Kintsugi, the 15th-century Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the broken areas with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold or other precious metal, reminds us that when repaired, formerly broken places reveal new lines of character and beauty.
It humbles me the extent to which our Roma friends and colleagues practice hospitality, always laying a table for us with whatever they have. They are among the poorest of the poor, marginalized by a society that feels threatened by an alien culture living in their midst. I don’t use the word alien as a negative, just a reality. They are a people with deep traditions, a strong sense of family and community, their own language, their own music, their own style of dress.
Justice Advocacy Sunday is one of the most significant days in the life of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Not only are many Presbyterians unaware the day it falls upon, but also many don’t even know that it exists.
World Day of Prayer (WDP) is a global ecumenical movement, celebrated in more than 170 countries, led by Christian women who welcome all to join in prayer and action for peace and justice. World Day of Prayer is celebrated annually on the first Friday of March; for 2023 that is today, March 3.
To the people on the edge of exile, the prophet Isaiah makes a startling promise: You shall be the ones to repair your world. Of course, the energy of God will be a solid partner. Despite God-energized human efforts, sadly, conditions of exile still exist — joblessness, food scarcity, hopelessness and oppressive racial tension, to name a few.
Take a moment and consider all the ways that technology has touched your life this day. Reading this entry on your device, for one. Perhaps you have also called a friend, checked a weather app or made a purchase. Digital devices, at their best, keep us safe and connected and informed. Now imagine not having access to the digital world. According to the United Nations, “259 million fewer women have access to the internet than men, even though they account for nearly half the world’s population.”
The meeting of Mary and Elizabeth in the first chapter of Luke is a treasured story of two women connecting to share an unexpected experience, with love, excitement and probably a little fear. This image, recreated by so many artists, reminds me of the most powerful gifts I have received from other women in my life: connection, a warm embrace, a smile, a knowing glance across a room, a space to sing out my joys and my fears, the knowledge that in the most chaotic moments of life I have people whose embrace and care I can always count on.
Every Thursday, I try to wear black to stand in solidarity with my siblings who are experiencing violence. Some days I forget, but working from home gives me the opportunity to correct it. But those who experience violence can’t forget, because they live with the trauma of it every day. What if we, in our daily lives, loved others like God in Christ loves them? Would we turn a blind eye to the violence and injustice we know is happening around us? What if we lived in a world that did not tolerate violence? What if the church stood as a voice against violence?
The Four Chaplains stood on the deck of the USAT Dorchester on Feb. 3, 1943. Linked arm in arm, chaplains George Fox (Methodist), Alexander Goode (Jewish), Clark Poling (Reformed) and John Washington (Roman Catholic) sang hymns and offered prayers as the ship sank beneath the turbulent waves of the North Atlantic. Perhaps these courageous servants of God were comforted, even as we read in our Psalm, by knowing the faithful love of our Lord endures forever.
