An Inch At A Time: Reflections on the Journey: Thank You Jesus For Email!

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Thank You Jesus For Email!

==Original message===
Sunday, January 21, 2007 3:43 PM

dear mom

the one that went down wasn;t one of ours. it was a national guard bird near baghdad. it was probably weather that caused it to crash, but it sucks no matter what caused it. we've been weathered in a few times so we know when to and not to fly. things here are as fine as they can be i suppose, and i'll see you guys in a couple months. please tell dad all is well also. i'll write again soon. jim

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Ever succient, is my Jamie -- but how grateful was I to have this message this morning as I was heading to church?

Prayers ascending from Pasadena in thanksgiving for good news and for email ... and prayers as well for those families who are waiting for a message like this that isn't going to come.

Many thanks to all for all your prayers and good wishes ... for the cloud of witnesses whose prayers surrounded us for a very anxious 24 hours. Now let's apply that energy to the March on Washington next week and to lobbying Congress in the hope that something will "shift" and a just solution to this unjust war will be found.

5 comments:

Caminante said...: I have tears of thankfulness for you... as bittersweet as it is for the other parents. But I am deeply thankful that you got his email. Sending this off to Anne who was wondering. Lee; 2:55 PM
Suzer said...: I, too, am thankful for you and Jamie. Y'all were in my prayers last night and this morning. I am also in prayer for those who will be receiving the worst news of all. May God's peace and presence sustain them.; 7:50 PM
Elizabeth Kaeton said...: Prayers of thanksgiving ascend for Jaime. Prayers for those who have died. Most fervent prayers for an end to this stupid ******* war.; 5:22 AM
Catherine said...: What Elizabeth+ said.

Catherine+; 7:58 AM
Pat's Mom said...: My nephew too is in Iraq (again), armed patrols in Baghdad. He lost 3 of his men as a result of an accident Dec 26 2006. Thank you for your honest sharing with the greater world.

Beth L.
Claremont School of Theology, MDiv program (Dec 2007)
Ministerial Candidate, Unitarian Universalist Association
Sponsored by Throop Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church, Pasadena; 3:25 PM

... where I try to be really clear about what I'm clear about. For example:

Religious persecution is when you're prevented from exercising your beliefs, not when you're prevented from IMPOSING your beliefs.

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Using "biblical standards" to condemn those who understand that sexual orientation is morally neutral makes as much sense as using "biblical standards" to condemn astronomers who understand that the earth revolves around the sun. The Bible may have said it but that doesn't always settle it.

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It's liberty and justice for all -- not some. It's respect the dignity of every human being -- not just straight ones. Got it? Great. Let's do it.

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In order to keep moving forward toward liberty and justice for all we can't just be right about what the 1st Amendment protects. We have to be smart about how we respond to those who skipped the 9th Commandment and think lying is a Traditional Family Value.

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Jesus said "Love your neighbor." Not "Love your neighbor unless your neighbor is gay."

Smart things other people have said you should know about

“Faith in action is called politics. Spirituality without action is fruitless and social action without spirituality is heartless. We are boldly political without being partisan. Having a partisan-free place to stand liberates the religious patriot to see clearly, speak courageously, and act daringly.” -- Ed Bacon

“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"It's time for "tolerant" religious people to acknowledge the straight line between the official anti-gay theologies of their denominations and the deaths of these young people. Nothing short of changing our theology of human sexuality will save these young and precious lives." -- The Rt Rev Gene Robinson

"How can you initiate someone into the Body of Christ and then treat them like they’re half-assed baptized?" - The Rt Rev Barbara Harris

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ~ Elie Wiesel, 1986 Nobel Peace Prize

"Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant with the weak and wrong. Sometime in your life, you will have been all of these." — Siddhārtha Gautama

"I'm so glad Mary didn't wait for the formulation of a Doctrine of the Incarnation before she said 'Yes' to God." -- Ed Bacon

"The great Easter truth is not that we will be born again someday but that we are to be alive here and now by the power of the resurrection." -- Philips Brooks (paraphrase)

"History belongs to the intercessors, who believe the future into being.” -- Walter Wink

“Patience, a quality of holiness may be sloth in the soul when associated with the lack of righteous indignation.” -- Abraham Heschel

"Don't tell me what you believe. Tell me what difference it makes that you believe!" -- Verna Dozier

“We establish no religion in this country, we command no worship, we mandate no belief. Nor will we ever. Church and state are, and must remain, separate. All are free to believe or not believe, all are free to practice a faith or not, and those who believe are free and should be free, to speak of and act on their belief. At the same time as our constitution prohibits state religion, establishment of it protects the free exercise of all religions. And walking this fine line requires government to be strictly neutral.” -- Ronald Reagan

Let's be clear. The fact that the State authorizes a marriage in no way compels any Church to perform or recognize it. Marriage equality merely guarantees equality under the law to all citizens; it does not compel churches to do anything.-- Katherine Ragsdale