June 11 2020 Peaceful Presence on Racial Justice

Peaceful Presence: Multifaith Prayers for Peace and Strength for the Journey
June 11, 2020
This powerful gathering was hosted by the MVPA Musalla, a Mountain View/Palo Alto Muslim Community, and led by Farha Andrabi Navaid, leader of the Musalla. The focus was on the pressing need for racial justice. Contributions included:

"Peace and Struggle" remarks by Rev. Amy Morgenstern and inspired by Frederick Douglas. Click here to download and read.

"Hearts of Stones" remarks were shared by Quaker Eric Sabelman from Palo Alto Friends Meeting. Click here to download and read.

Jewish Reading from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Song - presented by Rabbi Amy Eilberg. Click here to download and read.

A Christian prayer led by Rev. Dr. Diana Gibson and inspired by Pope Paul VI, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, and the Poor People's Campaign. Click here to download and read.

A song in memory of Chris Lundin, our beloved MVPJ Steering committee member, "music director," colleague and friend. (Click here to see our memory page for Chris.) "This is my song, O God of all the nations" was sung by Chris French from the Baha'i community. This was one of Chris Lundin's favorite songs. 

The following closing prayer with times of silence after each line was led by Kareem Syed of the MVPA Musalla:
Prayer for the family of George Floyd, and all those killed by violence.
Prayer for the healing of our own wounds from violence.
Prayer for the healing of the scourge of racism.
Prayer for the healing of our country.
Prayer in the face of fear.
Prayer for returning to God and holy ways.
Prayer for people to get to work and inspiration and courage to make a difference.

Chris Lundin: Presente!

Chris Lundin: In Loving Memory

With deep sadness we share the news that Chris Lundin, longtime member of the MVPJ Steering Committee, loyal songleader, passionate and faithful advocate for peace and justice, and incredible friend and colleague, died on Jun 4, 2020. 

Many of you will recognize the pictures of Chris leading songs with his guitar at MVPJ events, which he has done wonderfully and regularly ever since 2003 when his father, Walt Lundin, asked him to provide music for our 24-hour vigil in front of Palo Alto City Hall on the weekend before the U.S. attacked Iraq. (Walt Lundin was a founding member of MVPJ.) On countless occasions in the past 17 years, Chris' gentle spirit and gift of music invited us all to participate, and enriched almost every gathering we have had. 

Shortly after the 2003 event, Chris "inherited" his father's role on our MVPJ Steering Committee. He has been our primary liaison with St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish. Chris' commitment to peace strengthened our relationship with the Roman Catholic community both locally and beyond.

But Chris was so much more than a musician and a liaison, he was a wise leader, insightful colleague, and incredible friend to us all. His warm, inclusive presence was a gift to everyone. His humor was a delight when our work seemed so heavy. His patience and dedication unparalleled. His vibrant and energetic spirit led one MVPJ member comment that he seemed eternally young. His passion and commitment for justice and peace urged us to move forward with bolder and more faithful words and actions.

In rain or shine (we couldn't find pictures of him with umbrellas, but we have the memories), at dawn, dusk or high noon, on Lytton Plaza or King Plaza or marching on University Ave., in churches, synagogues and mosques, at trainings, teach-ins, protests and vigils, and tenaciously at almost every planning and organizing meeting, Chris was always with us.

At Chris' Memorial Mass, Fr. Matthew Stanley shared this quote from John Denver that fits Chris, and the gifts he gave us, so well.
"Muslic does bring people together. It allows us to experience the same emotions. People everywhere are the same in heart and spirit. No matter what language we speak, what color we are, the form of our politics or the expression of our love and our faith, music proves: We are the same." 

We express our sincere sympathy to Chris's whole family, and to his church community of St. Thomas Aquinas.

We lift up prayers of profound gratitude for the gift of his presence among us for so many years.

We commit to keep his spirit alive not only in our hearts, but in our continued work, so terribly needed, for justice and peace.

We will all miss him dearly.

"All Black Beings are Buddhas from the Beginning"

In the midst of the moral and humanitarian crisis we are facing in our nation, this image from the Buddhist Peace Fellowship reminds us of our common humanity. The Buddhist Peace Fellowship acknowledges the depth of the struggle for justice, stating, "We know that the karma of slavery, policing, and anti-Blackness is unbearably heavy in this country. And it is our responsibility to burn through this karma with clarity, compassion and willingness to act."  

"Racism is a virus. It infects the spirit." (The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III)

Words and actions from other faith traditions:

The United Church of Christ minister Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III's riveting and challenging sermon, "The Cross and the Lynching Tree: A Requiem for Ahmaud Arbery" was preached Sunday, May 17, 2020. While the sermon was delivered before the killing of George Floyd, the critical need for his words is even more apparent now. On Sunday, May 31, Rev. Moss offered another sermon, "When Is Someday?" suggested as a prelude to the May 17 sermon. Both carry messages we as a nation and as people of faith need to hear.

"As people of faith, we must bear witness to this moment. That means that we must name hard truths, but we must also act," states the first line of the pledge the Unitarian Universalist Association is inviting their members to sign. It continues with a reminder of the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorouly as we condemn the riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear?" See full statement, suggested organizations to support, and pledge here.

"The brutal murder of George Floyd is the consequence of a racist system that disproportionally targets people of color for violence, imprisonment, and premature death," said Shanene Herbert, American Friends Service Committee's (Quaker) director of the Healing Justice program in Saint Paul, Minn. Read the full statement here.

The organization T'ruah: the rabbinic call for human rights lifts up the Jewish teaching that, "one who sheds blood is considered as having diminished the divine image." "We say once again: Black Lives Matter. And we commit to creating a country that lives by this statement." Read their full "Statement on the Murder of George Floyd and Violence against Protesters."

"As an organization which advocates for the needs of the most marginalized, we do what our Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) taught us: to firmly confront what is hateful and destructive to life, love and community. Our faith is incompatible with systems of racial hierarchy. We are taught to always promote justice, work to end suffering, and seek abolition of that which is cruel and unjust," states "A Letter of Solidarity in Support of Black Rage" from CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) San Francisco Bay Area. Read full statement with concrete suggestions for actions here.

The National Council of Churches' statement acknowledges, "Deplorably, while the coronavirus has infected the U.S. and been the cause of death for more than 101,000 people in less than three months, racism has infected this country since its beginning and this virus has seeped into every aspect of American life."

The Christian Science Daily Lift program offers this perspective in a 4 minute podcast by Trudy Palmer, "Our part in responding to injustice."

MLK: "A riot is the language of the unheard."

"Let me say, as I've always said and I will continue to say, that riots are socially destructive and self-defeating. ... But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality and humanity."
-- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "The Other America"

Click here to for youtube video of King delivering this excerpt of his speech.

Peaceful Presence April 11 2020

On Saturday, April 11, 2020, Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice held its first virtual Peaceful Presence gathering. While we missed seeing each other as embodied, real people, the service, hosted by Eric Sabelman of the Palo Alto Friends Meeting, was beautiful! Through images, readings, prayers and music, we found a true Peaceful Presence. The added plus of such an event is that we can (somewhat) share it easily with all of you now.

Click here to download a PDF file with the slides of all of the images we saw and the readings and prayers we heard. At the end you will also find the sources of music Eric played.

Watch for an update with plans for our May 11 Peaceful Presence.

In the meantime, as the final reading reminded us, we can view the empty streets and parks as "the most remarkable act of global solidarity we may ever witness in our lifetime." (These are the words of a West Belfast Community Worker named Tommy Holland. Go to slide #30 in the PDF to read the whole quotation.)

"'The Report' reminds me why I've fought so hard as a pastor against torture."

"The Report (which is available for streaming through Amazon) dramatizes the brutality of the 2002-2007 CIA torture program, as well as the political battle to make the failures of that program public," writes the Rev. Dr. Eileen Altman, a longtime member of MVPJ's steering committee and local pastor.

"Watching The Report is not easy, but it is nonetheless important viewing. Each of us must take seriously our obligation as citizens to take responsibility for the actions of our nation. All of us must push our leaders toward policies and practices which reflect the highest moral and ethical standards of our faith traditions, so that we might become a more perfect union."

Written and directed by Scott Z. Burns.
Starring Adam Driver (as the Senate staffer who led the investigation into CIA torture program) and
Annette Bening (as Senator Dianne Feinstein).

Click here read Altman's full and powerful Opinion piece in Unbound: an interactive journal on Christian social justice.

Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice hosted a viewing of this film followed by discussion
on Sunday, March 8, 2-5pm.
We strongly recommend the film for your viewing and reflection.

MVPJ Solidarity Plans to Offer our Local Community

Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice (MVPJ) has set up a process which will allow us to respond quickly with publicly visible acts of solidarity on behalf of any religious, ethnic, or other targeted communities in our local area which are being threatened, or which have been harmed or violated in some way.  Examples of triggers could be receipt of hate mail, defacing of property, threats to the well-being of the community or to a member of the community.  In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will work with your community to discern the most faithful and safe way to respond. These MVPJ solidarity responses will be faithful, peaceful demonstrations of solidarity and friendship. 

 

When an action is needed, our email subject title will be “IMMEDIATE LOCAL RESPONSE NEEDED,” and the body of the email will include instructions as to where and when to gather.

 

If your community is targeted or threatened in some way, and you want to ask for a public show of solidarity, or simply discuss this possibility, please contact us through this email: solidarity@multifaithpeace.org. You may certainly talk with anyone on the MVPJ steering committee personally if you prefer, however the "solidarity@multifaithpeace.org" email is set up to be checked every day for a quick response.

 

When we are back to gathering face-to-face, if your community feels it wise to evacuate its premises due to a threat of any kind (such as a bomb threat or threatening graffiti) and needs an alternate space for worship or study on short notice, we have several congregations who are willing to host you if at all possible. You may inquire about this offer through solidarity@multifaithpeace.org and we will help you connect to these communities as quickly as possible. 

 

Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice Non-Violent Commitment

 

In all actions that we take, members of Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice commit to the principles of non-violence, and pledge that all their actions will be peaceful, respectful, prayerful and non-violent.

Pictures from August 11 Multifaith Lament & Worship

On August 11 local Jews and Quakers joined together to lead a powerful Multifaith Service of Lament and Public Worship with a Concern for Immigrants and Refugees. More than 200 people participated.

The Lament was part of a national effort that connected the 9th of Av (August 11th), the Jewish annual day of mourning over displacement, discrimination and murder of Jews through their history, with the experience of today’s immigrants.

The Quaker Public Worship with a Concern for Immigrants and Refugees invited participants to sit in silence to listen to the Spirit which guides human affairs and inspires both immediate words and future action.

Prayerful and Passionate Protest Photographs

On July 12, 2019 MVPJ hosted a vigil on behalf of immigrants, children and refugees as part of the Lights for Liberty campaign. Click below to see more photographs of the event. Many thanks to Jack Owicki from Pro-Bono Photography who took these wonderful pictures!