Fear

Cathleen Falsani 11-21-2011

http://youtu.be/8775ZmNGFY8

Late Friday afternoon, UC Davis campus minister, the Rev. Kristin Stoneking, was in the car driving with her family from Davis to the American Academy of Religion gathering in San Francisco when she received a phone call from a campus administrator. Katehi was "trapped" inside her office at the university administration building, where a large crowd of protesters had gathered outside, flanking both sides of the sidewalk in front of the building's entrance. The chancellor was afraid to leave on her own and asked Stoneking to come mediate her exit with students.

Stoneking was running late, having missed a few of the AAR's sessions already, and was reluctant to heed the call. She called one of the students involved in organizing the Occupy protests on campus and learned that, "students were surrounding the building but had committed to a peaceful, silent exit for those inside and had created a clear walkway to the street." So she turned the car around and drove back to the university.

"Why did I walk the Chancellor to her car?  Because I believe in the humanity of all persons," Stoneking writes. "Because I believe that people should be assisted when they are afraid.  Because I believe that in showing compassion we embrace a nonviolent way of life that emanates to those whom we refuse to see as enemies and in turn leads to the change that we all seek.  I am well aware that my actions were looked on with suspicion by some tonight, but I trust that those seeking a nonviolent solution will know that 'just means lead to just ends' and my actions offered dignity not harm."

Alex Awad 9-26-2011
Late last week Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke at the United Nations to request an official recognition of Palestine as an independent state with full statehood status at the UN.
Cathleen Falsani 9-12-2011
"[Music] is no invention of ours: it is a gift of God. I place it next to theology. Satan hates music: he knows how it drives the evil spirit out of us." -- Martin Luther
Laurna Strikwerda 7-07-2011

Ten days after 9/11, Rais Bhuiyan, an immigrant from Bangladesh, was working at a gas station in Dallas, Texas when a man walked in with a gun. Thinking the store was being robbed, Bhuiyan opened the cash register

Jim Wallis 4-20-2011

 

[Editors' note: During the season of Lent we will be posting excerpts from the Rediscovering Values Lenten Study Guide. We invite you to study God's word with us through these posts.]

Ruth Hawley-Lowry 2-04-2011

Rosa Parks would have been 98 years old this Friday, February 4, 2011. As I watch the people in Egypt march, my mind goes to her legacy. Years ago she said, ?"I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear."

Julie Clawson 11-17-2010
Seeking justice for the oppressed. Working to end the connection of child slavery to chocolate. Helping heal a devastated Haiti.
Margaret Benefiel 11-04-2010
Abraham Lincoln said, "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Has America started down this road? Yes.
Hannah Lythe 10-25-2010
I wonder how we find room for hatred.
Julie Clawson 10-01-2010
We have all heard the old saying that Satan's greatest ploy is to get people to stop believing in him.
Geoff Tunnicliffe 9-14-2010
When the story of the fringe Florida pastor and his proposed burning of the Quran broke back in July, we intentionally decided not to give oxygen to the story.
Julie Clawson 9-03-2010

Between July 30 and August 3, a reign of terror was released upon villages in the Congo's eastern mining districts.

Each day this week, we've featured a film featuring different aspects of the immigration debate, and how these issues relate to our faith. Narrowing down our selections to four films was difficult because there are so many great choices on this topic. Here, in no particular order, are the rest of the best. Check them out and download our film guide to host a screening on one that speaks to you.
Elizabeth Palmberg 8-13-2010
The countdown is on to next year's independence referendum in so
Frank Fredericks 8-04-2010
In a unanimous vote yesterday New York City's historic landmarks commission voted to withhold historic protection from the downtown building slated to become a Muslim community center (called Park5
Nontando Hadebe 7-14-2010

The World Cup eclipsed our lives in South Africa as we witnessed four weeks of unbelievable soccer and celebration. Instead of basking in the glory of the tournament and reflecting on a way forward, xenophobic violence has once again reared its head.

Jim Wallis 7-01-2010
Several months ago, I was invited to speak at Lifest, a Christian festival in Wisconsin with more than 100 musicians and 50 speakers that