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Peace & Life Connections; February 15, 2013 February 15th, 2013
We reproduce the Consistent Life “Peace & Life Connections” weekly newsletter on this website. If you are interested in more information, or in subscribing to the e-newsletter directly, please visit www.consistent-life.org/ Please note that we do not edit the content of this publication.
Cemetery of Innocents, Garden of Justice
Patrick Grillot reports: Like many pro-life student organizations, Students for Life at Saint Louis University annually displays crosses in a prominent area of its campus to commemorate the number of lives lost to abortion. This year we modified our “Cemetery of the Innocents” display to include five subjects, many of which do not traditionally align with what people think of when they think of pro-life issues. Our “Cemetery of the Innocents” was a visual representation of five offenses against the dignity of the human person: abortion, capital punishment, rape, physician assisted suicide and poverty. To make the display more impactful, we used specific, local data where possible, such as abortions on college-aged women in Missouri and the number of people living below the poverty line in St. Louis. See story and photos.
Because we are not only committed to destroying a culture of death, but also cultivating a culture of life, we created a “Garden of Justice” to represent different movements toward restoring the dignity of every human life, from conception to natural death. Paralleling the subjects of the “Cemetery of the Innocents,” the “Garden of Justice” comprised color-coded flowers to represent the number of students aided by SLU’s Pregnant and Parenting Student Assistance, states that had repealed the death penalty, Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network affiliated crises centers in Missouri, states that have outlawed physician assisted suicide, and meals served by Campus Kitchens nationwide.
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Truth, Justice and Mercy Meet February 15th, 2013
“Truth and Mercy have met together
Justice and Peace have kissed.” (Psalm 84)
“In these two short lines there are four important concepts and two powerful paradoxes. The concepts kept running through my mind as I watched the peace process unfold [in Nicaragua] in its fits and starts. I noticed for the first time that the Psalmist seemed to treat the concepts as if they were alive. I could hear their voices in the war in Nicaragua. In fact, I could hear their voices in any conflict. Truth, Mercy, Justice and Peace were no longer ideas. They became people. And they could talk.”
John Paul Lederach, a Mennonite Christian, is an influential author and practitioner in the fields of conflict transformation and peace building. He has written a little play – “a liturgy of sorts” as Lederach calls it, based on his experiences in working with conciliation groups in Nicaragua who often used Psalm 84 for their biblical reflections. We would like to share it with our readers as a good mediation piece for Lent. (Download the PDF)
Lenten Resources to Care for Creation February 12th, 2013
Thanks to the Franciscan Action Network for these suggested Lenten materials.
- The “Stations of the Cross with Blessed John Paul II: On the path of ecological conversion” is available in both English and Spanish.
- Sr. Terri MacKenzie, SHCJ has offered “Spirituality of Soil: A Lenten Journey from Cosmic Dust to Easter Garden,” a five-week program for groups or individuals.
Grounded in Lenten themes, Scripture, and the Universe Story, participants deepen their appreciation of Sister Mother Earth and the gift of soil. Reflections on the role of earth in the Gospels and in our evolution story highlight the importance of mitigating the current threats to Earth.
Each week contains a closing activity and suggestions for Earth-care action. Users can adapt this material in any way that will deepen participants’ consciousness of the sacred interconnection of all life and our part in co-creating a sustainable future.
This program is available online, for free.
3) Please also consider the Lent 4.5 program that uses the traditional Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to promote caring for God’s creation, embracing gospel justice, and nurturing spiritual fulfillment. The core of the program is a series of handouts or bulletin inserts distributed throughout the weeks of Lent. There is also a school resource book that comes with permission to reprint for all classes, and a discussion course book that is usable any time of the year, not just Lent.
4) Inspired by Pope Benedict XVI’s teaching on Creation and the environment, the Archdiocese of Washington (D.C.) Care for Creation Committee offers you a new “Caring for Creation Calendar” for Lent 2013 in the Year of Faith. The calendar offers practical ways you can grow in your understanding of what it means to be a wise steward of God’s Creation and to deepen your commitment to practices and attitudes which promote care for Creation.
Interfaith Call-In Day to Prevent Gun Violence Feb. 4 January 31st, 2013
On Monday, February 4, people of many faith traditions is calling U.S. senators and representatives to urge them to act now to prevent more gun violence. More information is here.
Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence January 17th, 2013
On January 15, Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, a diverse coalition of organizations united by the call of faiths to confront America’s gun violence epidemic and to rally support for policies that reduce death and injury from gunfire, sent a letter to the 113th Congress. Religious leaders representing 40 different faiths signed the letter urging the President and Congress to urgently take action to respond to the gun violence crisis in the United States. The letter was released to the public during the press conference at the United Methodist Building in Washington DC.
To read the letter and learn more, visit www.faithsagainstgunviolence.org
