Elegy for the Arctic

At the request of Greenpeace, award-winning Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi created an original masterwork titled "Elegy for the Arctic." He performed the piece while floating on a platform in the Arctic Ocean, with the towering Wahlenbergbreen Glacier (in Svalbard, Norway) slowly melting in the background.

Read more: http://www.oprah.com/own-super-soul-sunday/elegy-for-the-arctic#ixzz4saoNrf3P

O mover of the eons,

O bender of the bluffs,

O great spirit of the glaciers,

We turn to you now, seeking peace and courage

For the great tasks before us.

Make soft and strong our human hearts.

Awaken in us a new devotion to you

And to your passion for life and evolution

And communion through all generations.

Amen and amen.

"I Am Strong. I Am Not Intimidated."

When we visited Issa Amro in his home two weeks ago, Fiona and I were moved by his steady confidence and commitment.  He is so clear about his mission, his network of support and solidarity, and his purpose.  Issa is not only a human rights defender, but a mentor to young activists and an educator of nonviolent resisters.  That he was arrested a couple days later was shocking, but not surprising.  His witness is a threat to powerful people, architects of occupation and protectors of the status quo.  Tonight I thank God for his release, but more than that, for his determination and gentle strength.  In this video, he thanks so many allies--Jewish Voice for Peace, CODEPINK and so many others around the world.  He has created a broad coalition of concern and passion: and we stand with Issa now in his daring work, his nonviolent work, for liberation.

Ordination 9.10.89

Confession and Determination: On White Supremacy

For Those in Irma's Path

A Prayer for Issa

We spent part of an afternoon with Issa Amro, just last week, in his front yard in Hebron.  He's clear, optimistic, committed...and a leader of his peers.  Clearly, his nonviolence is a threat to authorities on all sides.  His ability to organize--especially,  thoughtful young adults--provokes the powerful and throws them off balance.  He was arrested by the Palestinian Authority just days after our visit.  Today, we pray for Issa and support him--as he sits in a PA prison--and insist on his release.  To join that growing outcry of support for Issa, go to this link to add your name: http://www.yashebron.org/free_issa_from_pa_arrest.

God of peace, Liberator of the Bound, Comfort of the Poor:
Draw close to Issa in his imprisonment,
And remind him, in every moment, of his circle of solidarity and support.
When his flesh is tired and his body is hungry,
Be the nourishment that sustains him.
When his captors are callous,
Be the conscience that opens their hearts to other ways.
Bless Issa, and through Issa, so many others,
In Hebron, in all of Palestine, in Jerusalem, in all of Israel,
That they may continue their inspired struggle
For nonviolent liberation, for justice for all,
And for peace.
Amen, amen and amen.

Dreamers Are Our Neighbors

Sister Simone Campbell responds to President Trump's DACA decision this week: "As people of faith, we are called to love thy neighbor. Make no mistake: Dreamers, who have been here for at least a decade and call the U.S. their home, are our neighbors. Faith teaches us to value, welcome, and protect families, not tear them apart. Today’s announcement leads to undue stress with the promise of family separation, and these actions go against all faith values."  (See full statement here.)

They Tried to Bury Us...

Support for Issa

My Visit with Omar Barghouti

From time to time I am truly humbled--by the sacrifices others make for the common good, by their willingness to take up that cause in spite of fierce criticism and even state-sponsored intimidation.  Omar Barghouti is one of those leaders.  He is so clear about his mission, so focused on it.  And all of it is driven by a deep and abiding love for his people.  What an honor to think and talk together, in Ramallah this week!