Posted by Frederic Brussat on October 18, 2013 We rejoice in small triumphs that signal positive changes in human relationships.
Polls: Percentage of U.S. adults who considered homosexual relations morally acceptable in 2002: 38. Percentage who considered homosexual relations morally acceptable in 2012: 59 (Gallup, May 2012)
O Voice of Freedom, help us to expand our acceptance to other groups in our society, including members of minority religions and immigrants.
Posted by Frederic Brussat on October 16, 2013 O Keeper of Justice in the universe, we are troubled about the inequality which is so rampant in the United States.
Statistic: The top 10 percent of earners last year collected more than half the nation's total income, including market income and capital gains. That's the highest proportion since the government began recording income data more than a century ago.
(The New York Times)
Help us to demand that those who represent us in Washington, D.C., find ways to bring relief to poor and middle-class people who are losing ground financially while depleting their precious spiritual resource of hope.
Posted by Frederic Brussat on October 15, 2013 We are grateful that we can derive such pleasure from nostalgic trips down memory lane.
Research: Feeling nostalgic is often seen as a sign of depression, but a growing body of research suggests that it actually wards off loneliness and anxiety. (The New York Times)
Help us, O Holy One, to harvest our finest memories that lift our spirits and bring joy to our hearts.
Posted by Frederic Brussat on October 11, 2013
We give thanks for the convenience and the many ways the Internet enriches our lives and connects us with other people.
New Report: Americans are spending nearly twice as much time online this year as they did in 2010, thanks to an increase in mobile devices and more ubiquitous Wi-Fi. (HuffingtonPost.com, 08/2013)
O Great Creator, help us not to overdo our time online and neglect those who are near and dear to us.
Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on September 6, 2013
The Obama Administration has asked the U.S. Congress to pass a resolution authorizing military strikes against Syria. The administration claims that in the ongoing civil war in Syria, the government fired rockets loaded with chemical weapons into rebel strongholds on August 21, reportedly killing more than 1,400 people including some 400 children. The strikes are intended to be punishment for the use of chemical weapons and a warning that such actions will not be tolerated in the future. Many religious leaders are urging Obama not to use violence to punish violence and instead to put diplomatic and economic pressure on all sides in Syria in order to secure peace for the people.
There will be vigils and prayer meetings this weekend for peace in Syria. We offer these resources for individual and group use. Below is a prayer written by Brian McLaren, one of the Living Spiritual Teachers profiled at S&P. Here, too, are links to collections of quotations and prayers we put together at the start of the Iraq War. Alas, they are still needed.
Peace Is the Way: A Collection of Inspirational Quotations for PeacemakersWartime Prayers and Meditations: a collection of 37 prayers for peace from all traditions.
Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on May 7, 2013
More Americans now die of suicide than in car accidents and from 1999 to 2010 the suicide rate among those ages 35 to 64 rose by nearly 30 percent. The most pronounced increases were seen among men in their 50s, a group in which suicide rated jumped by nearly 50%. According to an article in The New York Times, explanations for this increase are financial stress and the availability of drugs which can be deadly in large doses. Many of the suicides are members of the Baby Boom generation who have been disappointed with how their lives have turned out given all the high expectations for them. Many have additional stress because they are caring for aging parents and still providing support to adult children.
Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on April 30, 2013
A powerful documentary in the PBS series "Independent Lens" titled The Undocumented, directed by Marco Williams, focuses on efforts to identify the 200 Mexicans each year who die while making the crossing through the Arizona desert into America in search of work to provide for their families. Victims of heat stroke and the lack of food, water, and medical care, they pay the highest price for the dream of a better life.
Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on April 15, 2013
We are reading more and more articles about people creating their own religions by taking what they find of value from different wisdom traditions. It has been reported that almost half of all Americans under 30 believe that the best religion is one that borrows from different religions. Many spiritual teachers, deeply rooted in their own tradition, have crossed borders and paved the way to this auspicious moment of openness, hospitality, and genuine respect for all. We are grateful to these pioneers of the multifaith movement.
Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on March 18, 2013 In an article in The New York Times, Lincoln Brower and Homero Aridjis note the winter monarch colonies near Mexico City have shrunk considerably. Between 1993 and 2003, they covered an average of 22 acres; this year's area hit a record low of 2.3 acres. Like the loss of bees, the decline of the monarch butterflies has many causes, including the destruction of breeding habitats in the United States from toxic herbicides and genetically engineered crops and illegal logging in Mexico's fir forests. Other factors are ecotourism, extreme weather, and diversion of water. What this means is that the very future of these beauties of the sky is in danger.
Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on February 26, 2013 In an article in The New York Times, Gardiner Harris reveals that 28 million children between the ages of 6 and 14 are working in mines, factories, construction sites, shops, and farms in India. This is happening despite laws banning child labor and unsafe working conditions. As a result many kids are getting sick and even dying.
These pictures testify to the suffering.
The daily news summons us to prayer. The people, situations, and events of our times call out for our compassion and God's healing presence. In this blog we will pray in a variety of forms as we lift up the needs of the world. We hope that by praying the news in this way we will also expand both our spirituality and our practice. More