Fierce Love, the Origin of Mother's Day

The Assistant Minister at the Unitarian Congregational Society today (I saw it via FB), gave an interesting sermon entitled "Fierce Love" - and within it was the origin of Mother's Day.

She explained that Mother's Day (and I didn't know this) was initiated by Julia Ward Howe - in peaceful protest of war.

Mother’s Day began as a call to action to improve the lives of families through health and peace. Ann Jarvis of Appalachia founded Mother’s Day in 1858 to promote sanitation in response to high infant mortality. After the Civil War, abolitionist Julia Ward Howe made a Mother’s Day call to women to protest the carnage of war.

Peace Alliance - History of Mother's Day

Then went on to explain how there is so much injustice going on, listing off all the things (Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, Ukraine, Systematic Injustices) and how it can feel difficult at times to do anything about them, but it is often better to do something rather than nothing. Also how people handle this differently and that's okay - some protest, some sign petitions, some educate themselves & others, and have difficult conversations, some do fundraising and donations, some call elected officials - and this is okay. She has done pretty much all of the above herself.

Then she states and I quote, because I love this so much:

"we are in a unique political moment, the War in Gaza is so painful for most of us and for different reasons. Some of them very personal. Even the rhetoric has become a source of painful disagreement. I have opened up to you to share my personal feelings about this war and some of you have opened up to me - and I am so grateful for that. We need to trust each other to be honest and to face one another directly in either agreement or disagreement. As our very own right relations covenant suggests:

* I will act with respect and humility when I disagree with others.

* I will be mindful when words and actions may cause unintended pain.

* I will seek out understanding and wisdom in the presence of conflict.

I believe we are called to be peacemakers in one way or another. Just as Julia Ward Howell urged in her mother's day proclamation. We are called to rise up to unite and to work together tirelessly to bring about a world where all children can grow up safe, healthy and free. This is the work of Fierce Love in action. It is the work of building bridges against differences. In standing in solidarity with the oppressed and marginalized siblings here and around the world. It is the work of advocating for policies and practices that promote equity, dignity and wellbeing for all. It is the work of creating communities where every person's value is appreciated, every voice is heard, and fierce love can flourish. This work is not easy, my friends. It's not. It demands courage, resilience, a willingness to get outside our comfort zones. It requires that we be real with each other and we trust one another. As we look to the fierce love of mothers as our inspiration, we know that we do not labor alone."

I'm working on that. ( Read more... )

I don't know. Just that I needed to hear that sermon today. Like a salve on a festering wound. And I felt it should be shared in the hopes of bringing peace and a salve to others.

(no subject)

1. FB is full of Aurora Photos. No, I don't have any. I live in Brooklyn, NY, which is a)too far South, and b) too much light pollution. Also the nights it was most active? It was raining and stormy, with heavy cloud cover.

But there are some bizarre photos, one looked like an angle in the sky. As if the angles were dancing above us all - or above the folks in Minnesota, at any rate.

2. Question from 3 Weeks of Dreamwidth: " What piece of art has had a large impact on you, and how?"

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3. Television

* Almost done with Fallout. I do not find this funny. But it is admittedly rare that satire makes me laugh. Grim and depressing, yes. Funny, no. It also plays with a lot of established and overdone tropes. In short I don't understand why a lot of folks love it? It's okay. I find Walter Goggins character engaging - partly because of Walter Goggins, but that's about it. Almost done with it though - two episodes left. (It's short - just 8 episodes, most likely will be renewed for another season - since it was highly regarded and very popular. The characters are mildly likable, but it is violent (albeit in a comic book way) and gross (also comic or graphic novel way). I'm thinking this is geared more towards vidders than non-vidders though?

* Shardlake - this is a short series on Disney + - and somewhat odd for Disney +. [No, wait, it's actually Hulu by way of Disney, this bundling is so confusing.] It feels like it should be on PBS. It's about a hunchback barrister during the 1600s who solves mysteries for Thomas Cromwell, during the Tudor Reign. People underestimate him due to his hunchback. Scean Bean plays Cromwell. It's okay, I got bored and gave up during the first episode.

* Welcome to Wrexham - a documentary/reality series starring Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny who decide to buy a Welsh Football Club in Wrexham Wales during the pandemic - no less.
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[It's on Hulu and FX (also Disney by way of Hulu, since Disney is bundling now.]

* X-men '97

Still entertaining. And they appear to be doing some risky moves. I'm beginning to understand why the show-runner was fired? He wasn't doing a kids show.

* Wales and I discussed Baby Reindeer - neither of us could get past the first episode. Wales found it boring, and didn't understand the point of it or the appeal. I found it cringe-inducing. Apparently the alleged real life stalker is suing Netflix and Gad. Stating she's actually the victim here - she didn't make him part of her act, nor did she do a movie about him. (Uhm, she has a point?) Anyhow - that was inevitable. Because the moment folks find out it is a real story - they will hunt for the actual people involved to figure out what happened to them. This is why I decided it was not a good show for me to watch.

4. Books

I'm enjoying these dramatized adaptations done by Graphic Audio and available on Audible, also on Graphic Audio. It's kind of like listening to a radio program of the book in question. Loving them.

I've become a convert to the whole audio book and dramatized audio adaptation of books. It takes away eye strain and still gives me the story. Kind of reminiscent of being read to. And I adored being read to as a kid.
In elementary school - I'd had Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, and The Giant Peach read to me. Then we'd discuss it. It was glorious.

DNF Yellowface. I gave up with over 150 pages to go. Just couldn't do it any longer. It's about 390 pages. I stopped at page 209. It's too long - that damn editor was asleep on the job. I'd have cut it some of it out. Gets very repetitive in places and kind of preachy. I've decided not to leave a review on Good Reads. Just a rating, if that. I've kind of stopped giving negative reviews on Good Reads, it's all subjective anyhow.
What works or doesn't work for me, may well work or not work for someone else. This book is very satirical - and that doesn't tend to work for me a lot of the time?

Making my way through The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies, co-worker thought it was a steampunk fantasy that he'd read - it's not. It's a historical mystery romance hybrid. With a thirty-something heroine.
Rare that. This was rec'd by a college friend, who I have a half-assed email correspondence with. In that we occasionally email one another - but my email is so clogged with junk - I barely see hers until months after she sent it, and vice versa.

Comics. Making my way through the Kraokian era of X-men comics, skipping over bits here and there. Read X-men Forever #3 and Rise of the Powers of X - 3, also Fall of the House of X - 3. ( Read more... )