activism

I've been a member of Crossleft for over a year now. In that span of time I've learned a lot about an alternative more progressive view of Christianity from reading the posts of the regular bloggers. During this past year, Crossleft has had insightful and sometimes heated discussions on the election season, the religious right, cultural issues, poverty issues, and the responsibility of christians to take on the social issues of this country. Every morning after preparing some oatmeal and feeding the cats, I turn on the computer and one of the first sites I start reading is Crossleft. My wife thinks I'm addicted.

Yesterday I read in the papers that Studs Terkel, oral historian and radio disc jockey, died last Friday. He was 96 years old. When I read about it, I had a sad feeling. I first started reading his books when I was in college and these books helped me to learn about the way Americans thought about race, class, and the way they thought about the times they were living. I enjoyed reading the stories of individual Americans, their experiences and insights and their resilience in the face of hard times.

First, some facts. Louis “Studs” Terkel was born May 16, 1912 in New York City. His family moved to Chicago while he was young and he met the workers and activists who shaped his world view. He got the nickname “Studs” from the character Studs Lonigan in the James T. Farrells trilogy of books about an Irish American man in Chicago’s South Side. Terkel graduated from the University of Chicago in 1932, studying law and philosophy. He worked briefly as a federal statistician and found employment in radio through the WPA Writers Project acting in soap operas. In the 1940s, he worked fulltime in radio as a disc jockey and hosted an early t.v. show “Studs Place” set in a fictional bar in Chicago.

My wife has given me many things that I’m grateful for since she came into my life. One of the nicest things she’s given me is a whole new range of music that I never listened to before. When we first dated, one of the first places she took me to was an Indigo Girls concert in Berkeley. I had heard the name of Indigo Girls, but I never really listened to their music before. Ever since that concert, I really started listening to them, and found out they are deeply involved in progressive activism and promoting issues of peace and sexual equality.

When I first started attending St. Thomas Episcopal Church, one of the first persons to befriend me was an 84 year old lady. We found we had a great love of books and one day she handed me a book to read. It was titled Granny D: Walking Across America in My 90th Year, by Doris Hadock and Dennis Burke. Granny D chronicles Doris Hadock, who walked across the U.S. in 2000 at the age of 90 to highlight the need of campaign finance reform. I was instantly enchanted by Hadock, and admired her life of activism and her love of our country. My friend loved Hadock’s motto in life: you’re never too old to raise a little hell.

“So, brethren, let us sing Alleluia,
not in the enjoyment of
heavenly rest, but to sweeten our toil.
Sing as travelers sing along the road: but keep walking.
Solace your toil by singing– do not yield to idleness.
Sing but keep on walking.
What do I mean by ‘walking’?
I mean, press on from good to better.
The apostle says that there are some who go from bad to worse.
But if you press on, you keep on walking.
Go forward then in virtue, in true faith and right conduct.
Sing up – and keep walking.”

St. Augustine of Hippo in his Sermon 256

The Rev. Elizabeth Kaeton referenced this in her blog today and it spoke to me of our struggles to make a better country. It spoke to me of Episcopalians across the USA trying to hold our church together. It spoke to me, Janet, telling me to keep working as I praise God, and telling me to sing my praises as I work.

If your enemy is hungry feed him” “ Romans 12:20

I know that many of you out there are likely planning your own event to observe the upcoming anniversary of the Iraq War, but I would like to invite you to join the Summit Interfaith Peace Coalition in what we hope will become at least a statewide movement in NJ, but who knows how far it could spread. No matter what your plans we ask that you incorporate a food drive into your observance. If the peace groups can reinforce the same theme that we choose to spend money on bullets and bombs and neglect to feed our children I think at the very least we can get some good media attention.

The Summit Interfaith Peace Coalition, of which Pax Christi Summit is a member, is reorganizing. Instead of monthly vigils and peace walks we will begin meeting monthly to promote a broader agenda of peace and justice. Our first meeting is this Thursday January 10th at 7:00 pm at the Unitarian Church at the corner of Waldron and Springfield Avenue in Summit.
On the Agenda is the planning of the annual observance of the anniversary of the Iraq War.

WAWA Blog September 5, 2007

[West Bank: Occupied Territory] In a verdict released on Sept 4, 2007, justice ruled in the Holy Land!

JUNE
16
National Antiwar Strategy
Meeting