Rainy Day Peace

I love watching it rain. I particularly love watching it rain on water. Plunk. Plink. Plunk.

If it’s warm or if my feet are dry, I love being out in it. Even drenching rains. (ok, if it’s warm, I’m likely to take my shoes off). It’s not so fun if you’re supposed to be all dressed up, but I have great raincoats, because … rain!

We all grumble about it, but it’s so needed. What it also is is useful! It’s also forgiving, erasing evidence of our past mistakes… hiding our tears when we go for a walk.

Rain falls, the saying goes, on the just and the unjust. We say, and need to mean, no justice, no peace (thank you Bob Marley), but for Peace to happen at some point there needs to be forgiveness. Rain reminds me that this is possible.

 

Finding the Cloud Peace

I work hard to find the Peace in the little things. I believe, full-heartedly, in the importance of paying attention to the little places that we can see what’s beautiful and maybe even mend what’s broken in small and fixable ways.

But I’m not merely concerned with the little Peace of Life, celebrate it as i do.

I’m concerned about Big Peace. It has been noted that there are fewer wars in the world now than ever before. But the manner of delivering war has been perfected. And I worry that we entering a nuclear cold war era again.

I don’t want us to look at beautiful thunder clouds and start talking about clouds of war. I want us to think about becoming Clouds of Peace, stretching across the sky, watering Peace gardens and justice movements. Let us be Clouds of Beauty. Clouds of Hope. Clouds of Justice. Clouds of Peace.

We must become tireless advocates for Peace. Peace needs us… and all the people of the world need each other. Let us Peace.

Compassion and Peace

In a world that is roiling with and reeling from hate, compassion is desperately needed. Foreigners, Muslims, and Jews have been targeted, although the horror of the death of Srinivas Kuchibhotla is compounded by the reality that he was probably targeted as a Muslim, simply because he was dark.

We must demand Compassion. We must be Compassion. We must demand Justice. We must be Just. If we cannot do this, we cannot be Peace.

February is over. Tomorrow, March pours in.

The Earth Says I Am Here. Do We Respond, “Peace?”

We live on this beautiful planet Earth. Too often we pay no attention to that fact.

And the Earth is paying a price. Because the Earth is paying a price. The bigger price the Earth pays, the less she can support us.

It’s that simple. We must say Peace to the Earth. And act on it. The Earth is our Mother. We must love her as such.

Because if we’re not concerned with this relationship, we limit our ability to build Peace. It’s an issue of Justice: the most deeply impacted are the most marginalized and poor. It’s an issue of bounty: She must be healthy to feed us well.  It’s an issue of quality of Life: we need clean air and water and soil. It’s an issue of Beauty: Nature moves us with her outrageous Beauty. It’s an issue of Peace. Our issue of Peace.

 

Hope and Love and Peace

There is so much ugliness in the world. Some of it is huge and stunning. Other pieces are simply small and petty. Today I’m tired of it. Today i long for something different, even while knowing we’re what needs to be different..

It’s time to say no to hate. We can’t do that by being hateful. We don’t need to allow hate, but we don’t need to join it.

So no. Peace, I say to you, Peace. Real Peace. Peace with Justice. Peace with Hope. Peace with Love.

I’m sorry, I’m not going to let any of us be lazy about it. Too many lives at stake. Peace be with you — and with me. That’s all I’ve got. Today’s a good day to Peace.

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Trusting in Our Devotion to Peace

We’re the ones. I don’t know if we’re the ones we’ve been waiting for, but we’re the ones we’ve got. And we aren’t waiting any longer — because people are going to need us.

Are you a refuge? Are you an ally? are you an organizer? Are you a politician? Are you a donor? Are you a good friend? Are you — am I, because these questions aren’t just for you — trustworthy?

It’s going to come down to being a good friend to the world and our country: its peoples, its land, air, and waters, its climate. What kind of world are we going to demand of ourselves? Will it be kind? Will it be just? Will it be one that acknowledges the realities of all people, not simply ourselves?

Oh, I hope so. I’ve said this forever. Now more than ever, let’s Peace. (and Peace means so much more than many think… and we remember: No Justice, No Peace.)

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Who’s Part of Your Pack for Peace and Justice?

Who are the the people you work with to make the world better? You can do little things alone, but the big things you usually do in good company.

Right now, most Americans are looking at the election in horror from one side or another of the debate. What if she/he wins people ask. Well, whoever wins, there’s enough work for all of us to do.

I refuse to live in a world or a country that thinks that hatred based on gender, ethnicity, race, religion or orientation is okay. I refuse to live in a world or a country that destroys creation. I refuse to live in a world or a country without compassion.

Am I going to Canada, you ask? Well, maybe for a visit, but not to live! I’m staying right here. I’m going to work to change my country, keep trying to change the world.

I’m looking for the people I love and the people I don’t yet know to do the work with. I’m showing up for Peace. I’m showing up for Racial Justice. Wanta run with the wild Pack for Justice and Peace? Laughter and friendship ahead!

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May the Peace of the Sun Shine Upon You

This is a great pic. There’s the Sun, falling out of that tiny hole in the clouds, falling on you.

It seemed a gift, this picture from Trish. This little bit of the Sun, with the cooperation of the clouds, has chosen us. Our work is to say yes; to choose back. You know me, what I think we’re to choose back, what I think we’re to say Yes! to is Peace. Our world, and specifically our country, is in deep need of Peace.

What to do? Well, here’s one place I think each and every one of us can make a huge difference. As many I know, I’m disturbed by the people, young and old, who think that opting out of civic responsibility is a choice. Today I’m really talking about voting.

Voting is a gift of the republic. It is also a gift to the republic. We are to vote in the best interests of the republic, not simply based on our hopes and disappointments.

If people are put in harm’s way as a result of our actions, we are responsible. Are people safe? Are they fairly paid? Do they have insurance? Do they have enough to eat? These are things we cannot put in jeopardy. Or perhaps farther in jeopardy.

Not getting what we want in an election is a call to be involved in the long term, rather than notice to abstain.

Voting is just one thing where we need to be involved over the long haul to make a difference, or to make the difference we want.

I keep reading that good, responsible, caring people, when it comes to voting, fail to cast our votes in ways that will protect the people most in need.

This means that we must wake up. We are our brothers’ and our sisters’ keepers. We are our mothers’ and our fathers’ keepers and our aunties’ and our uncles’ and all our children, and they are all our children.

We do not stand apart. People’s lives depend on our actions. The Sun shines on us… we are responsible for Peace. Let us lift our faces to the light. And let us do what is just. Peace is all about Justice.

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Puddles of Peace on a Sabbath Morning

I’ve always loved these cloud configurations. When I was a child, they tried to convince me (and by they, I don’t mean my parents!), that a stern God kept watch on me from glorious clouds. It was sort of frightening.

But give me a few years, working on Peace, and I’m now able to see the Peace and the Possibility being poured out.

Today, on the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., with our world in a shambles, it’s a good day to consider whether we really want things to be different.

What world do you want to have? On whose behalf will you work — even sacrifice?

It’s a thought to mull over on a Sabbath isn’t it? Peace? What’s it worth to us? and Justice… for all. Let us Peace.

EverydayPeaceSundayJan17

Oh, For Some Anonymous Peace

I live in a small town. And most of the time that’s amazing. You know your neighbors (yes, in all their glory!)

But sometimes, you really want to be off duty. I know ministers are not only people who feel this way. I was at a party with a friend who’s a horse doc… and someone zeroed right in on her…

So the words “Aren’t you…” are enough to strike fear into my heart. and I’m so many things: a minister, an activist, a UU, a witch and a drummer’s wife. Oh, and a back-up singer. And occasionally all ’round crazy. We all have our moments. Oh, and I have snarky moments as well…

And I admit, Mondays are not my best days. I probably shouldn’t leave the house. I’m over peopled. But face down in a swimming pool is exactly where I need to be. So off I go.

And then someone recognizes you. And I have hilarious conversations in pools.

But sometimes, I’m not well-armored for the conversations that worry about keeping folk in boxes. Spandex and soap aren’t great protection. And the swimming opens me right up.

And yes I know, people have needs and ministry isn’t just a job… But some days, I’m less well prepared to be a Peacemaker than others. That’s the thing about being human. But other days, it works fine. Some days, there are people working on social justice. Life is a balance — which means sometimes you’re out of balance!

Whatever, I do wish us all Peace. Even on Mondays. Especially on Mondays. Peace.

LongNIghtMoonLunacyNov24