Thursday, August 29, 2013

connecting the dots


On this day that we honor, celebrate, and vow to continue to struggle the 50th anniversary of the March for Jobs and Freedom on Washington led by Dr. Martin Luther King, we must remember something that was not heard in the official commemorations in Washington today: the way in which the struggle here at home in terms of poverty is related to the struggle abroad in terms of America’s militarism. 
We have to connect the dots between what Martin called the triple giant of evil: racism, materialism, and militarism.
Martin was pressured not to make this link, and in fact it took him from 1963 till the famed 1967 Riverside church speech to speak “against the apathy of my own soul” and break his own silence against the war in Vietnam. 
The result was powerful, controversial, and as of today, still a task for all the real followers of Martin to heed. 
- See more at: http://omidsafi.religionnews.com/2013/08/28/connectingdots/#comment-36876

See: The Martin Luther King connection 

4 comments:

  1. 2Cents ______________________________________________

    *it is interesting i think flew have no interest in nonviolence
    Merton was forever in hot water with the Bishops for protesting
    war and using the Atom bomb on Russia when i was sent to
    Xavier University - a all black collage at that time in the 60es
    one of my good black friends Jim Larken wanted to come back
    to St Leos Abbey with me and be a brother i was informed
    by the than Abbot Merion in no way was i to bring a black person
    back to join the community - we live in a capitalistic society
    which is based on a very aggressive get all you can get mentality
    a far cry from the teachings of Jesus its who can build the biggest churches and put on the biggest religious theatrical production and
    collect the most money is far away from a quiet simple life style -
    it affect all the American political system we now live in a war
    making society that most are unaware of most want more money
    for more and more stuff and if the poor starve and die off that's ok
    well have more so we can build bigger churches and make god
    happier and god will give us more - A-men to that i see that hand !!!
    in a letter to Berrigan 1964 Merton states discontent --------------
    i getten out of here i lost my pressure regular to my rice cooker
    the Buddest are right there is suffering

    Blessing ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. gee bob, it sounds like some very unenlightened monks, even if it was the 60s. Amongst the younger monks at Gethsemani now, there are at least 2 black men.

      Like you, I am dismayed at the capitalist culture and seeming lack of even an inkling of what nonviolence even is (never mind that it is the central message of the Gospel). I don't know what the answer is. I'm glad that there is an underground movement in this country that recognizes this. It's nice to know that I'm not alone in my discontent and search for a way to resist.

      Hope you get the rice cooker fixed!

      Delete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. alas alas

    got my rice cooker back on line its happy rice time again ----------

    so this *******



    * presto **************
    ________

    What’s
    4
    Dinner
    ??????

    Potatoes
    Carrots
    and
    Us

    Presto
    In
    The
    Pot

    Boiled
    In Our
    Mystery

    The
    Perfection
    Of
    Cookery

    Well
    Done

    Blessing _______________________________________
    _______

    ReplyDelete

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