I love the writings of Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk who lived in America during the post-nuclear cold war. He wrote prolifically on topics including personal sanctity, nature’s praise of God (of which humans contribute the most conscious, but no means solo, voices), and the responsibility of all people of peace, and faith, to protect the earth from war.
"But politics as they now stand are...
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Last night, when I heard about the attack in Nice, France, I immediately thought of my friend from France, Valérie Baron. She shared these thoughts today, which are so important as we grieve, and reflect on how to bring peace to a very hurting world.
I was thinking about my home country again today. I was there during the November attacks and I wasn't far away. I am thinking of the atrocity...
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What would I give up so the world didn’t cry?
All mistakes to prevent regret?
Then we’d have to always know the right choice.
Would I sacrifice curiousity for omniscience,
The fun of learning for all wisdom?
The chance of rejection for guaranteed love?
Would an effortless love be worth anything?
Freedom and individuality for automatons who can’t do evil?
The need for heroes, by...
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I’ve been involved in communications for development for many years, and have heard many inspiring stories, but so far, this one has touched me most. I was listening to Podcast Playlist on CBC Radio, a weekly show that curates great podcasts from everywhere, and they were playing a podcast about the WMMT radio station in Appalachia, USA.
It all started with a jazz station that evolved into a hip...
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It’s January 1, 2016 – a new year. I started it wonderfully, in my prayer chair. For Christmas, my friend gave me "Thomas Merton: A Book of Hours.” It has prayers for every day of the week, dawn, day, dusk and night. Reading the dawn prayers today started my year off beautifully.
I feel such a peace of the presence of God. It may be special to my prayer chair – my heart knows that it's time to...
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It's advent - the season of year when Christians await the coming of Jesus anew in our hearts, in remembrance of his birth over 2,000 years ago. To celebrate, we light a candle each Sunday - one for hope, one for peace, one for joy, and one for love. This Sunday, my church asked me to light the candle of peace. As someone called to be a peacemaker, I was grateful for the chance to share some of...
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I love remembrance day. I appreciate the time it gives the world to pause, reflect on past wars, the lives they cost, and pray that “never again” will one day come true. This year, I encapsulated that hope in my shortest poem ever:
Let “never again” become so obvious we never have to say it again.(http://crypeace.org/news/never-again)
Amen.
I also wrote a poem from the...
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I don’t want our kids to meet at encounter groups, to learn to empathise with the “other”
I don’t want them to hear of the Holocaust, to learn how our homelands became our graves
I don’t want them to talk about the Nakba, the right of return, and how long it takes
I don’t want to fear that in my nascent country, we risk annihilation again
I don’t want to...
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Let “never again” become so obvious we never have to say it again.
Carole St. LaurentRemembrance Day, 2015
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