Dear Friends,
We pray you are safe and well.
In the spirit of our philosophy of co-creating community and our awareness that the Spirit speaks through each of us, we invite you to share your meditations with us as well. We truly believe that in God’s economy of abundance, when we share our blessings, our thoughts, our feelings, we are all made richer.
Today's Meditation is God's Promise for today: hold my hand, hold each others' hands and we will get through this together. It is entitled: Pandemic, Poverty, Racism, Rancor, Michelle Obama, Elijah and Henri Nouwen: The Spiritual Journey from the house of fear to the house of love.
We invite you to join us as we commit ourselves to working tirelessly to end systemic and structural racism in our society, in healthcare, in the workplace, in the Church--wherever it shows up so that everyone may come to have more abundant life. May this meditation nourish our contemplative-active hearts and sustain all of us in action.
We hope and pray that you and your loved ones experience genuine peace of mind and heart, and remain in good health during this challenging time.
In this "Season of Ordinary Time" in the Church Year, may this be a time of peace, of healing and hope, of the infusion of joy in your life!
With our love and care,
Ron & Jean
Meditation 118: Pandemic, Poverty, Racism, Rancor, Michelle Obama, Elijah and Henri Nouwen: The Spiritual Journey From the House of Fear to the House of Love
Do you ever feel overwhelmed when you think of all the things in our systems that need to be changed in order for us to be a more just and peaceful society where everyone is valued and respected? How can we ever accomplish all that needs to be done? How long will it take? Do you ever feel helpless when you see children in cages, families being separated, people out of work terrified as to how they will come up with money for food and rent? What can we do? before voting in November?
Michelle Obama did us a great favor in naming that sometimes she feels low grade depression in the face of the isolation and social distancing of the pandemic, the bewilderment of waking up to yet another black or brown person being dehumanized, the rancor over wearing masks just because one has not personally suffered from the virus yet, the incivility in Washington and elsewhere when we treat each other so poorly.
The story of Elijah in yesterday's first reading has something to teach us. Elijah is running for his life after outdueling the 400 prophets of Baal and being warned by Queen Jezebel that she will have his life. He lies down under a broom tree and says, "God take my life. I am your only prophet left and I cannot do it all alone." He lies down to sleep and is woken by the angel of God who feeds him bread and water. He sleeps again and is woken again with more bread and water and then walks miles and miles to Mount Horeb/Sinai where he, like Moses, encounters God. God is not in the mighty wind nor the earthquake, nor the fire. God is in the gentle whisper of air/breath, the still small voice. God is strong gentleness, gentle strength. God is saying: I am the air you breathe in--rest in my love. What a strong message in times when George Floyd gasps, "I can't breathe" and Covid 19 victims find their breathing attacked. God is saying: I am the air you breathe in--rest in my love.
Henri Nouwen says that the spiritual life is a journey from living in the house of fear on the move to living in the house of love. It seems that we have to make that journey every day. Nouwen speaks of two sub-journeys: 1) the journey from loneliness to solitude (where we are at peace with silence, slowness) and 2) the journey from hostility to hospitality (where everyone is reverenced and cared for.)
When will the pandemic be over? What will our lives be like then? We don't know. God says, "I am with you--hold my hand, hold each others hands (virtually, at least) and we will get get through this together!
Today's Moral March
by The Poor People's Campaign
This Monday, Aug. 10, we are coming back for a second Moral Monday March on McConnell, where we will stage a digital “sit-in” and massive call-in to Senator McConnell’s offices to demand he stop causing misery, meanness and mayhem for our people and nation.
RSVP NOW
Earlier this week, we mobilized thousands of people for an online Moral Monday March and call-in to the offices of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to demand a full and just relief package. Together we flooded McConnell’s phone lines with thousands of calls. And now is no time to stop pushing!
It’s clear now that McConnell is willing to sacrifice the safety of the poor, of low-wage workers, of teachers and even our children in his effort to continue an extremist agenda in tandem with the White House to block a full and just relief package and force schools to re-open even when it’s not safe to do so.