Blog Posts By God's Politics Editor

"Mysteriously hidden within each of us are the seeds that can germinate into a new society, a new planet. Like the corn, we have hidden deep within our living process a wisdom that reaches back to all knowledge and beyond all possibilities.... We have the wisdom of the ancestors reaching back to the mighty power of all creation... within us."  - Anne Wilson Schaef

God, we pray for the millions of men and women, girls and boys, who are trapped by human trafficking. Break their chains and set them free. Help those in power to bring the perpetrators to justice. Amen.

 According to our friends at Good.is, Buckminster Fuller'sgeodesic dome is making a comeback with urban farmers. A new dome-based prototype promises an affordable method of rooftop aquaculture for apartment and commercial buildings—as the website calls it, getting "fish from the sky." The Globe / Hedron bamboo domewould house an aquaponics system—a mini-ecosystem in which plants clean the water where fish swim and fish waste fertilizes the plants—capable of feeding 16 people year-round. The unique structure of the dome, designed by Conceptual Devices, would support the weight of the fish tank, enabling installation on flat roofs without adapting the structure of the building. The design firm is partnering with Zurich-based group UrbanFarmers, which developed the aqauponic technology, and they're currently fundraising on indiegogo to get the project off the ground.

“Once social change begins it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.” - Cesar Chavez

Dear Lord, our hearts grieve as we witness the escalating violence and needless deaths in Syria. We pray for a speedy resolution to the political crisis and wisdom for the governments involved. Lord, may Christians, Muslims and all people of faith in Syria unite to build peace and justice for all. Amen. Adapted from the Methodist Church in Britain's Prayer for Syria 

"Jesus put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’" - Matthew 13:31-32

Mitt Romney on Saturday delivered the commencement speech at Liberty University. The Los Angeles Times has video and the full transcript of the speech. Read full transcript HERE.

"The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all." - Proverbs 22:2

Editor's Note: Yesterday, President Obama announced his personal support for same-sex marriage. Within the Christian community and the nation at large, there are a diversity of opinions regarding human sexuality. While often a divisive issue, Sojourners has released the following statement encouraging respect for  equal rights, religious liberty, and civil discourse."Sojourners supports equal protection under the law and full legal rights for all people regardless of sexual orientation. We affirm the right of faith communities, congregations, and religious organizations to define marriage in accordance with their own traditions and interpretation of Scripture....

"If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted towards your needy neighbor. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be." - Deuteronomy 15:7-8

TRANSCRIPT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S INTERVIEW WITH ABC NEWS ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, MOTHER'S DAY, ET ALROBIN ROBERTS: Mr. President. Thank you for this opportunity to talk to you about-- various issues. And it's been quite a week and it's only Wednesday. (LAUGH)PRESIDENT OBAMA: That's typical of my week.ROBIN ROBERTS: I'm sure it is. One of the hot button issues because of things that have been said by members of your administration, same-sex marriage. In fact, your press secretary yesterday said he would leave it to you to discuss your personal views on that. So Mr. President, are you still opposed to same-sex marriage?PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well — you know, I have to tell you, as I've said, I've — I've been going through an evolution on this issue. I've always been adamant that — gay and lesbian-- Americans should be treated fairly and equally. And that's why in addition to everything we've done in this administration, rolling back Don't Ask, Don't Tell — so that — you know, outstanding Americans can serve our country. Whether it's no longer defending the Defense Against Marriage Act, which — tried to federalize — what is historically been state law.I've stood on the side of broader equality for — the L.G.B.T. community. And I had hesitated on gay marriage — in part, because I thought civil unions would be sufficient. That that was something that would give people hospital visitation rights and — other — elements that we take for granted. And — I was sensitive to the fact that — for a lot of people, you know, the — the word marriage was something that evokes very powerful traditions, religious beliefs, and so f-orth.

Our friends at the National Immigration Forum started a new campaign today to advocate for Citizenship and Integration grant funding. Last year, Congress cut all funding forthese important programs that help welcome new Americans to our country. The Department of Homeland Security budget does not reflect the biblical commandment to welcome the stranger. We must once again remind congress, budgets are moral documents.Check out their website to learn more.  

"As you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think." - Toni Morrison

God of healing, we pray for those who are in pain -- physical or emotional, real or imagined. Lord, only you know the depths of their suffering. You alone know the path to healing and recovery. In your mercy, wipe away their aches and pains, their headaches and heartaches. Amen. 

“When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, least it find a way into my heart.” - John Wesley

O God who art Peace everlasting, whose chosen reward is the gift of peace, and who has taught us that the peacemakers are Thy children, pour Thy sweet peace into our souls, that everything discordant may utterly vanish, and all that makes for peace be sweet for us forever. Amen.Prayer from Galasian

“A church that doesn’t provoke any crisis, a gospel that doesn’t unsettle, a word of god that doesn’t get under anyone’s skin, a word of God that doesn’t touch the real sin of the society in which it is being proclaimed – what gospel is that?” - Archbishop Oscar Romero

God, release us from everything within our minds that would keep us bound to limitation, suffering, forgetfulness, and fear. We want to be free... Please direct out thoughts and guide our visions. Help us to see in all people only what you would have us see, and help us to see in ourselves only what you would have us see. Show us the way to healing and to peace. Amen.Adapted from Diane Berke's "Prayer Process for Healing Relationships"

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back." - Luke 6:37-38

She may not be an actual Catholic sister in real life but Maripat Donovan plays one of the most recognizable nuns in the world. Donovan is a Chicago native and originator of the role of "Sister" in the long-running play, Late Nite Catechism. She's one of the funniest nuns we know."Catholicism is Happy Days. All the other religions? Joanie Loves Chachi."++ Join us in showing our appreciation for Catholic women religious (aka nuns or "sisters") on Thank-a-Nun Day, May 9. Click HERE to send a thank-you note online. ++ 

"Return to the Lord, your God, for [the Lord] is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing." - Joel 2:13

Thank you, Cloture Club. Thank you.

If you're part of the generation who spends half the day (or more) online, it can be painful to explain new media to those who aren't as up-to-date, aka parents.But don't worry, Fuse has created a public service announcement called, "How to talk to your parents about Spotify."

"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." - George Washington Carver