When Rodney nearly killed his wife, Tara, just hours after being released from jail, we were devastated, but not surprised. Rodney is a big man with deep wounds. His mental illness has gone untreated for most of his life, and the crack he became addicted to didn’t help. Leah says Rodney is the only man she’s ever been afraid of. Maybe I scare easier than she does. I’d add a few more to my list, but Rodney would be at... Read more
Today marks 9 years since the US invasion of Iraq began. I wrote last week about how I was born again to nonviolence in Baghdad and Rutba. Yet, as much hope as I saw in those small acts of radical love, I’ve wrestled in prayer over these past nine years as I’ve watched the spiral of violence in Iraq continue–and, in many ways, worsen. What are we to do when nonviolence doesn’t seem to make a difference? What do we... Read more
As we continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem–and the healing of the nations along with it–I’m grateful for this testimony from my friend Shane Claiborne… By Shane Claiborne I just returned from Bethlehem, and brought this nativity scene back as a gift. It’s a beautifully hand-carved nativity made from the olive wood distinct to the region. But you can also see something else special about it – there is a wall separating the Magi from Jesus. It was... Read more
One of the great gifts of the Catholic peace community in this country is a tradition of “public witness” that takes liturgy to the streets. In the 1960’s, Catholic priests Dan and Phil Berrigan made national news when they walked into a draft board office in Cattonsville, Maryland, wearing clerical collars and removed drawers full of draft cards to the parking lot, where they burned them with napalm. They knelt to pray the Lord’s Prayer until they were arrested. The... Read more
At the end of last week, I posted a short story about Angelina Atyam, an incredible woman from Northern Unganda. My Aussie mate Jarrod McKenna had sent me a note about the Kony 2012 campaign, expressing concern about its implied hope in US military force. I was impressed by the campaign’s focus and energy, but shared Jarrod’s hope for a better way. I posted Angelina’s story with prayers that it would inspire those passionate about justice to believe that they... Read more
Armed with the power of social media, some young North American activists set out this week to take on one of the most violent rebels in the Great Lakes Region of Africa–Joseph Kony. They’ve called their campaign KONY 2012, and they’re determined to get rid of Kony and bring the children he’s abducted home by the end of this year. I commend these folks for their insistence that the church stand against injustice. And, at the same time, I join... Read more
Here at The Everyday Awakening, I’ve taken the release of Common Prayer Pocket Edition as a chance to both connect with folks who are part of a contemporary renewal of ancient prayer practices and re-connect with some of the wise guides who’ve taught me the most about prayer. (Hope you’ve already had a chance to read my interviews with Phyllis Tickle and Steve Harper. Hope, too, that you’ll send us a picture of Common Prayer ‘On the Go’ this week... Read more
In his Rule for communities that want to follow Jesus with their whole lives, St. Benedict devotes a great deal of time to instructions on how to pray. Praying together is important for any community, Benedict says. It establishes a common rhythm for our lives, instilling good instincts for when we should pause from the work of our hands to join the “work of God.” But Benedict knew that praying together with others presented practical challenges long before planes, trains,... Read more
The death and resurrection of Jesus are a big enough deal that they shape every week for Christians. Friday is a fast day all the year long because Jesus suffers and dies on Friday. Sunday is a feast, even in the midst of fast, because Sunday is resurrection day. Any of us who are honest know that time doesn’t heal all wounds. But those of us who trust that the world changed in 33 AD know that time has been... Read more
Rev. William Barber is one of our most hope-filled prophets for justice in America today. Since I was a sixteen year-old trying to recover from Religious Right political aspirations, he has been a patient yet persistent guide in my life. For the past six years, Rev. Barber has been organizing the largest coalition for peace and justice in North Carolina–HKonJ. Rutba House has been a proud partner of the coalition from its very beginning. In this election year when so... Read more
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
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