Sunday reflection (May 19, 2013): PENTECOST

Vida Dutton Scudder, early 20th century Christian writer and activist:

Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them. . . .

And all that believed were together, and had all things in common.

Is it not a Christian hope that the Church may recover that first ardor which filled those eager disciples at Jerusalem, on whose brows the Spirit still lingered in living flame? 

If the Indweller guides her, some of us cannot doubt the answer. The overflowing love of God, of which Whitsun Gospels speak, will inundate her heart, and all jealous separateness in outward possession as in the inward parts, will be swept away. The Spirit shall bring to our remembrance all things, whatsoever Christ has said unto us, and we shall know the peace that is not of this world. Jesus the Door shall open the way to a new social life of economic equality, and Jesus the Good Shepherd shall guide us as we enter in.

 

Former Guatemalan Dictator Found Guilty of Genocide

 The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.

DJAN joins with other partners in SOA Watch to celebrate the guilty verdict against the former Guatemalan dictator and School of the Americas Graduate, Efraín Ríos Montt, who was sentenced to 80 years in prison.  We celebrate and stand in solidarity with the Ixil Mayans, the survivors of the genocide and crimes against humanity committed under his dictatorship (1982-1983).

General Ríos Montt was the first ex-head of state to stand trial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in his home country. Doubts arose throughout the 7 weeks of harrowing trial testimony whether or not the Guatemalan justice system would be capable of withstanding dark political forces and threats of violence to deliver the only result supported by the evidence. We applaud the judge's bravery and strongly worded verdict, which has created an echo of hope throughout the Americas and the rest of the world.

SUNDAY REFLECTION

 John Chrysostom, early church leader: "Share what you have, lest you lose what you have. Spend what you possess on the needs of others, in order to keep what you possess. Do not cling on to what you have, lest it be taken away from you. Do not hoard your treasures, lest they rot and become worthless. Entrust all your wealth to God, because then it is protected against all who want to steal or destroy it. 

Do you not understand what these injunctions mean? Or do they sound like nonsense to you? To the person without faith they mean nothing."

May Day Blessings!

DJAN (Disciples Justice Action Network) wishes May Day blessings to everyone involved in struggles for greater justice and peace.

Easter Blessings!

Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
.. . and happy birthday, Cesar Chavez.

May God fill us with the same resurrection power that sustained and animated Cesar Chavez and all the other justice-seeking saints who have put their faith in the living Christ. Amen.