On The Wings of Angels

While I join the thousands of people across the nation in honoring Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, the amazing pilot of Flight 1549, this illustration depicts my theory on how a water ditching in the Hudson River in the dead of winter resulted in no fatalities.

100 Days of Peace & Purpose

From: Laura Vural
lvural@hcz.org

The election of Barack Obama set off a wave of joy in the homes and gathering places of Harlem. It seemed like everyone spontaneously had the same urge: to keep the feeling of "Yes We Can" rolling. We wanted to; we needed to.

Many of us were moved by our own power to create change. So after hearing Obama speak of the need for everyone to continue to work for change, we decided to celebrate with service. We are calling for 100 days of peaceful worship and 100 days of purposeful service to others. Though the economic forecast is deeply troubling, we are not looking to Washington to heal our community, we are joining together and starting the process ourselves.

Opportunities to join us are listed on our calendar and there are further suggestions in our lesson plans.

Wherever you live, we hope you will bring the spirit of our 100 days of service to your community. Let us know about your experiences by emailing us at the address below. Most importantly, look at what's needed around you - and do it.

As our friend Marion Wright Edelman once said: "It's time for greatness -- not for greed. It's time for idealism -- not ideology. It is a time not just for compassionate words, but compassionate action". About Our Lesson Plan: The lesson plan booklet can be downloaded to support classrooms, community centers, churches and neighborhood associations to engage young people and their families in a dialogue that will launch a deeper understanding of the historical significance of the Obama Presidency, as well as encourage a call to service on both an individual and community level. We hope these lessons will provide guiding questions and activities that can either be done in one session or developed into long term projects for any age group

http://www.hcz. org/images/ stories/pdfs/ Harlem100days. pdf
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View from The Mountaintop

In anticipation of the historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama taking place the day after Dr. Martin Luther King Day, I find this photo to be fitting. Maybe this is The Promise Land that Dr. King saw in his prophetic vision front the Mountaintop. And while we have come such along way, there is still much work to be done. That being said, it is still such and honor and privilege to be around during this historic time in our nation's history as the inauguration will not doubt be of those "where were you moments" of our lifetime. But more important than the "where were you" is what this moment in time represents. Change!

Honoring Las Mariposas

A couple of nights ago I had a friend over to the house for dinner and a flick and we watched the movie In the Time of the Butterflies. (**This post does discuss events that some might say would "ruin the movie" for you. I have included the trailer at the bottom of this post for those who choose to stop reading now.**) It was my friends first time watching the movie and while I had seen the movie once before, I was again moved to tears by the heartbreaking account of the life, struggle, and ultimate martyrdom of the Mirabal sisters, otherwise known as Las Mariposas (Spanish for the butterflies). Between the years of 1930 and 1961 the Dominican Republic was ruled by a brutal and vicious dictator named Rafael Trujillo who used fear and violence to maintain his power. Minerva, María Teresa, and Patria Mirabal (The Butterflies) were instrumental in the underground resistance movement against Trujillo who subsequently had them ambushed and heinously beaten to death on a secluded roadside on November 25, 1960. This gave rise to a fervent insurrection which led to Trujillo's assignation in 1961. Minerva played an atypical and pivotal leadership role in the resistance movement to overthrow the Trujillo regime and in 1999, the date in which these Dominican heroines were killed, November 25th, was established as the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women". May the spirit of Las Mariposas and all the others that have come before us and have suffered at the hands of various oppressors in the struggle for freedom and justice live on. Let us never grow weary in the struggle for social justice across the globe. Another World is Possible!

In The Time Of Butterflies Trailer

http://semdom.50megs.com/mirabal_museo.htm

A Call to Earnest Prayer

It has been so long since my last post and so much has happened, and is happening, that I do not know where to begin. We have an African-American President elect who will be inaugurated a day after Dr. Martin Luther King day. Poetic! But while the United States has reached a milestone in our history chaos still ensues here and across the globe. Hundreds are caught in the crossfire of Israeli and Hamas missiles in Gaza. The conflict in Darfur has entered into its sixth year. Several countries with radical agendas are close to having nuclear capabilities. Here at home the economy is in shambles. The unemployment rate has reached 7.2%, a figure not seen in over 15 years. That translates into 2.6 million jobs that were lost in 2008. The New York Times recently reported that the number of families in homeless shelters has soared exponentially in the last year. A recent police shooting suspected of being racially motivated in California lead to rioting and looting in the streets. With all this calamity where does one look, if not looking up to The Lord?

I find hope in the fact that I am but an alien and a stranger on this Earth (1 Peter 2:11). But while I'm here, I look around and see so many people hurting, bleeding, and dying I approach 2009 with a sense of urgency. An urgency birthed in the reality that we are living in the last days. Now more than ever we need do our best to live the Beatitudes and love our neighbors as ourselves. And this must not be limited to our church, local, or even national communities. We need to understand that all those men, women, and children stuck in the Gaza strip dodging bullets and missiles even now as I type this blog are our neighbors. How can we love those neighbors as ourselves in the midst of this war? Do we follow the likes of Shane Claiborne, who may be on Expedia trying to find a ticket out there right now, and other Ordinary Radicals who are not afraid to preach Christ, the Prince of Peace, in the eye of the storm. I leave that type of decision for you to discern during your quiet time with the Lord. But at the very least we need to be lifting our brothers and sisters (neighbors) up in earnest prayer. Not only is it our mandate as the elect but it is our duty as a global community. So with that I urge you, as well as myself, to stay steadfast in your prayers for all of our neighbors. Those in Gaza, Darfur, the U.S. and across the globe! Remember what happened in the book of Acts when the church was earnestly praying.