Peace

Brian Donohue will be marching today in Brooklyn, New York, with the Brooklyn for Peace organization. Here’s a copy of their poster and schedule.

It’s a long way from Maine to Brooklyn, NY, but hopefully we’re all in this together, in spirit when we can’t participate in body. Good luck to the marchers in Brooklyn today!! And how about that human chain set for Saturday?

Today is Veterans Day. Here’s a video, “VFP” Veterans For Peace, created by Tom Chelston of TomSongs.

As pointed out by Juan Cole this morning, this group, VFP, and others like it are being denied permission to march in Veterans Day commemorations. Can you believe that?

I offer this line from Wallace Stevens’ poem, Sunday Morning, to help us quiet our souls for the day of silence tomorrow for all the victims of the world — including the recent tragic victims of Virginia Tech, but also the countless others throughout history.

One ancient sacrifice which came to mind to me today was that of Francis David (Ferenc Dávid), b 1510 d 1579, founder of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania, who, having dedicated his life to tolerance and peace, had to end his days in a dungeon. Below is a sketch of Francis David and a picture of a flaming chalice with his famous quotation:

….. …..

Yes, the ancient sacrifice referred to in the Stevens poem was that of Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice, but Jesus would not disapprove I think of a worldwide application of a hush for all victims, and I just pick one of several that Unitarian Universalist’s remember. There are of course countless billions of others thoughout the world and throughout the history of mankind.

Blessed be. In remembrance.