US Attacks Syria: Let us pray...

Goddess/God, Spirit of Life, Universal Presence, Higher Power:
Once again a despot attacks his people.
Once again, bombs are dropped.
Once again combat is initiated.
Once again, we find ourselves hacking our way through mendacity and deception to discover what is true, what is trustworthy, what is real, what is wise.
Once again, lives are placed in danger by those who will not have to personally face such danger.
Once again, we feel overwhelmed by the chaos and uncertainty that is all around us.
Once again, we are compelled to pray but we scarcely know how to pray in such times. Do not be limited by our inadequate words but rather, be moved by our hearts’ desire for healing, for peace, for justice, for goodwill to prevail. Help us be better than we’ve been. Stir compassion and hope and kindness within us. Let healing flow to where lives are in peril, and as we constantly pray, “May peace prevail on earth.” Amen.

Today's brush with the Religious/Political Extreme Right

A thread of multiple thousands are stirred up about the proposed Iranian diplomatic proposal. Let me come clean from the start...I do NOT know what the best way is to "handle" the Iranian government. Ideologically, the Iranian government is disturbing to my way of thinking. Something must be done and the President and Secretary of State with other world leaders have proposed a possible solution to peacefully keep Iran in check. Will it work? I don't know. Is it the best option? Experts smarter than I am hold a variety of views. So, my argument isn't that the deal is good or not good, that it will work or fail...I can't know those things at this point. My annoyance came from the people who are certain the deal is bad not simply disagreeing with the deal, but calling the president a hater of America and Israel, someone with a personal agenda to do harm in the world. Could we disagree with a plan without demonizing the architect of the plan? Could a plan be offered in good faith whether or not it proves to be a good plan? So, I chimed in with the following remarks...
"Everyone knows that the Iranian government is problematic. The difference of opinion (and having a different opinion does not make one evil or a hater of one's own country) is in how to deal with the problem. Sanctions only work if they are globally supported, and that support is waning. War is never the best solution (and often leaves things worse than before war was launched). Diplomacy (which the 'Prince of Peace' would surely find viable) is another approach to keep Iran in check. They already have frightening capabilities; the efforts are to reduce those capabilities, and business as usual will not do that. So, only time will tell if the administration's plan will be successful, but whether it is or not, it is a legitimate, good faith effort to promote peace and security in the world. It is unfair and mean-spirited to accuse the president of ill-will or nefarious motives in trying to find a peaceful solution to a threatening situation." Rev Dr Durrell Watkins

A Christian in Pakistan on trial for her life

Asia Bibi is on trial for her life  (actually is appealing a previous ruling) for the "crime" of blasphemy in a theocratic state. She belongs to a minority religion (which Christianity is in Pakistan) and is accused of blaspheming the Prophet Muhammad during a quarrel. Of course that someone could be killed by the state for their religious views (or even for not holding someone else's religious views in high esteem) is horrifying. I hope that those who insist that ours be a "Christian" nation take note. Theocracy is the enemy of liberty. I want to be free to be religious (or not) and to choose the religion I hold dear; but theocracies cannot (by definition) allow such freedom, and lives are destroyed as a result. I hope our nation is always filled with spiritual and religious people, and I hope as strongly that our government is never a religious one.

My prayer for Asia Bibi and the world is: May she be safe and well and soon freed, and may there be hope and healing for all who have been tormented by the idea that only one religion is right and non-members are to be converted, shunned, or killed. Amen.

Breathe. Pray. Choose.

Sometimes things happen quickly, challenges come one after the other, and emotions whirl mightily like a wind storm; if we aren't careful, we'll get caught up in that and create a tragic tale of how life is unfair and mischievous forces are out to get us. But a deep breath (or 30), a brief prayer, and a choice to see things differently can calm the storm and what was getting ready to play out as a tragedy (or least a really bad melodrama) on the stage of our minds is reduced to an annoying moment, soon forgotten and replaced with hope, peace, and a trust that something good is at hand. Today's power words: Breathe. Pray. Choose.

Demonizing "the Other" Never Helps

Today, in response to yesterday's shooting in Tennessee, Franklin Graham posted that the U.S. is under attack from Islam and that no Muslim should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. "until the Muslim problem is solved." A resident of a "free" country in the 21st century posted that (with an alarming number of supportive replies). Mine, however, differed.

I am a gay man, and I have benefited from heterosexual allies standing up for LBGT rights. I cannot in good conscience remain silent when other marginalized groups are targeted and vilified.
My response to Mr. Graham on his Facebook page was as follows:

"While I disagree with almost everything F. Graham says and stands for, this xenophobic, Islamaphobic, racist, demonizing, dehumanizing, wholesale slander of an entire group of people is the most reprehensible diatribe in a long, sad history of reprehensible diatribes to come from Graham. "Muslims" are not any more likely to be "radicalized" than any other religion. I am a Christian pastor and I hope I am never lumped in with the same sort of racism, homophobia, and misogyny that Graham promotes as religion. Of course, just as there are dangerous Christians (and Jews and Hindus and Atheists), there are dangerous Muslims; however, those who disgrace and blaspheme their religion with violence (and violent rhetoric) never represent the best of their religions or the true intent of their religons nor are their acts of violence representative of the larger bodies of the faithful. Criminals must be held accountable for their individual actions, but others who share their faith or skin tone or ethnic heritage must not be condemned for the acts of individuals. "Radical" Muslims no more represent what Islam truly is than the KKK represents what Chrisitanity is. For all the whining about religious persecution on this page, it is beyond hypocritical to then attempt to persecute an entire religion. I hope good people of varying beliefs will challenge Franklin Graham for his dangerous, prejudicial rhetoric." Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins

a prayer for today

"Spirit of Life,
Our hearts go out today to the people of Nepal as they rebuild their lives following the earthquake.
We are mindful also of unrest in cities all over the country as lethal brutality by police against unarmed African American men is brought to our awareness more and more. We are thankful for the many brave peace officers who serve us faithfully and well even as we hope that those who abuse power and target minorities will be held accountable. We choose to believe in and hope for restorative justice.
We know that the US Supreme Court is hearing important cases, including the case that could settle the issue of marriage equality in this country. We affirm the dignity and sacred value of all people as we hold to the ideal of liberty and justice for ALL. May marriage equality be the law of the land throughout our country very soon and may we never wrap our fears, ignorance, prejudice or hatreds in the language of nationalism, religion, or "security" but rather let us value and celebrate the beauty of diversity.
And we continue to pray for cures to be found for diseases, for the wisdom to care for our good Earth, for children and the elderly to be safe, for compassion to guide us, for hope to sustain us, and for peace to prevail on earth. Amen."  - Rev Dr Durrell Watkins

We Can End Oppression

It looks like there are only 5 states left with unchallenged marriage bans, and about 70% of states now have marriage equality. This is so much closer than I thought we'd be in my lifetime, and it is totally possible that we will have freedom to marry in all 50 states by the end of next year. If we can do this, we can also stop the war on women/choice, heal the deep wounds of racism in our country, establish economic justice and prosperity for all, and even end war for profit. Seriously, if we can win the race toward marriage equality, we can overcome all oppressions, and we must never stop trying to do just that.

We Need a Little Christmas NOW

For some reason, I see more fear, more angst, more divisiveness in the world lately; and let me be clear, I mean our own little part of the world. In a country that affirms commitment to "liberty and justice for all" and that has spent decades trying to atone for and heal the wounds of sexism, classism, segregation, xenophobia, genocide of native inhabitants, poverty, and brutal homophobia, it is heartbreaking to look around and see immigrants being demonized, businesses trying to control their female employees' healthcare options, businesses trying to deny service to same-gender loving couples (even as marriage equality is becoming increasingly the law of the land), and police brutality against communities of color. In this season of "peace on earth, goodwill toward all," the fear induced rage that appears to be overshadowing the "better angels of our nature" has reached almost epidemic proportions. 

I'm tempted to dust off my sociology degree and rail against systems of oppression, but instead I find my pastor's heart and theological training kicking in, simply wishing for healing...healing for those who are being hurt by the verbal and physical violence that is tearing our country apart, and healing for those who are so afraid of change and uncertainty that they are participating in oppressive and unjust rhetoric and behaviors. 

I support the passing of laws and court decisions that are meant to offer equal protection and opportunity to all people, but laws and court rulings do not change attitudes. For that, we in the spiritual community must speak out and offer loving, challenging, prophetic, and pastoral guidance to help people overcome their fears, embrace hope, and see the sacred value of all people.

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of a baby who was born to a peasant class, whose mother was an unmarried and temporarily homeless young woman, who grew up to suffer abuse at the hands of religious and government institutions, and who, finally, was tortured to death by state controlled systems of oppression, let us honor that baby by seeing divine light, opportunity, and grace where before we saw fear, conflict, and scarcity. We can embrace hope. We can affirm the dignity of all of God's children. We can work for peace and healing in our world. We can insist on "liberty and justice for ALL."

The challenges are numerous and the solutions may not come quickly, but they begin with our prayers, with our love, with our optimism, with our commitment, and with our choosing to see God in the midst of those sometimes called "the Other." This time of year calls us to reclaim and live out the message of "peace on earth; goodwill toward all." We don't need Congress or Courts for that. We hope they'll do their part, but we can begin to do ours right now.

Join us at Sunshine Cathedral for our Holiday Concert on Saturday night (Dec 6th) at 7 pm and worship with us every Sunday in Advent (and throughout 2015); and worship with us on Christmas Eve at 8 pm or 10:30 pm as well. Help us be the embodied presence of divine Love and indomitable Hope this season and at all times. The world needs light right now; let us be the light. As the song (from the Broadway musical "Mame") says, We need a little Christmas NOW!

Holiday Blessings,

     

Rev Dr Durrell Watkins
Senior Minister, Sunshine Cathedral
www.sunshinecathedral.net
1480 SW Ninth Ave, Ft Lauderdale, FL

I Remember

I REMEMBER

I, like everyone else, remember September 11th, 2001 when New York City and Washington, DC were attacked by hijacked aircraft. I remember the fear, the loss, the pain. I remember other things as well.

I remember the world extending concern, good wishes, and compassion in that moment of despair.
I remember communities coming together to raise money, clean up rubble, help wounded people, and comfort one another in a time of grief. I remember that a decade later, the master mind behind the 9/11 attacks, Osama bin Laden, was killed. I don't rejoice at any killing. I might have preferred he be captured, tried, and incarcerated. But in any case, there was a sense of closure.

A lot was lost on 9/11, but so much more was spared, and good things were stirred within us. Heroism, compassion, resilience...the best of our humanity overpowered a moment of tragedy.

I have other remembrances, today. I remember that 9/11 wasn't the first, last, or largest tragedy to impact the human family.

I remember that the US government went 7 years without officially responding to the AIDS crisis. I remember that lives were lost because we failed to summon the better angels of our nature in time to contain a pandemic. I also remember when effective medications were finally released and people started living well with HIV, having real hope for long lives.

I remember growing up in a very homophobic environment, too scared to even admit to myself that I was gay, living in shame, fear, and confusion. I remember all those feelings rushing back to mind when Matthew Shephard was brutally killed for being gay. I also remember when Vermont started offering legal civil unions to same-gender loving couples and when Massachusetts first allowed same-gender loving people to marry, and that since those initial breakthroughs marriage equality has gained a lot of momentum. 

 I remember when Don't Ask, Don't Tell was overturn and LBGT people could serve openly and proudly in the US military. I remember that we have made a lot of progress.

I remember that our nation's history includes slavery, Jim Crow, and bloody battles for civil rights. I also remember that on November 4th, 2008, the 44th president of the United States was elected and he is a person of African descent.

I remember that on December 7th, 1941, the Japanese Empire attacked Pearl Harbor. I remember that following that, Japanese Americans were unfairly imprisoned in their own nation just because of their ethnic heritage, and I remember that on August 6th, 1945 the first time any nation used a nuclear weapon in war was when the United Stated dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Three days later Nagasaki also experienced nuclear devastation. Today, Japan is a democracy, a major economy, and an ally of the nation that they once attacked, a nation that retaliated with world changing force.

I remember that a prayer that we use weekly at Sunshine Cathedral is actually the gift of a witness of the atomic bombings of Japan, Masahisa Goi, who prayed (as we do each week), "May peace prevail on earth."

And today, I remember two journalists who were brutally killed in Syria and I wish their families comfort in the days and months to come.

There are many sad events in history to remember, and we should remember. But let us also remember the healing that followed, the opportunities that sadness could not take away, and the hope that remained for better days.

Today, I remember 9/11/01, but I also remember that pain was not invented that day, nor did pain win that day. Hope is always the indestructible force, and so while I remember events from the painful past, I also remember that we always have the power to hope and work for a better tomorrow. Let's do remember that we have the power of hope.
 

Blessings,

 

Rev Dr Durrell Watkins

Senior Minister 

Sunshine Cathedral 

Pastoral Prayer for Ferguson, MO

Haven’t we had enough of war: not only the wars we export, but the wars on our streets, the wars that wage in our own hearts?

Aren’t we yet willing to recognize the devastating legacy of racism?

Can’t we seek to heal the wounds caused by injustice, domination, and exploitation?

Will we ever cease our worship of violence and our distrust of the Other?

The Earth and Her inhabitants are weary from conflict. We are despondent to see once again communities torn apart by injustice and disregard for the dignity of every person.

The riots, the pain, the losses in Ferguson, Missouri that have followed the brutal slaying of Michael Brown bring all these questions to mind, questions that we grow so tired of asking, questions that still have not found satisfying answers.

And so we turn once again to prayer. There will be letters written and protests and debates, but in the meantime, in this moment, in this time of sadness and frustration, we choose to quiet ourselves, to know that there is a Universal Power that flows through every life, that is part of every life, that excludes no one for any reason, and in the name of this one Power we affirm hope and the possibility of healing in our world. In the name of the Omnipresence we affirm blessings for the residents of Ferguson. In the name of Justice Herself, we affirm wisdom for those who must lead us through the difficulties at hand.

God of many names, mystery beyond our naming, give us the courage and the resilience to not allow our weariness to prevail, but rather let us continue to hope for, work for, and settle for nothing less than “liberty and justice for ALL.”

Amen.

Rev Dr Durrell Watkins

Senior Minister, Sunshine Cathedral

Prayer for Today

~PRAYER FOR TODAY~

Today, let us be thankful that same-gender loving people no longer must serve in silence but can live and love openly while defending their country in the various branches of the military.

Today, let us honor all who have served and who currently serve in uniform.

Today, let us honor all military service men and women by hoping and praying for peace.

Today, let us be mindful of non-military service that is also meant to keep us safe and make our world better…the work of first responders, the work of diplomats, and the work of activists speaking out for women, minorities, same-gender loving people, children, immigrants, the poor, and all who have had to work harder to experience the good that they deserve.

Today, let us rejoice that some in positions of authority or influence use the resources available to them to promote “liberty and justice for all” – in particular let us be grateful for Zambia’s First Lady, Dr Christine Kasebs-Sata, who is an advocate for LBTG people in Africa.

Today, let us be grateful for the US Senate’s passing of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and let us hope that the US House of Representatives will do likewise.

Today, let us give thanks for the 15 US states that now offer marriage equality, that a 16^th state is very close, and that the District of Columbia, several counties and tribal communities, and an increasing number of nations recognize and celebrate equality as well.

Today, let us be reminded that there are still many places where one can be discriminated against, vilified, rejected, harmed, or even killed simply for being gay or lesbian, for being suspected of being gay or lesbian, or for being transgender or gender non-conforming; and let us recommit to working toward the elimination of homophobia and transphobia among us.

Today, let us remember that HIV has not yet been cured and let us wish and pray for a cure to soon be found.

And today, let us hold the people of the Philippines in our hearts as they continue to assess the damage and losses of Hurricane Haiyan.

There are many kinds of battles and many kinds of warriors…may all who have been willing to struggle to make our world safer, more just, and more compassionate be abundantly blessed.

God of our hearts, we offer these prayers in the name of all that is good and holy. Amen.

Should Christians Support Military Strikes on Syria?

This week's question for the Q&A in the Sun Burst (Sunshine Cathedral's weekly newsletter) came from someone at the church Labor Day picnic. It doesn't answer people's political views or their emotional needs, but it does frame the issue in the context of an avowed non-violent tradition:

Q&A with Rev Dr Durrell Watkins
Question: As Christians, should we support attacking Syria?

Answer: The answer to questions of military intervention are always complex and defy simple answers. I can tell you that early Christians were pacifists and I can remind you of the angelic prayer from the Nativity story, “Peace on earth, goodwill toward all people.”

There is also an ancient Jewish tale of God reprimanding the people of Israel when they were celebrating the drowning of Egyptian forces. God, according to the tale, reminded them that the Egyptians were children of God also and God was very sad that they had perished.

And, of course, we know that peaceful revolutionaries such as Gandhi and Dr King changed the world with non-violent resistance.

From political or national security perspectives, there are probably arguments for and against military action. Ethicists might weigh in with their own understandings. From a theological viewpoint, or at least from my theological viewpoint, I always prefer peaceful solutions, or at least attempts at peaceful solutions to major conflicts. I always hope military action will be a last resort.

If a dictator has committed genocide against his own people, then it would be obscene to remain silent in the face of such atrocity. However, there may be ways of showing disapproval of such action and of standing in solidarity with the oppressed short of drone strikes that will also cost human lives. I also wonder why we find one act of atrocity to be worthy of military action and another to not require such action. We seem oddly selective about our moral outrage in these situations.

My opinion, or yours for that matter, will unlikely change the course of events. But I hope as a faith community we never are comfortable with rushing to violence. And, come what may, we should continue praying as we do every Sunday, “May peace prevail on earth.”

Various Thoughts & Prayers Re: Possible Strikes on Syria

"Jesus’ call to be peacemakers takes us in a different direction than missile strikes. I believe the just cause being laid out against Assad is indeed a moral case, and I trust both President Barack Obama and Secretary John Kerry’s intentions around that cause. But I believe that the military strikes now being proposed are not the best moral response to this moral crisis — and they could ultimately undermine both our moral case and the moral intentions." Jim Wallis

Even some of the most conservative religious voices oppose military intervention at this point: "Geoff Tunnicliffe, CEO of the World Evangelical Alliance, pointed out the negative effect military strikes would have on Christians in the Middle East. New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said in a letter to Obama that strikes would be 'counterproductive' and 'exacerbate an already deadly situation.' And the Southern Baptist Convention’s Russell Moore echoed the concerns, saying, there are just-cause principles missing 'both to justify action morally and to justify it prudentially.'"

“War brings on war! Violence brings on violence."
Pope Francis, who supports a negotiated settlement of the Syrian civil war, calling upon people of faith around the world to pray and fast for peace this Saturday, Sept. 7.

Prayer for Peace in the world:

"Great God...save us from ourselves, save us from the vengeance in our hearts and the acid in our souls.  Save us from our desire to hurt as we have been hurt, to punish as we have been punished, to terrorize as we have been terrorized.  Give us the strength it takes to...trust rather than to fear, to try again and again to make peace even when peace eludes us.
We ask,... O God, for the grace to be our best selves. We ask for the vision to be builders of the human community rather than its destroyers. We ask for the humility as a people to understand the fears and hopes of other peoples. We ask for the love it takes to bequeath to the children of the world to come more than the failures of our own making. We ask for the heart it takes to care for all the peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq, of Palestine and Israel [and of Syria] as well as for ourselves...
[M]ay we be merciful and patient and gracious and trusting with these others whom you also love.
This we ask through Jesus, the one without vengeance in his heart. This we ask forever and ever. Amen" - Sister Joan Chittister, OSB

 

"Let nothing disturb thee, nothing affright thee; all things are passing, God never changeth! Patient endurance attaineth to all things; who God possesseth in nothing is wanting; alone God sufficeth." Northumbria Community blessing

 

Prayer for Peace (adapted): 

"Eternal Hope, in whose perfect kin-dom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Light, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of...Peace, as members of one global family. Amen."

 

Under the heading of there is nothing new under the sun:

"[In 1914] Paul Jones was ... made Bishop of the Missionary District of Utah. He was an outspoken pacifist, and when World War I began in 1914, he spoke against it. As the war progressed, and when the United States entered the war in 1917, many Americans were vehement in holding that pursuing the war was a moral duty, and opposition to the war was immoral.In the spring of 1918... Bishop Jones resigned as Bishop of Utah. He continued to speak out within the Church as an advocate of peace and the Christian renunciation of war, until his death on 4 September 1941." James Kiefer

 

"If all our options are bad, why pick the one that involves missiles?" Rachel Maddow

 

Q&A with Dr Durrell Watkins

Question: As Christians, should we support attacking Syria?

Answer: The answer to questions of military intervention are always complex and defy simple answers. I can tell you that early Christians were pacifists and I can remind you of the angelic prayer from the Nativity story, “Peace on earth, goodwill toward all people.”

 

There is also an ancient Jewish tale of God reprimanding the people of Israel when they were celebrating the drowning of Egyptian forces. God, according to the tale, reminded them that the Egyptians were children of God also and God was very sad that they had perished.

And, of course, we know that peaceful revolutionaries such as Gandhi and Dr King changed the world with non-violent resistance.

From political or national security perspectives, there are probably arguments for and against military action. Ethicists might weigh in with their own understandings. From a theological viewpoint, or at least from my theological viewpoint, I always prefer peaceful solutions, or at least attempts at peaceful solutions to major conflicts. I always hope military action will be a last resort.

If a dictator has committed genocide against his own people, then it would be obscene to remain silent in the face of such atrocity. However, there may be ways of showing disapproval of such action and of standing in solidarity with the oppressed short of drone strikes that will also cost human lives. I also wonder why we find one act of atrocity to be worthy of military action and another to not require such action. We seem oddly selective about our moral outrage in these situations.

My opinion, or yours for that matter, will unlikely change the course of events. But I hope as a faith community we never are comfortable with rushing to violence. And, come what may, we should continue praying as we do every Sunday, “May peace prevail on earth.”

(from Sept. 8th, 2013 edition of The Sun Burst, Sunshine Cathedral's weekly newsletter)

 

"As humanitarians confronting the horror of the Syrian civil war, we must consider how we can best protect civilians, end the violence, and uphold the international prohibition on using chemical weapons. But we shouldn't make matters worse on the ground just to answer war crimes with a limited and largely symbolic show of force." Credo Action

 

11 Reasons Why We Shoud Not Attack Syria

http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/eleven-reasons-why-we-should-not-attack-syria#.UiSfQHAP2tE.facebook

 

 

 

 

 

prayer for the world

PRAYER FOR THE WORLD by Durrell Watkins

Universal Spirit of Life,

In the midst of conflicts, fears, troubles, and concerns, we dare to believe in the possibility of peace, in the power of hope, and in the reality of love.

May our world today embrace the amazing potential that lies within every human heart.

May our world today seek peace instead of war, healing instead of revenge, communion instead of conflict.

May our world today choose to be aware of the ubiquitous web of existence to which we all belong, and may human dignity be affirmed and the sacred value of all life be celebrated.

Let blessings now flow into every life and may peace prevail on earth. Amen.

A Rabbi Responds to Bin Laden's Death

Bin Laden & Beyond
by Arthur Waskow on Monday, May 2, 2011 at 10:26am.How might we appropriately address the death of a mass murderer?


The Torah describes Moses and Miriam leading the ancient People Israel in a celebratory song after the tyrannical Pharaoh and his Army have been overwhelmed by the waters of the Red Sea. Later, the Rabbis gave a new overtone to the story: “The angels,” they said, “ began to dance and sing as well, but God rebuked them: ‘These also are the work of My hands. We must not rejoice at their deaths!’ “

Notice the complexity of the teaching: Human beings go unrebuked when they celebrate the downfall and death of a tyrant; but the Rabbis are addressing our higher selves, trying to move us into a higher place. (The legend is certainly not aimed at “angels.”) Similarly, we are taught that at the Passover Seder, when we recite the plagues that fell upon the Egyptians, we must drip out the wine from our cups as we mention each plague, lest we drink that wine to celebrate these disasters that befell our oppressors.

I myself would have been a lot happier to see Bin Laden arrested to stand trial, but assuming the report that he violently resisted arrest is true, I have no objection to his having been killed.

Yet I was dismayed by the quasi-sports-victory tone of the celebrations that arose around the country -- chanting "U-S-A, U-S-A," for instance.

What I myself felt was more like "Sad necessity" -- and I would have preferred a mournful remembrance of the innocent dead of the Twin Towers and of Iraq and Afghanistan -- a thoughtful reexamination of how easy it is to turn abominable violence against us into a justification for indiscriminate violence by us.

Can we now say, “Enough, enough!” -- refuse to drink the intoxicating triumphalist wine of celebration, and turn our attention and commitment to end these wars that take on a deadly “life” of their own?

With blessings of shalom, salaam, peace --

Rabbi Arthur Waskow, director
The Shalom Center http://www.theshalomcenter.org/

Life

Spirit & Truth
Today is Saturday, April 17, 2010.

Life
“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” Rev. Dr. King, Jr.

In the spirit of justice and liberation, Dr. King spoke out often, powerfully, and prophetically against the Vietnam war. As a minister and activist, he used the power of the pulpit to lift people up, and to name and resist whatever might hold people back or down. Of course waging war for political or financial interests would be something he would question. God is Peace, not conflict. In this season of Resurrection where we focus on the victory of Life over death, shouldn’t we do all we can to always support what lifts up and enhances life rather than what might needlessly harm it?

Prayer: Let Life be abundant for all people! Amen.

Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins, Sunshine Cathedral
Spirit & Truth is Sunshine Cathedral's daily devotional magazine.

International Human Rights Day

MCC's Presiding Elder & Moderator, Rev. Nancy Wilson, has issued a call to prayer, saying, "On this day dedicated to the pursuit of universal human rights, that I ask all MCCers and people of faith around the globe to join me in praying for:
An end to the wars in Iraq, Afhanistan and Pakistan, and for the safety of all in harm's way.
An increase in justice and the extension of human rights for all people,
especially LGBT people, those living with HIV/AIDS, those living in poverty, refugees, and all whose lives have been torn apart by wars. May just and right relationships bring the world to peace.
...[pray] today that:
Every leader around the globe who is charged with making decisions that promise to impact all of us, will do so with the pursuit of peace as their ultimate goal.
Every person and nation trapped in the cycles of violence and counter- violence, from Israel to Palestine to the Congo and Uganda, will find a new way, a more promising path for sharing life together.
Every human being will use each moment as the moment to speak up for and take risks for, and live and act for peace."

In answer to our Moderator's call to prayer, I offer the following prayer:
Abiding Peace,
You long to be expressed in every human heart, in every relationship, and in all the world. We call upon you today to be known and to be experienced and to be shared. May conflicts be peacefully resolved. May leaders value justice and equal opportunity for all people. May human dignity be affirmed in every nation for every person. May the human family finally live together in peace, health, happiness, compassion, and goodwill. This prayer is offered for the sake of peace, for the benefit of all people, and in your many Names. Amen.

The President's Peace Prize

I know that Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson received the Nobel Prize late in their presidencies. Charles Dawes and Al Gore are Vice-Presidents who won the award (and Gore after two terms as VP and a lot of work in environmentalism), and President James Carter was awarded the Prize decades after he left office, but I'm not bothered by President Barack Obama receiving the award so early in his presidency.

I don't doubt President Obama's commitment to peace and I think he has already done a lot to improve our image in the world. He is in a position to push a peace agenda, and this award may be as much for what he can do as for what he has done. This may be encouragement for him to remain true to his values...its not an uncommon strategy, in fact, its a pretty effective way of applying pressure: "Hey Mr. Peace Prize, now you have to do the right thing!"

I think the Nobel Committe was wise to acknowledge what he's done, what he stands for, and to insist that he strive to do all that he can. Plus, its a huge honor for our country, and a reminder that peace is possible and it ought to be one of our highest goals. I'm very pleased with today's announcement.

And anyway, its not as if the President applied for this honor. If a country, a committee, a person, or an organization wants to honor our president, shouldn't we all feel honored as well? We can now say that our country has had 4 presidents and 2 vice-presidents who have been so honored...that ain't too shabby!

Remembering Hiroshima

Today is the 64th anniversary of the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima. From that attack, about 144,000 people were killed (about half from the initial blast, the others from wounds and illnesses that resulted from the blast). Over the next few decades, hundreds more would develop cancer or leukemia as a result of the radiation from the attack. Most casualties were civilians.

I am glad that no other war has ended in nuclear holocaust; and I do hope that nuclear weapons will never again be used.

I’m not writing to defend or condemn the actions of a war that took place decades before my birth. I know the Japanese Empire was given an ultimatum before the attack was launched and I know that Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor is what officially drew the U.S. into WW2. I’m not interested in rehashing the rationale for the use of such deadly force at Hiroshima; nor am I interested in trying to discern if in the end such action was ethical or necessary. What’s done is done.

What I do want to do today is honor the lives of innocent people lost in every war. I want to acknowledge the horror of Hiroshima, the brutality of war, and the sacredness of human life. And, I want to express an on-going wish for peace in the world and a constant desire for the day to come when conflicts can be settled by means other than violence.

For those who lost their lives at Hiroshima in 1945…Rest in peace.
For all who have lost their lives because of any war at any time…Rest in peace.
For those who risk their lives in service of their country…May you never be unnecessarily placed in harm’s way.
And for our world that longs for peace, justice, and stability…May an Abiding Peace bless us and keep us, now and always. Amen.

Prayer for September 11

“The only way to bring peace to the earth is to learn to make our own life peaceful.” The Buddha

September 11th is a date that still sparks great emotion in the U.S. It is a day when we remember that extremists (motivated by religious zeal) hijacked planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in NYC, the Pentagon, and a field in rural Pennsylvania. Since then, we have heard stories of government sanctioned torture, attacks on our own civil liberties, and on-going military conflicts in two different countries.

For seven years we have lived with war, threats, sagging morale, and a weakening economy. We’ve mourned the loss of young men and women who have been sent to fight a war on two fronts where no end is yet in sight. Once again, we find ourselves learning that we cannot fight our way to peace; or as Admiral Michael Mullin has been quoted as saying, “We cannot kill our way to victory.”

I’m tired of fighting. I’m tired of political rancor. I’m tired of war and executions and character assassinations. I’m tired of people using religion and politics as their excuses to grab power or to silence those who don’t share their opinions. I’m tired of endless discord. I’m ready for people of faith, people of every spiritual tradition, to stand up and speak up and demand that the best of our traditions begin to guide us in the ways of peace, harmony, tolerance, and goodwill. I’m ready for swords to be beaten into ploughshares. I’m ready for the blessings that are promised to the peacemakers.

Today, I wish to honor the victims of 9/11 and those who mourn the loss of their loved ones by praying for an end to the perpetuation of violence that leads neither to justice nor to closure. Today, I pray for healing for our nation and for our world. Today, I pray for peace and for leaders who will work tirelessly to lead us in the ways of peace.

Will you join me in prayer today?:
May we be filled with peaceful intentions. May we be guided by wisdom and motivated by goodwill. May we embrace and live out the promise of peace; and may peace prevail on earth. Let healing love now flow across this and every nation. And let us all again be touched “by the better angels of our nature.” Amen.


Sunshine Cathedral
www.sunshinecathedral.org
Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div. – Senior Pastor