Archive for November 2016
When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:33-34 NRSV Anglicized
As we live through these “interesting times”, I found inspiration in the words of The Rev. Desmond Jagger-Parsons. Desmond is concluding his service as Chair of the ecumenical coalition known as KAIROS. His concluding paragraph in his recent post on the KAIROS website reads:
“Like many of you, as an individual, I have a partisan opinion about what has happened in the US election and I have them in Canada as well. Some in KAIROS have the same opinion, some different. It doesn’t matter. Our common work is the work of Love – let us profess it boldly, with conviction, employing our rights as citizens and demanding the same for all. And although the times may be times of fear, let us remember proclamation of the angels in both testaments: Do not be afraid.”
The full reflection on “Citizens in God’s Commonwealth” is at:
Over the past week there has been plenty of commentary on the election of Donald Trump to be President of the United States of America. People are people. What might be a constructive way forward?
“Human qualities often come in clusters. Altruism, inner peace, strength, freedom, and genuine happiness thrive together like the parts of a nourishing fruit. Likewise, selfishness, animosity, and fear grow together. So, while helping others may not always be “pleasant”, it leads the mind to a sense of inner peace, courage, and harmony with the interdependence of all things and beings.”
Matthieu Ricard in the book, “Sustainable Happiness”, page 58
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