I know I am a day late.
But better late than never, right?
So….
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
That day when you get…
To wear something green.
And, to drink green beer (or a Guinness).
And when a green river flows through downtown Chicago.

I am glad we can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but here is my back story.
When I was a little boy we never celebrated St. Patrick’s Day.
I never wore something green to school.
Why?
We were/are Protestants, not Roman Catholic.
In Northern Ireland, Roman Catholics wore green.
Protestant Irish wore orange.
Almost like gang colors so you would know who was who.
All of this is rooted in the sectarian violence which plagued Ireland until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
I am glad we are past all that.
I am glad we are past the hatred and discrimination which the Irish faced when the immigrated to this country. I am glad, for a day, we can all wear green and celebrate with parades, and for a moment all be Irish.

Thinking about St.Patrick’s Day yesterday prompted this dream.
That before too long, with the same enthusiasm we bring to St. Patrick’s Day, we will celebrate…
African Heritage Day.
Puerto Rican Heritage Day.
Mexican Heritage Day.
Filipino Heritage Day.
Korean Heritage Day.
I could go on, but you get the idea.
We would sing and dance, share special food and, for a moment, all be xxxxx.

When that moment comes we will be that much closer to the world God intends.

A Prayer for the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend

On this Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend…
Let us pray for any and for all who have lost their lives in any conflict.
Their names remembered on bronze plaques
And marked by crosses or stars or crescents that line far too many fields.
Let us pray for all the mothers who have lost a son.
And fathers who have lost a daughter.
And brothers who have lost a sister.
And children who have lost a parent.

And, let us pray for our country.
Our leaders.
Our fellow countrymen and women.
Those who are doing well and those who are not.

And, let us give thanks for freedom.
The freedom to go where we please.
To worship as we please.
To have a voice in deciding those who will govern.
And to express our own point of view.

And let us pray for ourselves.
For if we take God at God’s word and claim our place among the People of God we are called to something more. And even though we can’t quite see it, we are to live, work, speak, dream our way towards that day which may almost be now…
When the lion lies down with the lamb.
When swords will be transformed into plows.
And spears into tools to harvest food enough for all.
And when we will be named as peacemakers and because of that be known as the children of God.
For, if not us, O God, then who?
And if not now, O God, then when?

Amen.

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Several things I believe: