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DOING THE RIGHT THING … Unitarian Universalist Clerics Publish Open Letter of Support for Muslim Community

Rev. Ben Meyers of San Mateo, just one of the twelve clerics who signed this letter
Rev. Ben Meyers of San Mateo, just one of the thirteen clerics who signed this letter

Keeping it Kind. I am so very proud of the Unitarian Universalistist Clergy of the San Francisco Bay Area for their open hearts and their OPEN LETTER in support of the MUSLIM COMMUNITY. It was read at the MultiFaith Prayer service at the Yasmeen (Islamic) Cultural Center in Burlingame, California on Sunday, December 13, 2015.

December 13, 2015 An Open Letter

Dear People,

We are writing to call attention to a great injustice and to ask your help in addressing it.

Not that many years ago Catholics were seen as some “other” who could not be good Americans. More recently Jews suffered many insults and abuses because they did not belong to the dominant faith – again, seen as “other”. Good people rallied to stand with them and, over time, they have become so integrated into the fabric of our country that it is now unimaginable without them.

500px-Flaming_Chalice.svgToday we are seeing the same sort of prejudice and, on occasion, dreadful acts of violence directed at Muslims. They are our contemporary “other”. These are our neighbors, co-workers, and our friends. They serve in every branch of our American military. They are our doctors, lawyers, police officers, nurses, teachers and social workers. They are us.

Because of the actions of a very few, some current American politicians and others are sparking fear and hatred against the entire Muslim faith community.

In response, people of good-will and conscience must stand up and speak out. Many already have. Some, clinging to the haunting words of Pastor Martin Niemoeller, are asking “who will stand with them?” It is time to answer that question. We will. We, the Unitarian Universalist clergy of the San Francisco Bay/Peninsula, stand with the Muslim community.

We urge you to do so as well. Please take a stand and say your peace.

With faith in love beyond all beliefs,
The Reverend JD Benson, San Francisco
The Reverend John Buehrens, San Francisco
The Reverend Stefanie Etzbach-Dale, Redwood City
The Reverend Pamela Gehrke, San Mateo
The Reverend Elaine Gehrmann, Monterrey
The Reverend Axel Gehrmann, Monterrey
The Reverend Alyson Jacks, San Francisco
The Reverend Nancy Palmer Jones, San Jose
The Reverend Nina Kalmoutis, Sunnyvale
The Reverend Russ Menk, Aptos
The Reverend Ben Meyers, San Mateo
The Reverend Vail Weller, San Mateo
The Reverend Amy Zucker-Morgenstern, Palo Alto

Note:  Please feel free to share this letter through WordPress’ “reblog” feature or by cutting and pasting. If you’d like me to the post in HTML to make it easier, please let me know. J.D.

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Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda . . . a poem for the days when you long for peace

51Hn8cu3d6L._SX305_BO1,204,203,200_Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.

For once on the face of the earth,
let’s not speak in any language;
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.

Fisherman in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.

Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.

What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.

If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.
Perhaps the earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.

Now I’ll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.

– Pablo Neruda

—from Extravagaria (translated by Alastair Reid, pp. 27-29, 1974)

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Through the Alchemy of My Darkest Nights

For my sisters and all their children.
Love, Jamie

TODAY WE RISE

“The world is missing what we have to offer, our wisdom, our sweetness, our love and our hunger for peace.”

♥

Note: If you are viewing this from email, it is likely you will have to link through to the site to watch this short but charming video with an important value to share.

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Some Mothers’ Hearts Have Stopped

Some mothers’ children stare unseeing
No sweet, wet baby kisses from blistered lips,

. . . . songs unsung

No wedding portraits to dust and treasure
No graduations or trips to the sea

. . . . just their bodies to bury

crushed
beaten
stilled

by the engine of nihilism

Limbs cracked and broken, bellies torn
Faces purpled, hearts stopped

Hearts stopped …
. . . . hearts stopped

Some mothers’ hearts have stopped

Some mother's children
Some mothers’ children

© 2015, poem, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved; photograph of some mothers’ children killed in the Syrian Civil War, Ghouta massacre/uploaded by Bkwillwm to Wikipedia under CC BY 3.0 license (I believe it may be a screen shot from a news video)