Imagine No Religion

An unfinished art project. A new take on John Lennon's song "Imagine" (which for the record, I like). Click for full-res:



It's easy if you try.

Thoughts on Independence Day

The ideals and precepts which ground the nation are - strictly speaking - revolutionary. The Constitution particularly so because of its flexibility and ability to change; Such a concept contains the seeds of prophecy and echoes Biblical injunctions to "act justly and love mercy" to care for "the least of these." Two centuries later, we are still striving to actualize a vision of that world, where all human beings are indeed created equal.

Garret Keizer, a former Episcopal priest, writes, "How does a Christian population implicated in militarism, usury, sweatshop labor, and environmental rape find a way to sleep at night? Apparently, by making a very big deal out of not sleeping with Gene Robinson."

Remember that to whom much is given, much is required.

Every once in a while, even "The Message" translation of the Bible (Amos 5:21) is bound to speak powerfully:

"I can't stand your religious meetings.
I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
your pretentious slogans and goals.
I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes,
your public relations and image making.
I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.

When was the last time you sang to me?

Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That's what I want.
That's all I want."

Let's keep listening to the voices of our prophets. Seek peace and pursue it. Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God.

Let There Be - Reflections on Earth Day

Friends, this little blue orb is the only one we've got.

Twelve billion years ago, the cosmos exploded with a dictum - "let there be!"

Some three billion years ago, chemistry made the miraculous transfiguration into biology and gasped its first breath.

Some two millennia ago, the Creator's punctured lungs gasped nitrogen and oxygen anew for the second time. Not only from the crib, but the tomb as well.

"See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his people, and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’
And the one who was seated on the throne said,
‘See, I am making all things new.’"

God is making all things new, and insists that we participate - to be heirs of his eternal kingdom.

Saints Alive

Some have suggested that Fr. Andrew White, who represents the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Middle East, and Iraq in particular, may be the next individual added to the kalendar of Saints.

Article here.



Another piece about Iraqi Christians here.

Lord God,

you hold both heaven and earth in a single peace.

Let the design of your great love

shine on the waste of our anger and sorrow,

and give peace to your Church,

peace among nations,

peace in our homes,

and peace in our hearts,

in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christianity and Vegetarianism

I'm surprised I haven't written about this topic yet. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine (also a veg) asked me why I am a vegetarian. Health reasons aside (every male in my family has died of heart disease!), religious thought does come into play. This intrigues many people, because they've never seen vegetarianism espoused from a spiritual -- certainly not Christian -- point of view.

This is just a brief "article" I wrote, and is by no means comprehensive. It's peppered with Bible references because he's an evangelical, and they roll like that. I may or may not write more in the future. For some reason (that is absolutely baffling to me) this seems to be a controversial topic.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ethics of eating meat aside, modern carnivorous diets have far-reaching negative effects on the environment and world hunger. Back in Jesus' time, animals weren't fed disproportionate amounts of grain (not to mention hormones), mass-slaughtered in warehouses, then transported thousands of miles by petrol-guzzling planes, trains and automobiles. If we stopped consuming red meat alone, there would be enough excess grain to feed many, many who are suffering and in need. Christian vegetarianism is primarily an attempt to follow Jesus' injunction to care for "the least of these." (Matt. 25: 31-46)

That being said, of course the slaughtered animals are not treated with the appropriate care, respect and compassion described by Jesus in his parable of the lost sheep. If God discerns the fate of a tiny sparrow (Matt. 10:29-30) how he must shudder at the agony of these creatures!

Lastly (certainly not least) vegetarianism is found in every spiritual practice around the world. It is a form of abstinence, of fasting, of exercising our self-control.

Before the Fall, Adam and Eve lived in harmony with God and Creation, eating only "herbs of the field" (Genesis 1:29-30). A fallen world that has been redeemed by God is a reversion to paradise, to Eden. This was foretold by the prophets, who said that the "wolf and the lamb will lay down together." (Isaiah 11:6, 62:25) As Christians, we believe that the Resurrection affects everything about our world. The Lord declares that he is "making all things new." We are trying to live into this radically compassionate, new vision of the world.

I'm really not saying anything that hasn't already been said before. However, I am saddened by the impassioned, often angry, responses from non-vegetarians who act as if threatened by our way of life. Perhaps they have been confronted by aggressive, militant vegetarians in the past. I don't know. However, we must respond with only love, understanding that that is simply not where they are at on their journey. Vegetarianism isn't something to force or coerce someone into. Rather, it's simply another way to "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

(For more info, check out this website.)

Advent Conspiracy, Part Deux

Marriage Equality - Protests

It's not really about marriage, it's about respect and human dignity. It's about not being silent.

I went to the Phoenix rally yesterday...the newspapers will say about 2,000 people showed up - try 3,500!



Pictures cannot convey the sheer enormity of that crowd.






Once again, I'm proud to be a member of a church that "seeks and serves Christ in all people." Being able to carry this flag for all to see truly felt like taking Christ into the world. How fitting it is that the Bishop happened to be at the Cathedral that day, giving us the thumbs up before we headed down to the march.





Washington, D.C.:

Bittersweet Day

I feel proud to be an American again, but ashamed for Arizona, where Proposition 102 passed.

(Marriage is defined by Arizona statutory law as "the union of one man and one woman." Proposition 102 would enshrine this definition in the constitution, making it difficult [if not impossible] for judges to strike it down.

I don't expect the Arizona Supreme Court to act so reasonably anytime soon, but homophobes are scared as usual. The Mormon church in particular has poured millions of dollars [70% of overall contributions] into this campaign, buying commercials, electronic billboards, yard signs, and huge banners on nearly every corner of Phoenix. Nice priorities.)

Every "Yes on 102" sign says so much more than the green and blue words printed on the paper;

You are not welcome here.
You are not the same as us.
You are less.
Your love is less.
You are less of a human being.
We don't want you in this state.
We don't want you in our lives, our communities.
We don't want you.


102 in Arizona passed, but far worse is No. 2 in Florida, which is deliberately worded to outlaw - not only same-sex marriage - but civil unions and domestic partnerships that afford basic human rights to gay couples. Rights like hospital visitation, power of attorney, tax breaks, right to shared property ownership, and insurance carryovers. Gay Arizonans never had those rights, but tomorrow gay Floridians will wake up to have their lives radically altered.

They don't even want us buried next to our loved ones when we're dead.

That is powerful hatred.


In Arkansas, a ban on same-sex adoption passed. Because an orphan raised by strangers is, apparently, better than gay parents.

Failure of Proposition 8 in California is our last hope. Right now, as we wait, it leads 53% to 47%, with one-third of precincts reporting. If Proposition 8 indeed fails to pass, this day will not be as bittersweet for me and millions of others.

One of the reasons I have supported Barack Obama is that he includes gay Americans. He empowers us, lets us know that we are citizens too. He didn't hesitate to mention us in his historic speech tonight, no matter how uncomfortable it makes some people. No matter how politically inconvenient it might be. He understands what it's like to be thought of as somehow "lesser."

We are Americans too.

Yes we can.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross (II)

How appropriate that on this great and terrible feast day, this display was featured in the library.

It is about the women murdered in Juarez, Mexico.

Salvador del mundo,

que por tu cruz y

preciosa sangre nos has redimido,

sálvanos y ayúdanos,

humildemente te suplicamos, o Señor.

(Many things to many people.)

What the Doctor Ordered

I was looking for a certain quote by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, but I found one I hadn't seen before instead.

I can just hear him telling this story, smiling the whole way through. He has such a loping, easy laughter and grace about him - like he knows a great big secret that we don't. I couldn't help but smiling and laughing while looking through pictures of him. I believe he is a Saint, capital S.

Adam is in the garden. And there he was having a great time with the animals and gamboling all over the place, but God looked on and said. uh-uh. It’s not good for that guy to be all by his lonesome.

And God said to Adam, “Well Adam –”

Adam said, “Yes?”

“How about choosing a mate for yourself from the animals?”

So God let animals pass in front of Adam in procession and God said, “What about this one?”

“Nope,” said Adam.

“And what about this one?”

“No.”

“And this one?”

“Not on your life!”

And God say okay, and put Adam to sleep. And as the story goes, out of Adam’s rib, God created this delectable creature.

And when Adam awakes, he looks and says “Wow!” and “This is what the doctor ordered!”

It’s a story that is meant to convey a very profound truth about you and me. That you and I are incomplete, that we can’t, in fact, be human in isolation.

In solitary confinement, as it were.

I wouldn’t know how to be human except by learning it from other human beings. I need you in order for me to be me. I need other human beings in order for me to be human. …

The totally self-sufficient human being is, in fact, subhuman.
…
One of the sayings in our country is … “A person is a person through other persons.”

We are family.

Prophetic Music

This is what it's all about - the Millenium Development Goals, sustainability, rejecting the culture of mass consumption and greed....It's a look at how the world really is; the whole world.




There ain't no reasons things are this way
Its how they've always been and they intend to stay
I can't explain why we live this way
We do it everyday
Preachers on the podiums speaking to saints
Prophets on the sidewalks begging for change
Old ladies laughing from the fire escape, cursing my name
I got a basket full of lemons and they all taste the same
A window and a pigeon with a broken wing
You can spend your whole life working for something
Just to have it taken away

People walk around pushing back their desks
Wearing pay checks like necklaces and bracelets
Talking 'bout nothing, not thinking about their
Every little heart beat, every little breath
People walk a tight rope on a razor's edge
Carrying their hurt and hatred and weapons
It could be a bomb or a bullet or a pin
Or a thought or a word or a sentence.

There ain't no reasons things are this way
Its how they've always been and they intend to stay
I don't know why i say the things i say,
But i say them anyway.
But love will come set me free
Love will come set me free
I do believe
Love will come set me free
I know it will
Love will come set me free
Yes

Prison walls still standing tall
Some things never change at all
Keep on building prisons,
Gonna fill them all.
Keep on building bombs
Gonna drop them all

Working your fingers bare to the bone
Breaking your back, make you sell your soul
Like a lung is filled with coal, suffocating slow
The wind blows wild and i may move
But politicians lie and i'm not fooled
You don't need no reason or a 3 piece suit
To argue the truth
The air in my skin and the world under my toes
Slavery is stitched into the fabric of my clothes
Chaos and commotion wherever i go
Love, i try to follow

But love will come set me free
Love will come set me free
I do believe
Love will come set me free
I know it will
Love will come set me free
Yes

There ain't no reasons things are this way
Its how they've always been and they intend to stay
I can't explain why we live this way;
We do it everyday.


-

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness,
no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit,
that all peoples may be gathered together and reconciled under the banner of the Prince of Peace,
as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and forever.

Amen.

Oscar Romero

I've been reading about Oscar Romero lately, the former Catholic bishop of El Salvador who was eventually murdered on March 24th, 1980, for his outspoken criticism of the Salvadoran government's human rights abuses. He was shot just after delivering a sermon, the final words of which were, "May God have mercy on the assassins." His blood spilled out onto the altar.

At his funeral, over 250,000 people came to pay tribute. Salvadoran death squads set off bombs and fired shots into the crowd at Cathedral Square, killing at least 31. Still, more and more people came every day to pay homage to the deceased prelate.
I'm absolutely in awe of this man. He is in the process for being canonized as a Saint in the Catholic church, and is already a Saint in the Anglican Communion. In his early life, he was conservative and rather blindly obedient. He was placed in El Salvador by church hierarchy so he wouldn't "make trouble." But witnessing firsthand the suffering of the people brought about his transformation into a prophetic voice of peace, as one who lives completely without fear.

This is why I firmly believe that religion should be subversive. If you're not doing your part to ruin the unjust status quo and piss people off, make people uncomfortable - then you're not doing it right. If your pastor drives a luxury SUV with $400 rims, you're not doing it right. If religion is a crutch and makes your life easier, rather than harder, you're not doing it right.

The word repent in Greek (metanoeo) literally means "Stop! Stop what you're doing! Go back! Think differently!" Our leaders and politicians have tried to convince us that "the way to peace is through war."

It has become a way of life for this country to be at war. That, my friends, is sickening. We need to stop. We need to go back and think differently. In a world of mind-numbing violence and fear, it's hard, if not impossible to hear the calm, quiet, voices of peace. Those voices belong to women and men who live boldly, and without fear. They will not be silenced.

"We must not seek the child Jesus in the pretty figures of our Christmas cribs. We must seek him among the undernourished children who have gone to bed at night with nothing to eat, among the poor newsboys who will sleep covered with newspapers in doorways. "

Disgusting

I can't believe this woman is a state legislator.

Don't have time to type out my thoughts at the moment (see the title!) but also check out here and here. Absolutely agreed.

Wage Peace

"Wage Peace"
by Judyth Hill


Wage Peace with your breath.

Breathe in firemen and rubble.
Breathe out whole buildings and flocks of red-wing blackbirds.

Breathe in terrorists
Breathe out sleeping children and fresh mown fields.

Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.

Breathe in the fallen and breathe out life long relationships intact.

Wage peace with our listening: hearing sirens, pray loud.

Remember your tools: flower seeds, clothing pins, clean rivers.

Make soup.

Play music; learn the word "thank you" in 3 languages.

Learn to knit: make a hat.

Think of chaos as dancing raspberries.

Imagine grief
as the outbreak of beauty or gesture of fish.

Swim for the other side.

Wage peace.

Never has the word seemed so fresh and precious.

Have a cup of tea and rejoice.

Act as if armistice has already arrived.
Celebrate today.

Yes.

Can Someone PLEASE Tell Me...

Even if one "doesn't believe in" global warming/climate change, why the bloody hell are they against pro-environment legislation?

Isn't environmental conservation important simply for its own sake? If not, then what are "conservatives" conserving?

Or maybe they enjoy breathing in brown CO2 haze?