Interfaith Call for Peace, Fasting & Prayer - Rabbi Sheldon Lewis' Reflection

On Sunday, October 7, 2007, a small group gathered in the sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church for an interfaith call to peace, prayer and fasting. We were gifted with wonderful music from a ensemble of violin, cello and oboe, and thoughtful and inspirational reflections from Rabbi Sheldon Lewis, Honorably Retired; Tasneem Fatima, Muslim Community Association; and Nichola Torbett, Network for Spiritual Progressives. Click below for the text of the words from Rabbi Lewis. Ms. Torbett's reflection can be found in the following story, and the words from Ms. Fatima's talk will be added soon.
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In War, There Are Innocents

MVPJ Steering Committee member Craig Wiesner responds to recent news stories quoting a group claiming that in war, there are no innocents.
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Yuba County Jail

The old saying "When one door closes, another opens" ran through my mind as we were escorted into the Yuba County Jail. The protocol is simple, one giant iron door slides open, you step through, and then it closes. Then, the next iron door slides open, allowing you to step into another area of the jail. Every door is controlled by a sheriff's deputy in a control room, watching every inch of the jail through ever-present cameras. We're here today because we'd heard horror stories about immigration detainees who had lived through time in this jail. Stories from different people, who had never met each other, who had been to the jail at different times, seemed to match. The latest, the story of a young woman from our own community, prompted us to ask for an opportunity to see things for ourselves. What we saw, was, and was not what we expected.

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