As I paused yesterday to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I recalled his own words spelling out how he would like to be remembered. In a 1968 sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Dr. King said: Every now and then I guess we all think realistically about that day when …
Continue reading "Remembering Dr. King"
As we prepare to say hello to a second decade of this new century, I am mindful of the wisdom of the ancient prayer we have come to know as “The Lord’s Prayer.” The prayer has been adapted by many cultures over the centuries. I am particularly taken by one rendition that comes out of …
Continue reading "Seek the Path of Love"
As we prepare this week to share a Thanksgiving meal with family and/or friends, I offer this Litany by Eugene Pickett, former President of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, to remind us of some of the things for which we can be grateful: We Give Thanks This Day We give thanks this day. For …
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I often find that true wisdom comes from simple stories, and one of the great story tellers was the one called Jesus of Nazareth. According to the writer known as Luke, Jesus was traveling through the borderlands of Samaria and Galilee on a journey to Jerusalem. He stopped in a village and told his listeners …
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As I reflected on the harsh political rhetoric of this past summer, I was reminded of the words of the ancient writer of the Epistle of James: “You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, for your anger does not produce righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves …
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One of my favorite sources of inspiration is the excellent magazine, The Progressive Christian. The April 2009 edition carried an excellent article by Charles Schuster, the following sections which I would like to share with you: In the midst of a world economic crisis, it is important to revisit what has, truly, brought us …
Continue reading "Wish I Had Said That"
The writer of the Book of Matthew in chapter 23, verse 25 scoffs at You blind guides, that strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. It is certain that the writer did not have in mind today s news and headline writers, but he certainly could have… This past week the American news …
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My dear friends Jim and Sarah Brady have issued a call for Americans across the country to join them on Monday, March 30, at noon for a National Day of Prayer to End Gun Violence. They are asking for prayers for a peaceable society where all children have the opportunity to grow and prosper, and …
Continue reading "Lest We Forget"
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence is so named because we originally started as a coalition of national religious organizations working to prevent gun violence. The Coalition eventually grew to include all of the major Protestant, Catholic and Jewish organizations in the country. Over the years, we have added a wider range of civic and …
Continue reading "Leadership in Faith"
In the play Life of Galileo (Leben des Galilei) by Bertolt Brecht, Gallileo is told by his daughter, Andrea, Unhappy is the land that breeds no hero.”Galileo responds, “No Andrea, unhappy is the land that needs a hero.” As we enter a summer certain to be filled with more horrific incidents of gun violence, …
Continue reading "The Little Leader"